Boston, MA, Jan. 31, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Catapult, the global performance technology leader in elite sports, today published its inaugural report on 2024 Sports Trends and Predictions. Between October and November 2023, Catapult surveyed over 700 global sports industry experts ranging from sports scientists, academic researchers, video analysts, and coaches, across multiple sports in over 80 countries. The report reveals six pivotal trends set to reshape the sports technology landscape in 2024:
- Increased use of prescriptive analytics and Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Growth of technology use in women’s sports
- Improvements in athlete injury recovery protocols
- Increased use of technology at all levels, from professional to youth
- Integration of wearable data into video analysis
- Focus on personalized/individualized training programs
One notable prediction is that prescriptive analytics will play an integral role in the sports technology landscape, with 79% of sports industry professionals acknowledging that Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning will be critical in 2024. Half of these respondents anticipate the most significant AI impact will be the ability of prescriptive analytics to adjust training programs in real time based on multiple data sets and novel insights.
As women’s sports gain unprecedented traction, another notable trend the report outlines is that 80% of industry experts anticipate an increased role of women’s specific data and analytics. This is underscored by the significant increase of video and data analysis tools utilized across women’s sports today. These tools provide improved insights into performance that inform more effective training and gameplay strategies, helping raise the standard and visibility of women’s teams.
“We are excited to share our inaugural sport trends report and are overwhelmed by the level of response we received from so many experts in our field,” said Will Lopes, Chief Executive Officer at Catapult. “Our internal panel of sports scientists and engineers agree with the findings of the report, that the prevalence of technology in sports is set to redefine the industry. With our industry leading athlete monitoring and video analysis solutions, we are well positioned to support the new era of technology in sports, enabling coaches and organizations to make quicker and more informed decision based on comprehensive data and prescriptive analytics.”
The report indicates that technology’s role in monitoring and managing athlete workloads will increase significantly in 2024. As the survey responses indicate, Catapult anticipates an increased emphasis among industry professionals on redefining their strategies for accelerating injury recovery with the use of technology. The report anticipates that real-time wearable data integration with video analysis will enhance decision-making processes, where teams can gain novel insights that lead to improved athlete and team performance.
Industry experts agree that the use of sports technology across all levels is also expected to see a significant increase in 2024, with 33% of respondents foreseeing an expansion of game-changing technology such as wearables and video analysis tools across all levels of sports. There is an expectation that early use of technology in athletes’ careers helps improve long-term performance, with early data sets serving as a benchmark for evaluating progress and adapting training programs to unique development needs.
“At Catapult we want to empower our customers with knowledge and information, and this report will help keep our clients informed about the latest industry trends,” said Matt Bairos, Chief Product Officer at Catapult.“ These valuable insights enhance our ability to innovate on behalf of our customers. The feedback is actively shaping the development of our cutting-edge products geared towards helping teams and athletes make better decisions to improve performance.”
About Catapult
Catapult exists to unleash the potential of every athlete and team on earth. Operating at the intersection of sports science and analytics, Catapult products are designed to optimize performance, avoid injury, and improve return to play. Catapult works with more than 4,000 elite teams in over 40 sports across more than 100 countries globally. To learn more about Catapult or to inquire about accessing performance analytics for a team or athlete, visit us at catapult.com. Follow us at @CatapultSports on social media for daily updates.
