The Sports Technology Awards
Categories
The Sports Technology Awards categories reflect the topics shaping today’s sports industry
Spanning elite sports performance, athlete welfare, broadcast, commerce, fan engagement innovation, and important industry forces, such as sustainability, The Sports Technology Awards’ categories aim to find and celebrate world class innovation.
Each year, The STA Group reviews The Sports Technology Awards’ categories to ensure they are an outstanding reflection of the key factors and innovations influencing the sports industry.
2024 Categories
Best Technology for
Athlete Skill Development and Performance
This celebrates technology which enhances or improves the development or performance of elite or serious athletes and players.
Spanning skills such as accuracy, agility, decision-making, endurance, speed, strength and technique or any other relevant performance metrics, this includes technologies such as:
Spanning skills such as accuracy, agility, decision-making, endurance, speed, strength and technique or any other relevant performance metrics, this includes technologies such as:
- Biomechanical sensors
- Computerized training systems
- Force plates
- High-speed cameras / computer vision algorithms
- Motion analysis systems
- Performance tracking and analytics
- Simulators
- Video analysis
- VR/AR
Betting
This celebrates technology created for or by sports betting businesses.
This includes technologies such as:
This includes technologies such as:
- Data and insights
- Live betting and streaming
- Odds and pricing
- Regulatory, compliance and safeguarding
- Security
- Social and interactive
- Transactions and payments
Broadcast
This celebrates technology created for sports broadcasters of all types inc. streaming/OTT services.
This includes technologies such as:
This includes technologies such as:
- AR, VR, 360-degree cameras or interactive features
- Camera hardware or software
- Closed captioning, audio descriptions, language options, or customizable interfaces
- Graphics and visual presentation
- Instant replays, slow-motion analysis, player tracking and statistical overlays
- Live polls, social media integration, viewer comments, or interactive contests
- Real-time data feeds, player statistics, historical trends, or expert analysis
- Sound production hardware or software
- Streaming and broadcast
- Studio or staging
Coaching, Training and Tactical Management
This celebrates technology which improves pre-competition coaching, training and tactical decision-making for coaches, managers, clubs, teams and elite athletes and players.
This includes technologies such as:
This includes technologies such as:
- Data analysis capabilities
- Skill development
- Strategic decision-making
- Tactical insights
- Training efficiency
Communications and Storytelling
This celebrates technology which enables short-form communications,
This include technologies such as:
This include technologies such as:
- Advertising
- Emails
- News
- Social content
Data Collection, Integration and Analysis
This celebrates technology which collects, integrates and / or analyse data from various sources within sports.
This includes technologies that:
This includes technologies that:
- Generate or provide real-time or historical data
- Integrate different data types / sources for analysis
- Provide statistical modelling, machine learning algorithms, predictive analytics or data visualization tools that enable in-depth analysis and generate actionable insights
- Utilize multiple sensors, tracking devices, databases or digital platforms
Digital
This celebrates electronic tools, systems, devices, and resources of all types across sport.
This includes technologies such as:
This includes technologies such as:
- AI
- Chat bots
- Digital messaging
- Online marketplaces
- Progressive web apps
- Smart devices
- Voice assistance
Fan Engagement
This celebrates technology which enables better engagement between fans and sports entities of all types.
Fitness and Participation
This celebrates technology which promotes, improves or increases mainstream participation in sports and/or fitness.
Entries are welcome from B2B and B2C organizations, including but not limited to:
Entries are welcome from B2B and B2C organizations, including but not limited to:
- AR/VR fitness solutions
- Fitness hardware
- Smart gym solutions
- Streaming technologies
- Virtual coaching and training
- Virtual fitness platforms
Future Markets
This celebrates technologies for use in emerging and future markets within the sports sector.
This includes but is not limited to technologies spanning :
This includes but is not limited to technologies spanning :
- AI
- Crypto
- Apps and digital asset ownership
- Disability sports
- Fem tech
- Head trauma
- Metaverse, Web 3.0, blockchain and associated technologies
- Robotics
- Safe guarding
- Smart stadia
- Social responsibility
- Sustainability
- Virtual sport
Match Day Operations and Experience
This celebrates technology that positively affects match day experience for fans, or the commercial operations of a club, tournament, sports organization, venue or sponsor.
This includes technologies such as:
This includes technologies such as:
- Advanced surveillance
- Emergency response
- Crowd monitoring and management
- Concessions management, retail and transactions
- Energy-efficient infrastructure, waste reduction, recycling or sustainability programmes
- Facility maintenance and upkeep
- High-speed Wi-Fi
- In-seat ordering and digital concierge
- Mobile app integration, interactive displays or digital signage
- Ticketing, access control and venue logistics
- Wayfinding and navigation systems
Mechanical and Engineered
This celebrates mechanical or engineered technology which enables more effective sports performance.
This includes technologies such as:
This includes technologies such as:
- Competition machines (cars, bikes, boats, motorbikes etc)
- Testing apparatus
- Components (engines, suspension, braking, gear systems, tyres, hulls, saddles etc)
- Materials (build fabrics, lubricants, fuel etc)
- Competition surfaces
- Sports equipment (balls, bats, racquets, cues, snowsport bindings, poles)
- Gym and fitness equipment
Sports and Exercise Medical
This celebrates medical and scientific technology for monitoring, diagnosing, treating and rehabilitating sportspeople of all levels
This includes technologies such as:
This includes technologies such as:
- Biomechanics
- Injury assessment and prevention
- Medical diagnostic imaging
- Prosthetics and assistive devices
- Rehabilitation
- Sports nutrition and physiology
- Telemedicine and remote monitoringpy
Wearables or Smart Equipment
This celebrates smart technology which connects wirelessly to a smartphone or computer, and which monitors and tracks various aspects of lifestyle or performance
This includes technologies such as:
This includes technologies such as:
- Apparel inc smart clothing and compression wear
- Biometric sensors
- Boards (inc surf, snow and skate) and skis
- Eye ware
- Footwear and insoles
- Gloves
- Headwear
- Protective wear inc gum shields
- Swing, stroke and cadence monitors
- Trackers inc watches, rings, wristbands and heartrate monitors
…of The Year
App
This celebrates innovative apps targeting any sector of the sports market.
This includes but is not limited to apps which deliver:
This includes but is not limited to apps which deliver:
- Esports
- Gaming, betting and fantasy leagues
- News, scores and /or statistics
- Services to athletes and coaches in elite sports
- Sports events
- Sports social media
- Training, fitness and performance tracking or information
- Video footage
Campaign
This celebrates campaigns or communications by sports organizations which have used technology as a key element in creation, execution or delivery.
Entries can be for a single activation or campaign series.
Entries can be for a single activation or campaign series.
Digital Platform
This celebrates the leading digital platform providing information to third parties
This includes technologies such as:
This includes technologies such as:
- Blogs and vlogs
- Digital magazines or news services
- Podcasts
- Streaming platforms
- Websites
Event
This celebrates tournaments, events or competitions which, thanks to the adoption, use or creation of technology, has shown itself to tangibly improve its proposition for its stakeholders (ie fans, media, broadcast partners, sponsors and competitors). . This improvement can be either in a single, significant area or across its entire jurisdiction or organization.
Innovation
Presented by
This celebrates the best technological innovation in sports. Entries must have been tangibly available no earlier than January 2022). Concepts are ineligible.
This category is presented in partnership with Capgemini, Innovations Partner to The STA Group.
This category is presented in partnership with Capgemini, Innovations Partner to The STA Group.
Partnership
This celebrates tech-led work in sports, involving two or more entities, where a partnership has been created to resolve tangible challenges, or meet and leverage a clear opportunity, either targeting B2B or B2C.
Sports Organization
This celebrates the club, team, league, federation, brand or rights holder which, thanks to the adoption, use or creation of technology, has tangibly improved its work. This improvement can be either in a single, significant area or across its entire organization or jurisdiction.
Start-up
This celebrates sports technology startup businesses, operating in any part of the sports sector.
Entries are invited from young businesses, in revenue, and whose founders still own at least 70% of the company. Funding status for eligible companies will be seed through to within six months post-series A.
Entries are invited from young businesses, in revenue, and whose founders still own at least 70% of the company. Funding status for eligible companies will be seed through to within six months post-series A.
Best Use of Technology in…
Broadcast
This celebrates the use of technology by a broadcaster of any type, inc rights holder, digital broadcast or streaming/OTT services.
Submissions can be for a single programme, series or tournament and will include:
Entries are invited from broadcaster or media businesses or rights holding sports organizations
Submissions can be for a single programme, series or tournament and will include:
- AR, VR, 360-degree cameras or interactive features
- Camera hardware or software
- Closed captioning, audio descriptions, language options, or customizable interfaces
- Graphics and visual presentation
- Instant replays, slow-motion analysis, player tracking and statistical overlays
- Live polls, social media integration, viewer comments, or interactive contests
- Real-time data feeds, player statistics, historical trends, or expert analysis
- Sound production hardware or software
- Streaming and broadcast
- Studio or staging
Entries are invited from broadcaster or media businesses or rights holding sports organizations
Fan Engagement
This celebrates the use of technology in fan engagement by a sports brand(s).
Entries are invited from B2C sports organizations or brands associated with sports.
Entries are invited from B2C sports organizations or brands associated with sports.
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