SPORTS TECHNOLOGY THE TOOLS SHAPING UK SPORT

As sport grapples with ever-faster cycles of innovation, 2025 stood out as a year where AI, connected performance systems, and smarter athlete monitoring crossed from prototype to real world use. SportsNation collected 10 essential technologies that are making an impact in professional and grassroots sport – from coaching and spectating to performance analysis

Look anywhere within sport and you can see new, innovative technology solutions popping up everywhere. Performance and fan engagement are increasingly powered by real-time data – from athlete biometrics to AI-generated insights that inform coaching and broadcast – while AI tools are taking over everything from analytics and video summarisation to tactical decision support. Meanwhile, wearables now blend biometric, physiological and even clinical data to help athletes (both elite performers and casual exercisers) train smarter and more safely. As a result, there has been a huge step change from simple step counts to holistic performance ecosystems.

So what else is out there? What are the sports technology trends as we welcome 2026? We had a look.

TECH TRENDS FOR 2026

Camera tracking and automated video and tactical tools

A growing number of grassroots clubs in the UK are utilising technology to provide them with low-barrier access to tactical analytics that once required dedicated video crews. Camera tracking providers such as Veo, XBotGo and Pixellot are becoming hugely popular within team sports – particularly in football, rugby, hockey and netball.

There are also venue and facility-specific providers, such as Spiideo, which has continued rolling out its advanced capture and AI analytics systems across thousands of facilities globally. Spiideo offers automated production, tracking and analytics via cloud-based video tools and has become popular with academies.

Digital signage and smart venues

Innovations in digital signage and venue tech – including weather-proof interactive displays and smart signage tailored for clubs – have meant that price points are now more accessible for clubs at all levels. Digital signage can provide a flexible way to improve communication and fan engagement at grounds from grassroots to professional levels.

The systems can be used to amplify sponsorship, information delivery and match day experiences in an age where consumers are increasingly tech-savvy. Companies like Screenfluence, Metroclick, HandyAV and TIG are specialising in this area, creating solutions for sport venues of all sizes.

AI-assisted broadcasting & storytelling platforms

Broadcasters and production teams of all sizes – from global media giants like Sky to one-man bands covering their local team – are deploying AI platforms that ingest live sporting data and use it to augment commentary, stats and visuals. Tools that transform raw live feeds into enriched tales are now part of major coverage workflows, from football and cricket to cycling and hockey. With UK audiences deeply engaged in following sports, these systems are shaping next-gen viewer experiences and begin to influence both fan expectations and how UK rights holders package live sport.

AI highlights & content tools for clubs and leagues

As digital engagement is becoming omnipresent across all sectors, sports is increasingly joining in. At the elite level, automated content generation is directly supporting fan growth and commercial ROI – and grassroots clubs are following suite with their own versions. A number of semi-professional clubs, whose “media teams” often consists of volunteers, are using automated video capture to create immediate highlight packages for social media feeds. Some are also increasing their reach by using AI to produce multilingual content. Platforms like Quickplay Shorts and related AI video summarisation tools automatically generate social-ready highlight reels and vertical media formats from live and recorded sport – enabling more engaging, scalable digital content creation.

Advanced injury and health management tools

Apps like SportSmart, by Podium Analytics, offer free, science-backed tracking of injuries and return-to-play protocols, feeding anonymised data into research and helping clinicians make safer decisions. With safety, welfare and safeguarding issues now at the heart of sports and strategic agendas, it is easy to see how these accessible digital tools will increasingly be adopted by clubs, coaches and organisations.

Innovation

THE INNOVATORS

WHOOP 5.0 & Advanced Labs — wearables meet clinical data

WHOOP devices – widely used by elite cricketers and other professionals globally, including in the UK – bridge wearable tech and personalised performance insights for teams and individuals. WHOOP’s 2025 hardware and software upgrade, WHOOP 5.0 and WHOOP MG, significantly extends sensor capability and battery life. The standout, however, is WHOOP’s Advanced Labs, which lets athletes upload clinical blood biomarker results to be analysed alongside 24/7 biometric data. This improves interpretation of recovery, strain and overall health for performance planning.

FORM Smart Swim 2 goggles — real-time underwater ar feedback

The latest generation of FORM AR swim goggles provides athletes with real-time metrics underwater. The innovative solution tracks pace, distance, stroke rate and heart rate without needing additional wearables. The goggles blend augmented reality with biometric feedback at the point of performance to provide a product that would’ve been seen as science fiction not so long ago.

PlaySight SmartCourt AI — democratising pro-level video & analytics

Sports clubs and academies are increasingly adopting smart video systems to provide analytics that were once the preserve of elite programmes – boosting player development pathways and competitive data capture. One of the tech providers leading the sector is PlaySight which, with its AI-enabled SmartCourt systems, continued to expand in 2025 with new partnerships and features that integrate video capture, automated highlights and coaching analytics across racquet sports (tennis, padel, pickleball). The technology captures HD video, produces analytics, and assists coaching and player development. With the growth of padel, expect more courts to feature technology such as SmartCourt in 2026.

Fans to 5K – using rivalries to activate fans

A new initiative looks to put football rivalries into good use and utilise the passion of fans to get them more physically active. Called Fans to 5k, the app-based programme will allow fans to track their fitness activities, which are then recorded and turned into points for their football team of choice. The points then feed into the Fans to 5k 12-week challenge, which will see teams battle it out to gain the most points as well as bragging rights before the end of the programme.

“Motivation technology” – the next step in wearables

Wearable specialist, Myzone, has unveiled its new Myzone Go as part of the introduction of what it calls an entirely new category, “motivation technology” (MoTech). Myzone Go is a software-first experience that will track workouts and activity wherever the user moves, with the aim of helping operators drive long-term member engagement and individuals build lasting exercise habits.

Myzone says the new MoTech approach will deliver a “deeper level of personalised motivation and seamless community connection” by turning the “science of motivation into a seamless digital experience” that rewards effort, builds habits and sustains long-term engagement.