5G, Technology & Sports

By Mr. Edge, 8/24/2018

“Sports is the only entertainment where, no matter how many times you go back, you never know the ending.” – Neil Simon

Technology has and will continue to change the way we watch sports.

Imagine the year is 1989. Your turn on the broadcast to watch your favorite team play. You are amazed the broadcast company has placed graphics on the screen while its going on. You instantly can tell so much more about the game.

Imagine the year is 1999. Your favorite team is about to play. You turn on your standard definition TV to the game broadcast and enjoy the next few hours loving life. During the game, you would not be crazy if you had mistaken one player for another.

Imagine the year is 2009. You buy a new high-definition TV because your team is about to play. You turn on your high-definition TV to the game broadcast and enjoy the wonders of being about to see such detail. Sweat droplets can be seen on the players showing how exhausted they must be.

Imagine the year is 2012. You are not home for your favorite teams’ game. You are comfortable that you can get real time updates on your smartphone. You imagine every second of the game as if you were there.

Imagine the year is 2016. You have not bought into streaming sports on your phone because the quality is unbearable. You are not home for your favorite teams’ game. You turn to social media to get live updates. Social media accounts are posting all the highlights. Life is good.

Imagine the year is 2017. Your cable package offers mobile streaming of your favorite team. You aren’t at your high-definition TV, but the quality of the game on your phone will suffice. You don’t miss a play of the game. You may not get the quality you are used to with your TV, but you were not going to be home for the game anyway.

The year is 2018. You do not own a standard cable package. You stream your favorite teams’ game from your Internet TV package on your smartphone. The quality is amazing. You notice the new tattoos each player has. You are thrilled.

Imagine a world where referees are wearing a Go-Pro style camera that enables a virtual reality point of view. Even better, imagine that virtual reality point of view from your favorite athlete. Better than that, imagine being able to seamlessly switch from one athlete’s virtual reality point of view to another. For group viewing, imagine a table (no smartphone needed) that provides an augmented reality full field view of the game. These features may or may not come, but it would provide an amazing experience if they did.

5G needs several advancements in the Mobile Network before it can come to fruition. These advancements will come, but how it impacts our sports viewing…