Framework for the #sportstech industry
Create a common understanding
During the last months I’ve published various articles about the SportsTech landscape in Europe, mapping startups and some more mature companies in various countries and regions. Those overviews are all based on a framework for the SportsTech industry which I developed earlier this year. In this article I want to elaborate a bit more on it and ideally start a discussion about what’s good or not so good about the current version. The ultimate goal is to create a common understanding and structure within the SportsTech industry. So feel free to add comments below this article or message me directly about how to further improve it.
NOTE: An updated version of the framework can be found here
The SportsTech framework
The framework is divided in various sectors and subsectors.
Activity & Performance
Solutions surrounding the actual performance, no matter if it’s before, during or after the activity. Typical offerings are data tracker, wearables and new kinds of sports equipment.
- Wearables & Equipment: Physical resources that are worn or used during an activity.
- Activity Data & Analytics: Solutions that measure the activity where it happens, mostly from an athlete or coach/club/team perspective.
- Preparation: Offerings that help to plan activities, such as specific information or tutorials.
Management & Organisation
Solutions that help to manage organisations, venues, leagues and events. Also covers platforms to find other sportsmen, coaches, etc. and to buy products and services, such as tickets or trips.
- Teams & Clubs: Solutions to run sports organisations, e.g. for recruiting, communication or administrative purposes.
- Venues, Events & Leagues: Solutions to manage venues, e.g. access or payments, and to organise events and leagues, e.g. registrations or fixtures.
- Marketplaces & Discovery: Search and exploration platforms which lets you find, book and buy other sportsmen, clubs, venues, events, tickets, trips etc.
Media & Fans
Solutions that provide sports interested people and companies with all kinds of content and data. Also includes social platforms that help with branding and connecting fans with athletes, teams, etc.
- News & Content: Live streaming offerings and information providers, e.g. via articles, news, live scores, commentaries or videos.
- Media Data & Analytics: Providers of data and insights, mostly from a media and broadcasting perspective.
- Fan Engagement & Social Platforms: Solutions to build and manage relationships with fans and networks that help sports related people and organisations interact with each other.
Games & Bets
Companies that provide eSports, Fantasy Sports and Betting solutions, for players & gamers and as a service.
- eSports & Fantasy Sports: Offerings related to video game competitions and online games in which players build virtual teams.
- Betting: Solutions that offer to put wagers on the result and happenings of sports events.
Is there something you’re missing or that you’d change? While working with the framework I’ve realized that some companies cover two or even more sectors/subsectors, a challenge which in my opinion can hardly be solved. In the process of developing the framework I’ve also tested an alternative version which was looking at the industry from a technological perspective with sectors such as VR/AR or Artificial Intelligence, which came along with various disadvantages. In the end I decided to go with the structure you can see above. What do you think about it? I invite you to share your opinion and thoughts about the framework. Looking forward!
Benjamin Penkert is the founder of SportsTechX, an organisation that promotes SportsTech startups and connects them with investors and the sports industry. You can get in touch via LinkedIn, Twitter or mail.
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