THE POTENTIAL OF WEARABLE
TECHNOLOGY WITHIN THE
PROFESSIONAL SPORTS INDUSTRY
Ben Robers
Xavier University
INFO 550 – Dr. Mark N. Frolick
robersb@xavier.edu
Wearable Technology: Professional Sports 1
ABSTRACT
Fitness tracking devices and other wearable technologies have now expanded into one of the
most profitable and influential markets in the world today – professional sports. This new,
innovative technology has the potential to change the way sports are watched, coached, analyzed
and played. This article will review some of the products and devices currently available and
demonstrate how they can enhance training and performance, improve injury prevention and
rehabilitation and enrich fan experience and statistical access. It will also examine the challenges
of implementation and management of this data within ethical and legal standards. The big
question is “What kind of impact will this technology have on professional sports today and what
will it lead to in the future”?
Wearable Technology: Professional Sports 2
Introduction:
Wearable technology has quickly evolved into a billion dollar industry and does not appear to
be showing any signs of slowing down. According to HIS Technology, “global revenues for
sports, fitness and activity monitors are expected to grow from $1.9 billion in 2013 to $2.8
billion in 2019” (Mayhew, 2014). The wearable technology industry has great potential;
however, there are numerous companies investing in this technology and therefore, it is
imperative to secure a specific niche within the market. There are countless types of wearables
available, providing excessive amounts of data that can be difficult for the consumer to manage.
The key to success in this market is creating specified devices developed to provide the exact
information the user is trying to obtain. Aside from simply obtaining accurate data, users must be
able transfer this data into an application that can compute, analyze and provide useful insight.
As the wearables industry is already quickly expanding, professional sports have the
potential to take the advancement of this technology to the next level, ultimately developing it
into a multi-billion dollar industry. Professional sports have a definite need for the data
wearables can provide, the money to invest in obtaining it, and the influence to implement,
promote and improve the technology. The four biggest professional sport leagues in the U.S.
(NFL – $13b, MLB – $9.5b, NBA – $5.18b, and NHL – $3.7b) generate around $31 billion a year
(Bloch, 2015; Brown, 2014; Isadore, 2015; Stubitz, 2014). With this amount of revenue,
wearable technology can be further funded and developed to take full advantage of its uses.
Anyone that has played, coached, or simply watched sports knows that analyzing player
performances and coaching strategies can be one of the most valuable tools in preparing for a
game. Imagine the ability to analyze this data in real time to predict the type of throw a baseball
Wearable Technology: Professional Sports 3
pitcher will deliver, the defensive call a football coach will make, or the inbound play a
basketball team will run. The ability to utilize the data these devices provide can give teams a
real competitive advantage on many different levels.
Types of Devices:
Wearable fitness monitors started off as simple devices that could track measures such as
distance, calories and heart rate but have since developed into much more. There are wristbands
(Fitbit), textiles (mThrow sleeve by Motus), embedded sensors in jerseys (OptimEye) and even
tattoos (Tech Tat) that can gather countless variations of data. With all of the advancements
within the industry, this article will analyze certain devices in the market and demonstrate how
they are currently being used within professional sports. There are three major ways to utilize the
