Elevating sports industry through technology, innovation and digitalization

• Ana Belén Perdigones Martínez ^[1] ; Manuel Díaz-Gamarra ^[2]
  1. [1] Universidad Alfonso X el Sabio

     Universidad Alfonso X el Sabio

     Villanueva de la Cañada, España

     
  2. [2] Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú

     Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú

     Perú

     
• Localización: Strategy, people, and technology: challenges and opportunities in the future of business / coord. por Margarita Núñez Canal, María de las Mercedes de Obesso Arias, 2025, ISBN 978-84-1085-482-6, págs. 115-132
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • The sports industry has evolved into a dynamic and economically significant sector, driven by technological innovation. The importance of understanding the key aspects of implementing this technology innovation became more relevant in a field such as sports business.

    This chapter examines the intersection of UTAUT technology adoption and sports management through five case studies: Formula 1 (Dédalo Tech Analytics), sailing (The Ocean Race), soccer and basketball (Baskonia-Alavés), the Olympic Games (Spanish Olympic Committee), and a sports innovation hub (Sportboost). The analysis highlights how artificial intelligence, data analytics, virtual reality, and blockchain are reshaping athlete performance, fan engagement, and organizational efficiency. Cases are selected by the main challenges showed by the literature.

    Each case is analysed with the UTAUT approach, with a Delphi qualitative method in which the four key components; performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence and facilitating conditions are the pillars of the open questionnaire. Key insights reveal that fan engagement, accessibility, and adaptability are critical for successful technology implementation. The democratization of sports through data-driven solutions enhances participation, while broadcasting innovations bring audiences closer to live events. Ultimately, the sports sector must embrace an innovation culture to maximize the value of emerging technologies, ensuring a more immersive, efficient, and inclusive sporting experience. Facilitating conditions goes from haven an open an adaptative mindset to enhance the human experience.