Issue 04: Sports 2.0: Football’s Virtual Future
Let’s set the scene. You’re sat in the stands with your mate, locked into an intense debate about your favourite player. “He’s literally got the most goals from the lowest xG in the league this season,” you say, citing an Opta tweet you saw just hours ago. Your friend rolls their eyes, and for some reason, it’s not because they think you’re a stat merchant. “That can’t be true.”
It’s time for you to end the debate. So you whip out your phone, point the camera at the pitch, tap on the player’s head, et voila. All his stats appear right in front of your eyes, in real-time.
Sounds insane, but this could be the future of sports. And while you two are watching live football like a FIFA game, your other friend who couldn’t get tickets is watching at home from a VR headset, except the players are all 3D-rendered versions of themselves because that’s how the broadcasting rights fell.
And this future isn’t too far away. The recent sale of TV rights meant that the most recent Australian Open saw an online broadcast with avatars replacing live footage of the players. Viewers may not have been watching the real match, but there’s no way they could miss the iconic visor on Naomi Osaka or the white cap with the fox on it donned by Jannik Sinner. It’s not quite the real thing, but it’s almost the same.
Just how far away are we from a world where everything is digital?
Image credits: AP News
Why are alternative realities so popular?
Sports broadcasting has always evolved with technology. First came crackling radio waves, then black-and-white television, then high-definition broadcasts with instant replays. Being able to rewind to the precise moments of match highlights would have been unthinkable when football was first played on swampy pitches in the late 1800s.
But today, the battle for attention is fiercer than ever. Attending a football match is far from the only hobby fans have to enjoy at the weekend, especially when you consider the burning need to take up Padel. Not only are leagues and broadcasters scrambling for solutions to this problem, but they’re also trying to make their brands more globally relevant than ever before. It’s a monumental task.
There are two pieces of technology that could really change the game:
Virtual Reality (VR): a simulated world that users wear a headset or glasses to experience. Head movement and body tracking can enhance the experience of full immersion into a new reality.
Augmented Reality (AR): a blend of the real and virtual, where computer-generated imagery is overlaid on top of the user’s real view of the world. Normally accessed through a phone camera or smart glasses.
The rise of AR in broadcasting isn’t just about adding flashy visuals–it’s a strategic move to reshape how people may experience sports in an era where traditional viewing habits are changing.
Other sports are already doing it, and the Australian Open is far from the only example. In fact, the changing landscape of media ownership is pushing a huge change. The old model, where traditional broadcasters bought sports rights and aired them on TV, is crumbling. Now, streaming giants like Amazon, Netflix, and even Apple are entering the space, and they don’t just want to show sports like everyone else; they want to revolutionize how they’re consumed.
Crucially, many of these media conglomerates also own valuable entertainment IPs. That’s why we’re seeing NBA players reimagined as Disney characters for holiday specials, or NFL broadcasts featuring Nickelodeon’s signature green slime after every touchdown. The NHL has partnered with Warner Bros. to create hockey broadcasts starring Looney Tunes and DC superheroes.
Image credits: Nickelodeon
For media companies, these collaborations are an easy win–they make sports more accessible to younger, more casual audiences (more on this later). And for leagues, it’s a way to expand beyond traditional fans and tap into pop culture in a way that feels relatively natural.
Football has traditionally been resistant to this level of cross-branding, but it won’t be for much longer. FIFA and UEFA are already experimenting with AR-enhanced broadcasts, offering interactive overlays mid-game.
Some clubs are leading the charge. Ligue 1 side Marseille has already experimented with an AR service that lets fans use their smartphones to pull up real-time player data in-stadium. It’s like playing FIFA in real life.
Admittedly, none of this is without problems. The Marseille experiment was held in an empty stadium, for example. Anyone who has tried to use their phone in a ground on match day will know that getting a signal is virtually impossible. But for now, that’s someone else’s problem.
The changing audience
Football might still be the world’s most popular sport, but for the next generation, it’s losing its grip. The way young people consume entertainment has shifted drastically in the last decade, and sports–once the undisputed king of live television–now finds itself competing with the likes of TikTok.
Only 47% of Gen Z identifies as sports fans, compared to almost 70% of Millennials. They’re also half as likely as Millennials to watch sports often, and twice as likely to never watch at all. The message is clear: if leagues and broadcasters don’t evolve, they risk losing everything.
Younger viewers are accustomed to digital-first entertainment that’s fast, interactive, and personalized. Their world is built around short-form content, not sitting through 90 minutes of football; 30 minutes of which is your team parking the bus.
The biggest challenge here is that sports broadcasts are built for appointment viewing. But Gen Z doesn’t watch TV like that. They engage with content in clips and live social media streams of Mark Goldbridge ranting at his PC. The rise of secondary screens, where a viewer might watch sports with one eye while scrolling on their phones with the other, has forced broadcasters to rethink how they package live events.
This is why sports leagues are experimenting. The goal is to create experiences that don’t just demand attention but actively invite participation.
In fact, one UK study found a 25% increase in fan participation after introducing gamified apps. Developments like augmented reality could take this even further.
Image Credits: Orange
Could AR make sports better?
We get it. So much of sports is built on tradition. AR seems like a gimmick–something you’d see satirised in a futuristic film rather than something that people actually want, but that perception is changing fast.
Football has always been slow to embrace change, but the pressure is mounting, and the consequences of ignoring this shift could be severe. A generation that doesn’t grow up caring about sports is one that doesn’t buy shirts, attend matches, or pass down their love of the game.
And after all, in football, loyalty is everything.
Some parts of the tech seem cool. VR-powered apps can turn every seat into a VIP seat, so for fans who can’t make it to the stadium, they can watch the match without Rio Ferdinand’s commentary.
Manchester City and Sony’s virtual Etihad in the metaverse means that fans around the world can attend matches from home–no travel, no ticket limits, just thousands of avatars filling the digital stands.
For clubs, this is an opportunity to monetise access beyond physical ticket sales. Theoretically, a Premier League club could sell unlimited “virtual tickets” to fans worldwide, offering an immersive matchday experience with zero geographical constraints.
If you’re a season ticket holder or a supporter of a lower-league team, this still sounds like a horrifying possibility. How will any of this benefit real football fans? Like it or lump it, there’s a financial need to increase fan engagement and even grow the fan base, especially in a post-PSR world. This is one way to do it. And if fans who don’t know the songs can stay home to watch while “real” fans attend their local matches, who doesn’t benefit?
There’s also the capitalism thing. AR means that virtual advertising boards could show viewers personalised ads based on their shopping preferences. A little Black Mirror? Probably. But Stone Island might see exponential revenue from this.
The real question isn’t whether AR will change football. It’s how fast clubs, leagues, and broadcasters will adapt before they get left behind.
Image credits: Tribune
The future of sports broadcasting
The way we consume sports is changing at an unprecedented pace, and the new frontier is looking increasingly digital-first. Streaming giants are likely to reshape the industry, challenging legacy broadcasters with innovative formats that cater to modern viewing habits.
Live sports has long been considered the last bastion of appointment television–something people still make time for in our busy lives. But that idea is being tested. On-demand content means we want what we want when we want it.
That’s where “meta-content” comes in. Instead of watching a linear broadcast, fans may toggle between multiple angles, access real-time player analytics, or use AR to overlay tactical insights on the screen.
Some sports are already experimenting. The NBA and NFL have both partnered with Nickelodeon and Disney to produce animated broadcasts aimed at educating younger audiences. They haven’t done away with traditional broadcasting altogether, but instead have introduced an alternative format for an audience that wants it.
The question on everyone’s lips is whether these innovations will wipe out traditional sports broadcasting altogether. After all, for every fan excited by the possibilities, there are probably three more who see it as a gimmick, an unnecessary departure from the authentic nature of live sport.
The fear is that by turning games into hyper-produced, digital-first spectacles, something fundamental will be lost. After all, isn’t the joy of sport found in hugging a stranger in a packed stand after a last-minute equaliser?
This tension is at the heart of football’s digital transformation. How much innovation is too much? At what point does a virtual reality stop being real?
For broadcasters, the challenge is clear: adapt to modern consumption habits without alienating the core audience that makes live sports special. But that’s far easier said than done.
Some innovations may be more widely embraced than others. Real-time stats and multiple camera angles already enhance today’s broadcasts, but others, like fully virtual stadiums, might face a tougher road to acceptance.
The new era of sports
Technology is nothing new, and every new development feels huge when it’s first introduced. What we’re witnessing now is no anomaly–it’s the next frontier in how fans experience the game.
The challenge for leagues and broadcasters is to strike the right balance: making sports feel fresh for the next generation without alienating the loyal fans who cherish tradition. There are some exciting possibilities, but they must complement the game, not overshadow it.
One thing is clear: the way we watch sports is changing. For better or worse.
