BEST USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN FOOTBALL
DFL Bundesliga In-Match Analysis: Next Level of Automated Data-Driven-Storytelling
The Deutsche Fußball Liga (DFL) proudly presents the “Bundesliga In-Match Analysis,” a pioneering technology designed to transform live football broadcasting. This state-of-the-art system automates the creation and delivery of video clips enriched with real-time data and analytics during Bundesliga matches. By leveraging advanced machine learning algorithms, it identifies key moments in the game, enhancing them with detailed statistics and dynamic graphics. This automation facilitates the immediate dissemination of engaging content to fans worldwide, directly during live broadcasts.
The “Bundesliga In-Match Analysis” significantly reduces manual efforts and operational costs traditionally associated with producing enriched sports content. It streamlines production workflows, ensuring that content is delivered more quickly and with greater accuracy than ever before. For fans, this means deeper insights into the game’s dynamics and an enriched viewing experience that brings them closer to the action.
This innovative solution not only meets the rising demand for interactive and data-driven sports content but also strengthens the global appeal of Bundesliga broadcasts, reinforcing Bundesliga’s position as a leader in sports innovation. The system’s seamless integration and scalability demonstrate DFL’s commitment to enhancing sports media production and consumption, ensuring the Bundesliga remains at the forefront of digital sports broadcasting.
Fabricks by MatchWornShirt: setting a new standard in football memorabilia
‘Fabricks’ is a groundbreaking innovation in the collectibles sector, developed by the leading memorabilia platform for match-worn and signed football shirts, MatchWornShirt. With clubs such as PSV Eindhoven and Feyenoord already implementing the technology onto their match-worn and signed shirts before a ball is even kicked, Fabricks’ uses NFC (Near Field Communication) technology to guarantee the authenticity of every shirt sold via the website and app-based global marketplace; reassuring fans, collectors and clubs that their memorabilia is 100% genuine.
Fabricks ensures full transparency, verification and access to exclusive content with one simple tap of a smartphone. It represents a new era of trust and transparency in the sports memorabilia industry, delivering value beyond the product by providing collectors with iron-clad reassurance, unique insights, and a deeper emotional connection between fans and their collectibles.
It is set to revolutionise the collectibles sector and become the new standard in a rapidly growing part of the football business.
Future Ticketing: Dashboard Connect
The Dundee Derby, one of the most iconic football rivalries in Scotland, has been transformed by Future Ticketing’s innovative technology. Dundee FC and Dundee United FC, whose stadiums are separated by a mere 160 metres, faced significant ticketing challenges for these high-stakes matches, including long queues, administrative burdens, and managing fair access for loyal fans.
Future Ticketing’s Dashboard Connect has revolutionised the ticketing experience for both clubs by integrating their systems into a single, user-friendly platform. This digital solution allows supporters to access home and away tickets through one app, eliminating the need for separate downloads and physical tickets. The system also prioritises loyal fans with exclusive access to tickets while enhancing security and providing comprehensive oversight of attendees.
The results have been remarkable. Dashboard Connect has streamlined operations, reduced costs by eliminating bulk printing, and improved sustainability. Fans enjoy a seamless, hassle-free experience, while staff benefit from increased efficiency and control. Enhanced security ensures safer events, and positive feedback from supporters and club officials highlights the system’s success.
This innovative use of technology showcases how Future Ticketing is driving change in football, delivering measurable benefits in fan engagement, operational performance, and digital transformation
Grenfell Athletic FC – Fabric of the Community
Grenfell Athletic FC wanted a football shirt with the community at its heart. We created an interactive football shirt that serves as a biographical record for the community it serves.
Grenfell survivors and the community donated their most precious fabrics, which were then incorporated into the design.
With an NFC chip embedded into the badge, it’s the world’s first interactive football shirt. Tapping the badge with your phone links to a site featuring films of the 30 people behind the donations. Here they tell the heartwarming story behind the fabric.
30 unique shirts, 30 unique stories.
Leicester City FC App & YinzCam
The LCFC App, developed in partnership with YinzCam, launched ahead of Leicester City’s return to the Premier League in 2024/25, serving as the Club’s first-ever official app and digital hub for fan engagement. Timed strategically with our ‘Straight Back Up’ celebrations, the app introduced innovative features such as Augmented Reality (AR) experiences, geo-targeted notifications, and live streaming, enhancing real-time connectivity for supporters.
Since launch, the app has driven digital engagement and commercial success, topping Apple and Android sports charts, surpassing 1,000,000 page views in its first month, and maintaining an average engagement time of 17 minutes. With nearly 40,000 downloads, the app has delivered over £80k in retail revenue, with an average return of £435 per push notification. Key features include live match updates, exclusive content, and audience segmentation for tailored experiences.
The LCFC App continues to evolve, introducing interactive experiences such as the 2024/25 Match Predictor and location-based campaigns at global events. Strengthening our digital and commercial strategy, the app ensures Leicester City remains at the forefront of innovation, deepening our connection with fans worldwide and reinforcing our commitment to delivering exceptional supporter experiences.
Real Bedford: Revolutionising Football Through Bitcoin Innovation
Real Bedford Football Club, once a 10th-tier non-league team, has become a global brand by integrating Bitcoin into every aspect of its business. This bold adoption has transformed the club into a beacon for Bitcoin enthusiasts worldwide, creating an international fanbase and a sustainable, innovative model for football.
Key achievements include securing over £2 million in global sponsorships, highlighted by a five-year, £500,000 front-of-shirt deal with Gemini. The club has sold more than £250,000 in merchandise, with the majority purchased overseas, and accepts Bitcoin for all payments, from tickets to food and beverage. Real Bedford’s Bitcoin holdings have grown 97.88%, generating a £664,781.88 return, while a £3.6 million investment from Winklevoss Capital has increased by 62.67%, adding £2,182,969.31 to the club’s finances.
This financial strength has driven on-pitch success. The men’s team has achieved back-to-back promotions, now sitting top of the league and chasing a third. The women’s team, in their inaugural season, won a treble and leads their league, poised for a second promotion.
Real Bedford’s Bitcoin strategy has set a new standard for the intersection of technology and sport, proving that innovation can drive both financial and sporting success.
Serie A & Hawk-Eye Revolutionising Officiating with SAOT
Lega Serie A has been a pioneer in adopting innovative technologies to assist referees and improve the quality of football in Italy’s top flight.
To reach its objective of increasing officiating accuracy, Serie A – alongside longstanding partner, Hawk-Eye Innovations – chose the most innovative officiating technologies, paving the way for wider adoption by other governing bodies in Europe.
From the adoption of Goal Line Technology (GLT) in 2015, to VAR in 2017, and all the way to the first full season of Semi-Automated Offside (SAOT) during the 2023/24 season, the partnership between Serie A and Hawk-Eye represents a commitment to positioning the league at the forefront of technological innovation.
The launch of the Iliad International Broadcasting Centre (Lega IBC) in Lissone, in September 2021 accelerated Serie A’s targets of seamlessly integrating advanced officiating technologies in an efficient and sustainable manner. Remote operations from the Lega IBC eliminated logistical complexity and helped in operational cost savings.
Serie A and Hawk-Eye have shifted the status quo when it comes to implementing technology in football. The introduction of SAOT has resulted in 100% accurate offside calls during the 2023/24 season, reducing delays and providing fans with clarity through virtual replays.
Unsilence The Crowd by Sela and Newcastle United
What is it like to experience a live football game if you can’t hear? Sela, sponsors of Newcastle United and specialists in live experiences, recognised an opportunity to help a fan demographic too often overlooked – the Deaf community. Using cutting-edge technology, we developed a world-first: a replica NUFC shirt woven with intelligent sensors that translated the ebbs and flows of crowd noise into a complex “physical language” of waves and tingles. Deaf fans called it “transformative”. The technology has been used in two major football tournaments and is forging a lasting legacy for millions of fans around the world.
Urban Zoo
Urban Zoo delivered 40 club websites and apps in a single month in July 2024. This project was the largest and most complex rollout in the company’s history, cementing its position as the dominant force in UK football’s digital landscape. However, the true achievement is not just in the successful launch but in the transformational shift for clubs, who now have unprecedented control over their digital assets, commercial output and global messaging with a continually evolving platform that serves their needs today and into the future. Urban Zoo has not only delivered – we have redefined digital technology in football.
