TOP 7 Sports Technology Trends and Innovations to Adopt in Sports Apps in 2025

The sports business is a center for innovative technologies that optimize athlete performance, mitigate injuries, connect viewers, and optimize the overall experience of professional sporting events. The quick emergence of machine learning, virtual reality, smart wearables, and other technologies is transforming how organizations manage athlete preparation, team management, and on-field and off-field analysis.

In this blog, we are going to discuss the newest sports technology trends that are revolutionizing the industry and how you can incorporate them into your sports app development.

TOP 7 Sports Technology Trends

Trend #1: AI Coaching Applications

Among the numerous uses of artificial intelligence (AI) in sports and athletics, computer vision technology is a standout as a game-changer, providing real-time analysis of movement and immediate feedback. With pose estimation technology, human motion has become more accurate and streamlined and does not require wearables.

AI-powered coaching apps are able to:

• Analyze the player technique, detect strengths and weaknesses, and give customized feedback for improvement.
• Assist users in avoiding injuries by identifying improper exercise technique or postural anomalies during training and rehab.
• Provide data-driven performance insights, eliminating subjectivity and improving training programs and game plans.

These AI-based coaching solutions are transforming athlete training with accurate movement analytics, allowing for improved technique improvement and injury avoidance.

Trend #2: Wearable Tech and Performance Analytics

Sports analytics software is used to process data for training, performance, rest, and recovery. Numerous wearable devices are presently utilized in sports technology to track health metrics, physiological factors, and player activities in real-time.

As per a 2023 report by the University of Calgary, artificial intelligence-powered video analysis in sports has also seen a remarkable improvement, replacing manual reviews as time-consuming and prone to errors with quicker, more precise assessments.

Some of the important innovations in wearable technology and performance analytics are:

• Optical sensors that record movement patterns on training courts (e.g., PlaySight technology).
• IoT-based sporting tracking devices, such as Google’s Jacquard insole tracker for football.
• Accelerometer, pressure sensor, and gyroscope data gathering for better analysis of player performance.

The incorporation of these wearable technologies in sports analytics solutions enables coaches and athletes to make informed decisions, maximize training, and enhance total performance.

Trend #3: Immersive Broadcasting using AR

One of the leading income sources for sport organizations is broadcasting sports, but today’s sports viewers are now less focused as their attention is shorter-lived. The increase in consumption of short-form, TikTok-like content has seen an erosion in watching time of extensive sporting events.

But the field of sports broadcasting is now innovating thanks to augmented reality (AR) technology, making viewing more immersive and interactive.

In 2023, Apple and Walt Disney Co. partnered to bring Apple Vision Pro into sports broadcasting, allowing viewers to:

• View as many as five different games at the same time.
• Utilize picture-in-picture functionality and on-screen real-time data.
• Enjoy 360-degree perspectives of stadiums and game highlights.

ESPN has also embraced AR technology, launching an app that superimposes real-time match information, making it easier for viewers to navigate games and increasing interaction. Such developments create new opportunities for AR-based applications in the sports sector.

Trend #4: Video Assistant Referees (VAR)

Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology has been extensively utilized across sports and will continue to evolve even further in the future.

VAR systems rely on video footage and AI-based analytics to provide real-time, unbiased decisions in games. They help determine:

• Offside violations and goal-line technology in football.
• Racetrack violations in F1 racing.
• Fair play assessments in multiple sports.

One of the most significant benefits of VAR is eliminating human bias from refereeing. Referee systems driven by artificial intelligence can parse sports rules, monitor player movement, and graph decision-making in real-time, preventing contentious decisions and arguments.

But the criteria for installing VAR systems are high as match results rely on them being accurate. As AI models continue to enhance, VAR will get more accurate and prevalent in various sporting domains.

Trend #5: Digital Injury Prevention

As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes more integrated into healthcare, injury prevention in sports has emerged as a top priority. A good example is the NFL and AWS partnership to create Digital Athlete, a revolutionary technology that uses multiple sensors integrated into protective equipment to collect player data and forecast possible injuries.

Parallel efforts have begun in other sports. The NBA, for example, has partnered with GE HealthCare and MedStar Health to incorporate data analytics and wearable sensor technology into prevention of injuries. This means the consolidation of biomechanical, physiological, and overall health information will increasingly find application in professional sports, but also potentially, in amateur sport as well.

In addition to prevention of injury, AI-based rehabilitation equipment is growing in significance. Rehabilitation from injury typically takes months or even years of regular and controlled exercise. Professional athletes get access to very well-trained physiotherapists and rehab experts, while amateur athletes generally do not have the same help.

AI-powered rehabilitation apps employ similar principles to AI-coaching, leveraging pose estimation and computer vision to:

• Track the execution of movements, maintaining form.
• Offer biomechanics-based real-time corrections.
• Help patients in rehabilitation by providing assisted exercises that are customized for rehabilitation.

These computer vision-based solutions are bringing injury treatment and recovery closer, particularly for amateur sportsmen who do not have direct access to professional rehab facilities.

Trend #6: Data-Driven Talent Scouting

Top athletic talent scouting and recruitment is a data-driven activity involving the analysis of in-game performance, fitness data, and player potential. AI has been around in HR and recruitment for a long time, assisting companies in identifying the best candidates for work. However, sports need a more profound level of in-game performance analysis to successfully recruit.

AI-based talent scouting systems leverage computer vision to:

• Track player movements and in-game performance.
• Create data-driven visual reports for team managers and scouts.
• Compare several players and evaluate their potential based on statistics.

Top sports organizations such as the NBA, NHL, and MLB incorporate AI-based scouting systems to analyze their internal data and make informed recruitment choices.

Apart from professional sports, recruitment platforms are also being deployed at the collegiate and university level. An instance is SparkCognition’s hiring system, which assists universities in assessing student-athletes against:

• Statistics of sports performance
• Coaching recommendations
• Grades and achievements in extracurricular activities

As computer vision and AI-based decision-making continue to improve, sports talent scouting will be even more accurate, allowing teams and institutions to identify and develop the best talent with greater efficiency.

Trend #7: Virtual Reality and Game Simulations

Sports training consists of intricate situations that are usually challenging to simulate under real-life circumstances. Nevertheless, virtual reality (VR) technology is transforming sports training by generating realistic and immersive simulations that assist players in sharpening tactics as well as enhancing tactical acumen.

The NFL was one of the first to test VR-based training in 2015 through the use of virtual playgrounds for college players. Consumer-grade VR equipment like the MetaQuest VR headset provides real-time NFL data-driven simulations, including Pro Era, which offers:

• Quarterback training simulations to improve decision-making.
• Realistic game situations to allow players to learn tactics in a simulated environment.
• Scalable VR training solutions that can be utilized across other team positions and sports.

The use of virtual reality in sports training is quickly transforming, providing sportsmen, teams, and even recreational sportsmen with a chance to train wiser and better through immersive experiences.

How to Leverage Sports Technology Trends for Your Product?

The primary force driving sports technology innovation today is artificial intelligence and augmented reality. The availability of machine learning algorithms, real-time data processing capabilities, and immersive experiences has created a surge in their use by leading sports organizations.

AR and AI are increasingly finding applications in fan engagement initiatives, marketing, decision-making, as well as management of teams. On a smaller scale, at the moment of writing, app categories in regard to coaching, tactics development, and live data analytics are expanding as training data for sports persists to rise.

If you are creating a sports app, adding AI-driven analytics, wearable tracking, AR-based interaction, or VR simulations can really make user experience, player performance, and fan engagement much better. The era of sports technology is now, and companies that adopt these technologies will remain leading edge.