1. Elite Sports Performance
The world of sports science and performance in 2025 will become more personalised to each athlete and team. Next-generation performance innovations include everything from muscle analytics (eg Springbok Analytics), AI-personalised nutrition, skill acquisition, endurance (eg Vekta), smart textiles, eye tracking, emotion measurement and cohesion analytics. High-performance sport is driven by 1% gains and the next generation of performance tools will deliver an edge.
2. Integrated Platforms
One of the most important digital sports transformations will be how new insights can be unlocked from integrated data sources across an organization. For example, companies like ROOK are integrating wearables, fan data integration with Pumpjack, integrated digital asset management with Scoreplay and operating systems like Infinite Athlete and Teamworks. The idea of ‘all-in-one-place’ is a powerful value proposition. In 2025 we expect to see the beginnings of seamless data integration and the emergence of deeper insights. Talent identification and talent transfer is an example where technology integration will radically revolutionise a data-driven approach to scouting and recruiting the next generation of athletes (eg TRAITS Insights, AI.IO). Smart ball technologies like Sportable are beginning to transform sporting action for player development, fan experience and match officiating across more sports, markets and competitions. Connected fitness platforms are looking for integrations and experiences to inspire the joy of movement. Two Circles’ acquisition of Kore Software may represent a significant integration opportunity for sponsorship and fan engagement and encourage new market entrants in sponsorship and advertising measurement.
3. Brain Health, Impact & Return to Play Technologies
Concussion is one of the highest priority issues in contact sports. Smart mouthguard technologies (e.g. Prevent Biometrics), smart helmets, cognitive science and wellbeing technologies (eg BrainEye) are taking world-leading science to mass consumer markets. When a 12-year-old child can use the same smart protective equipment as a 22-year-old elite athlete – that’s cool and ticks the box for their families too.
4. Gaming & Fans – UGC Games, Avatars, Fashion & Digital Goods
We expect in 2025 to see cutting-edge sports and entertainment companies like Genies unlock the power of ‘Parties’ and the next generation of AI, gaming and XR convergence. Sports are beginning to customise immersive mobile platforms, driven by AI avatars, gameplay and user-generated content (UGC)—all built around their IP. With Genies, the Parties functionality taps into fans’ creativity and empowers them to create and connect with sports and brands in unique ways.
5. 3D Holographic Displays
Exciting pioneers like Hypervsn and Proto are beginning to democratise holographic experiences and volumetric technologies to mass sports audiences in 2025. Everything from interactive retail and advertising, live events and activations, training and digital human interactions will become more and more common as the sports and entertainment community begins to experiment with new business models and digital experiences.
6. Live Streaming eCommerce
We expect the Western world to be playing catch-up to Asia around live selling platforms and for sports and entertainment organisations to create interactive live shopping content. For example, live shopping in China alone is expected to reach US$1.1T by 2026, led by China's leading e-commerce platforms such as Alibaba's Diantao and Douyin. Emerging companies like Maestro and Play Anywhere are also leading the way in this video e-commerce space across Europe and Americas.
7. Future of Wearables & Fan Experiences
One of the breakouts of 2025 could be Meta's Orion (AR and AI glasses and next-generation computing) which offers a glimpse into the future of connection between the digital and real worlds. Using large holographic displays in Orion and a personalised AI assistant, it will be interesting to see if sport and entertainment organisations can use the physical world as a canvas, placing 2D and 3D content and experiences anywhere they want.
8. Broadcast & Media
New waves of workflow technology and automation – like Singular Live (live graphics) and Cuez (automated rundown and cuing) are growing rapidly within sports, eSports and gaming. Broadcasters and sports rights holders are expected to explore sports technologies like exar.live that revolutionises sport with real-time spatial computing – redefining the viewing experience with a state-of-the-art real-time data transport and display engine. Exar.live is an example of the next generation of digital coaching – supporting elite coaches and players who are looking for more ways to use immersive technology to help support tactical analysis (eg 'Playbooks’ allow coaches and players to position virtual players on the field or court and visualise game-winning tactics, transforming ideas into actionable plays).
9. Venues, Stadia & Facilities
Automation and streamlining operations are becoming increasingly possible in all manner of sports venues – through robotics, AI-driven retail experiences and operational platforms. Data infrastructure is of critical importance to sports organisations, as are infrastructure providers seeking to keep up with the acceleration in data, digital and AI. Companies like BTX are revolutionising the future of stadiums and venues – and how corporate box yields can be better utilised with the power of AI and blockchain.
10. Emerging Sports
Over 30 new sports leagues have emerged in the United States in the past 10 years. Globally, we are witnessing everything from new Volleyball Leagues, Pickleball, Combat Leagues and Sail GP. Emerging startup leagues are often digital-led, cheaper to establish and often come with rapidly appreciating media rights. How these emerging sports win or lose will be fascinating to watch.
11. Sports Entertainment Economy
The ‘Top Golf’ experience centres for new sports and new activities will continue to globalise. Although immersive golf experience centres have pioneered this new category (particularly in the USA), it will be interesting to watch the new activities, spaces, content opportunities and collaborations that evolve in 2025.
12. Sports Betting
Sports predictions (leveraging AI), skill-based fantasy, crypto fantasy and casual sports gaming are new innovative frontiers. Expect to see new partnerships and experimentation in 2025 as traditional lines blur between sport, gaming, wagering and fandom in the new sports engagement economy.
13. Athlete Creator Economy
Creators inspire, motivate, educate and enable people across virtually every sector of our economy – from beauty and fashion to video gaming to financial services. And the economic opportunity for a creator is projected to grow to US$480B by 2027 according to Goldman Sachs. This year, companies like Adopt, TikTok, VISA, Dream11 and more have all announced ‘creator’ partnerships with major sports. This could be amplified in 2025 by the growth and maturing of ‘NIL’ opportunities.
14. Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Sport is one sector working very hard to create a level playing field for everyone. Expect to see further growth in women's sport-orientated, data-driven companies (where data has previously been unavailable or ignored) and disability/inclusion sports digitisation (with an ageing population) – ActiveXchange are certainly operating in this space. People with disabilities make up ~15% of the world's population (World Health Organization) and women have been under-represented in the sports landscape to date – hence the arbitrage opportunity that is emerging.
15. Sustainability
Sustainability enhances the quality of life for all. Look for new opportunities in 2025 to emerge from technologies and innovations that drive sport towards improving sustainability (e.g. ESG automation, eProcurement, circular economy - Renewaball), as well as clever ways to drive greater mass participation (CoachMate) and transparency.
The XV team is working together with the next generation of sports technologies and empowering leading sports entrepreneurs across the world. Wishing our XV community is happy festive season and look forward to re-imagining boundaries and enriching lives through the power of sport in 2025 together.
