In this modern era of technology, everything has come to the internet, even sports. There were times when people used to crowd near
sports box offices to get one ticket for a football game. Well, that still happens a lot, but people don’t really cry when they don’t get the ticket, they just take their phone out of their pockets and open the live sports streaming app.
Live sports streaming is a privilege for a sports viewer, as there is no need to stand in queues for hours to buy tickets, no need to travel overseas to watch their favorite team compete with the other team. Everything can be done online. TV sets, along with websites designed with the help of web builders and live sports streaming APIs, makes live streaming possible for everyone.
Only a couple of decades ago, watching a live game was available only on television, whereas now, we have dedicated live sports streaming sites and apps where users can simply log in and watch the streams. These live streams are definitely not free, and users have to purchase subscription plans to watch their favorite sports without any issues.
Live streaming sports have many advantages like you can replay a shot, record it, get real-time updates of the scores, the upcoming players, and whatnot.
Here are the five ways in which technology is contributing to live streaming:
- Reviews & Replays:
The technology to rewind a scene has been around for decades, but the advancements in technology have helped to improve the replays. Previously, the umpires had only one primary camera footage to tape final decisions while now there are big and advanced cameras that can record every motion from various angles to help the umpire make the right decision.
- Real-time updates
It has now become possible to receive real-time updates about the ongoing matches. Sports fans can easily view the scorecard on the screen. The scoreboard is also displayed during the break in-between games. Even social media platforms such as Facebook, Reddit, Twitter has started live streaming and providing real-time updates of the sports events. This helps the sports viewers get timely updates of their favorite match games, even during meetings, classes, or while doing other daily chores. Even news portals, search engines like Google provide live updates of the big games and events to the viewers.
- Over-the-top media services
OTT services have changed the game ever since it popularized. It has become so convenient to watch sports live without any hassle; just launch the app, and you are good to go. Some popular apps like Hotstar, Live score, ESPN provide the best live streaming service at a reasonable rate.
This not only saves the time of sports viewers but also lets them watch the repeats, highlights, the schedule for upcoming match games, and the players who will be participating in them. All you need is a stable internet connection and a subscription plan, which is a lot more affordable than a match ticket, so why not?
- Virtual Reality Technology
There is no doubt how breath-taking is VR technology. Engineers are working so hard to improve the VR technology and make it possible for the sports viewer to enjoy the live streaming of their favorite game at home.
It doesn’t let you feel like you are watching the match at home in front of your phone or television. VR technology makes you feel like you are sitting in the middle of the ground and watching the player run across the field to score. One of the best examples for VR technology in sports is NextVR technologies that are working hard on providing the best VR experience to sports lovers.
- Better picture and sound quality
Over the years, sound and video quality has been drastically updated. Watching the match on television now vs. Watching a game on TV ten years back has a lot of difference. The use of advanced cameras, recorders, sound systems, and microphones have made it possible for sports viewers to watch matches in much better quality than before.
Future of Live streaming of sports
Live sports streaming has truly become a primary source of attraction for OTT services. As per the survey of CouponCabin.com, the primary reasons why 43 percent of the cable subscribers in the USA do not want to cut their cable connection is because they can stream their favorite sports match on television.
However, there are still a lot of people who are getting rid of the pricy cable connection and switching over to OTT media like Hotstar, Amazon Prime, and whatnot. The network providers offer solutions for amazing streaming quality to the viewer and monetize the content with ads in-between or by charging them a monthly subscription fee to continue watching their favorite sports events.
Many researchers show that sports fans are willing to pay more just to watch their favorite sports games on streaming services. There is always an advantage as if the OTT service fails to provide the best user experience, and the user can cancel his subscription.
Hence, the future of live streaming of sports is bright. With the advancements in technology, the user experience will be drastically improved, providing facilities to the sports fanatics in their comfort zone.