For this week’s forum I chose to look at discussion question #1 which asked that we predict two significant changes to the sports industry in the year 2030. In 2030 there will be many things different in relations to sports. The first major area of change that I predict will be the manner in which sporting events are viewed. Advances in technology will allow more exposure for developing countries to watch sporting events. Areas that do not have access to television and cable may be able to watch events as technology moves into their areas. As sports gain more exposure they will also gain more popularity. The amount of individuals that are able to view sporting events will increase drastically. Also related to how we view sports will be advances within the arenas themselves. New advances in lighting and sound technology will make live events even more exciting. As advances in vehicle and transportation technology take place, sports arenas may be able to be located in areas where they currently cannot be located due to parking restrictions. Self-driving cars and city transportation advances may eliminate the need for these facilities to have huge parking areas. Without having to find real estate large enough for parking garages and lots there will be many more options for construction, especially in city environments that lack space.

The second major area that I see changing for sports in the future is the players themselves. What will an athlete look like in 2030? New medical advancements will allow players to do more, play harder, and heal faster than ever before. Imagine being able to heal a broken bone in days rather than weeks! Players will get injured and be right back on the field! As medical and health related technologies come about players may have more stamina and develop other athletic skills that do not exist today. The legalization of drugs in the US may also change what the players look like. Will it still be illegal for players to use Performance Enhancing Drugs (PEDs)? If the country begins to legalize drugs then these may also become acceptable for use amongst athletes.

There are so many things that will change between now and the year 2030. Sports, like all other areas of our lives, will be impacted by changes in technology, laws, and regulations. Some of these changes will be seen as positive while others may be viewed as hurting the industry. Time will tell!

Amholrz

Difference #1: By 2030 E sports will have exploded. E sports is estimated to grow $700 million dollars from 2019-2022. Add another 8 years to that and E sports will officially be a global phenomenon.

Difference #2: Basketball will be only a few years away from being the top sport in America and soccer will be close to taking football over as well.

Explanation: E sports is growing at an astounding rate. The amount of revenue that it will be producing will be enough to make everyone take notice of the sport. E sports is still going through a transition phase where it is becoming socially accepted as a sport in America. In 2014 “ ESPN president John Skipper infamously suggested that E sports had no place on the network”. ESPN is now playing E sports regularly and Turner Broadcasting is looking to show E sports consistently to gain the audience. The money is enough to attract the naysayers and an entire generation is growing up with the sport in their back pocket. E sports is about to take off.

Then we have basketball, which is growing in popularity worldwide. Football is seeing a decrease in participation because of the growing concern over concussions. The chance of getting a life altering head injury is scaring many athletes from playing the sport. That means they will use their athletic prowess in other ways, most likely basketball or soccer. It isn’t likely that basketball or soccer will have overthrown football by 2030, but it is very likely that the two sports will rapidly be closing the gap in popularity in America by 2030.

The change: One change in the organization of sports that I would make would be emphasizing unity across cultural lines. Leaders of sport should attempt to make sporting event a unifying human interaction with the common goal of enjoying the entertainment of watching quality athletes battle in their respective sport.

The theory: The theory that would guide my selection would be cultural theory. It would change symbols, vocabularies, and ideologies of sport.

The vantage point: I honestly don’t know where to find the information to answer this portion of the discussion.