The internet’s presence in society has sure come a long way since its start in the United States more than 50 years ago. Pretty much everyone can agree that the web gave people something that changed the world forever: convenience. The use of the internet across nearly every market and industry has dramatically improved everything from research to operating processes by opening an entire universe of knowledge at the click of a button.
When it comes to sports and the way people engage with them, the internet’s impact is no different. Nowadays fans have immediate access to statistics, results, playback coverage, and an entire host of opportunities that once were unattainable. Let’s reflect on just a few ways that the world’s biggest technological advancement made sports better for everyone, forever.
Sports betting today is a multi-million dollar industry, that allows anyone, anywhere in the world to place a bet, on a variety of different games. While we have focused on live sporting fixtures, there is hardly a limit on the kinds of sports that you can bet on today, including Daily Fantasy Leagues (DFL) and Esports.
The wealth of information
As stated before, the internet revolutionized what it meant for people to have easy and quick access to information. However, have you ever thought about how big of a deal this was for the sports world? The internet forced radio and television coverage to take a back seat; keeping up with games no longer required tuning in to a specific channel at a specific time. Nowadays sports fans never have to worry about not hearing coverage on a particular broadcast as they can simply Google highlights or information later using their computer or smartphone.
Not only did the internet’s wealth of information on sports change everything, but it also opened the opportunity for people to become much more informed about the history of their favorite leagues, teams, and players. Statistical records are available online that go decades back in time. This virtual library also allows for people to become even more connected with the sports they know and love.
Online sports betting
Aside from having a copious amount of information concerning your favorite teams, players, and stats right at your fingertips, the internet has also influenced fan engagement in a huge way with online sports betting. Gone are the days of visiting physical sportsbooks to place a wager with the old-fashioned pencil and paper method. The internet has taken this pastime to new heights as people are able to surf the web in search of their ideal betting platform, many of which cover the most popular, professional sporting leagues. The advanced idea of wagering has likewise made deciding the result of a game more confounded because of the utilization of online information. With so much information accessible, and with the utilization of AI, more components can, in this way, be added to the blend to help foresee the result. That additionally makes the training more serious.
Just consider North America’s expansion of online wagering sites which has provided users more opportunities than ever before. For instance, basketball fans can now analyze top NBA picks with OddsChecker to predict outcomes for each of the league’s teams. These advancements have all been made possible by the magic of the internet. They have also made things more convenient for sports followers that want to engage with their favorite teams even when they aren’t playing live on the big screen.
Ticket purchasing
When it comes to sporting events, the creation of the internet made the process of buying tickets simpler than ever before. The hassle of purchasing seats for any sporting event has been dramatically reduced thanks to modern-day ticketing sites like Eventbrite and Ticketmaster among others.
The process of ticket purchasing online has also inevitably brought a huge growth in eCommerce sales among social media giants Facebook and Instagram. Anyone has the chance to sell and trade tickets for sporting events, creating content to attract potential buyers in the process. In fact, even outside the realm of sports, selling products on online platforms has become commonplace.
Thanks to the internet, making a last-minute impulsive decision to attend a game, match, or tournament that same day is completely feasible.
Video watching and sharing
It’s obvious that the creation of the world’s number #1 video sharing platform, YouTube, wouldn’t have been possible without the internet. But have you ever thought about how this important site really influences sports? YouTube changed sports fandom by giving people deeper coverage than ever before at any time of their choosing. Television can only provide so much, but sites like YouTube that have millions of sports videos, ranging from interviews to influencers reviewing sports video games, took the industry to unprecedented new heights. There is a wealth of information online that can help you to learn more about the industry. After that, it will just take consistent learning and trial and error to navigate your way around this exciting and international pursuit.
