How Much Will TV Technology Shape Sport In The Future?

The fact that TV has changed sport is something we take for granted so much now that it can be useful to reflect on just how much this is the case. That is also useful when thoughts turn to the question of just how TV technology will shape sport in the near future.

TV sport coverage is as old as moving film itself, with productions like the old Pathe newsreels from the black and white years showing footage of sporting events. These elements had only a minor impact, perhaps like the decision to pioneer the use of shirt numbers in football for the 1933 FA Cup final.

However, developments like colour TV had a more significant impact. In some cases, colours themselves changed; the shades of balls used in snooker and the switch from white tennis balls to yellow were cases in point.

Is TV Technology Always Beneficial To Sport?

Having different coloured tennis balls is one thing; it is quite another when technology actually removes people from the playing area, in this case, in the form of the line judges. 

This change at Wimbledon has proved highly controversial, with a series of high-profile blunders, mainly due to the system being switched off at the wrong times, leading to wrong decisions.

This has raised an interesting question about the potential and limits of TV technology to change sport, the answers to which may shape the work of TV production companies and also their impact on sport in the years ahead. 

The BBC posed this when it asked a simple question: Why don’t we trust technology in sport?

As the article noted, even if the technology is imperfect, the alternative is to rely on fallible humans, something fiery personalities like John McEnroe were never happy to do. In recent years, the system of challenges using Hawkeye, often showing balls in or out by millimetres, has been treated as definitive.

Other sports have had their own controversies while also using Hawkeye. Cricket has wrestled with the question of balancing human and technological fallibility, with the issue of ‘umpires call’ for LBW decisions even leading to one England player, Chris Woakes, recently calling for a law change in some cases.

By contrast, in football, there has been much debate about whether there should be more leeway with the most marginal offside decisions, which raises the question about whether the imposition of extreme precision. In 2021, the Premier League decided to take this route with thicker lines to offer more leeway to attackers.

A Matter Of Trust

This use of technology, with multiple cameras, instant play-backs, freeze-frames, virtual reality and HD technology has all improved the visual image provided to viewers, but the further development of technology for use in broadcasting sport may be shaped by the answers arrived at in time over the desirability of using technology for decision-making.

Quite simply, if new technological developments offer even more possibilities for adjudicating at moments of uncertainty and possible error that may decide the outcomes of matches, will they be welcomed as new and better ways of reaching the right decision, or forever held up to a higher standard of expected accuracy than human officials?

If the latter is the case, this may significantly alter the trajectory of new technology developments in sport. Instead of seeking to provide means of showing what has just happened with ever more precision (either for the interest and education of viewers or to aid decision-making), the focus may switch elsewhere.

What that may do is focus on giving the viewer more information. Anyone watching Wimbledon will be familiar with graphics showing where the serves land, or measurements of how fast the ball is being served.

Similar tech in cricket reveals bowling speeds and revolutions on the ball imparted by spin bowlers, or running stats for footballers. Most importantly - and this is an area where technological precision is unquestionably of extreme value - it can help with photo finishes and measuring record times on the track.

An Alternative Focus

In one sense, this tech-based stat gathering is itself changing sport, as it is used by analysts to help coach teams and provide information on how individuals and teams can improve, as well as identifying the strengths and weaknesses of opponents.

However, while this data-intensive analysis may be of interest to some who want to understand how teams or individuals are developing their game or shaping tactics, the focus might equally shift towards more pure entertainment.

Could it be that TV production in sport becomes less about capturing esoteric detail and judging marginal calls, and instead switches towards a focus on fun, culture or simply image quality? The answers may take some time to become clear.