Around 18% of Americans enjoy partaking in sports and exercise but a much greater percentage enjoy watching elite athletes compete in major competitions. According to some estimates, 40% of the US population are fans of the NBA, with 38% following college basketball. Meanwhile, more than half of the country follows the NFL in some form, with a third watching the Super Bowl live.
In 2021, nearly 60% of the US population watched live sports at least once a month, showing just how important this type of entertainment is in American culture.
While there are many ways to consume live sports content, most will do this at home, usually in front of their TV. But over the last few years, the experience has changed greatly as fans have been treated to new technologies that allow them to follow games more closely and get involved in various ways.
So if you’re a sports fan wanting to take your sports-watching experience to the next level, here is some tech to help you do that.
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Tablet
Tablet computers have come a long way in recent years, thanks primarily to Apple’s innovative iPad. They’ve gone from clunky bricks for doing computer work away from an office, to flexible devices for use with everything from watching TV shows to playing video games.
They also work great for sports fans. While the most obvious use for them might be to watch a game live, there’s little point if you’re at home with access to a bigger screen. Instead, your tablet can operate as your second screen to engage with other forms of complementary sports content while you watch the game.
With sports betting becoming more and more popular, many fans have fashioned their iPads and Android tablets into their own personal betting terminals. These touchscreen devices help to augment the experience from start to finish.
Before the game, sites like OddsChecker can be accessed through a web browser to find the best free bet promotions to use on the match and compare the odds that each bookie offers for it. Then, once it’s in play, your tablet can allow you to partake in in-play betting and/or cash out your wagers early.
On top of that, they can give you quick access to social media, allowing you to take glances at what other fans have to say about the game as you watch along.
Projector
For as long as we’ve had televisions, we’ve been looking for ways to get bigger and bigger screens. Of course, today’s OLED technology has made it practical to have 60” or more without needing to reinforce the foundations of your house, but that still may not be enough for the ultimate sports-watching experience.
Instead of a TV, a better way to increase the size of the viewing area is to install a projector. While, in the past, these have been power-hungry devices that kicked out a lot of heat and had fans that sounded like a jet engine, modern ones are nicer on the wallet, planet, and ear.
While it’s advisable to get a proper projector screen to enjoy a better picture, you can, in theory, increase the size of the picture you see to the full size of your wall. With such a big image, you won’t miss any of the action.
A Mesh Router
With streaming services on the rise and most second-screen services requiring the internet, you want a strong and stable connection to ensure you don’t miss a second of the action. While WiFi is a great tool for doing this, it isn’t always great for stretching to the other side of your home as walls and interference from other devices can cause dropouts and slowdowns.
There’s nothing worse than buffering or a drop in picture quality at a crucial moment when a goal or touchdown is imminent.
Thankfully, new mesh routers can help to solve this problem. These systems work by connecting multiple access points around your house to create a web of coverage that leaves no blind spots.
They are much more efficient at transmitting data than older WiFi extenders and will help to ensure you get the best experience when you’re watching the game.
