Strategies used by international sports federations in the field of technology

Bibliographic Data

ID23312380
AuthorsMichel Desbordes (0000-0002-0320-6309, University of Lausanne, corresponding author), Thomas Rywalski (University of Lausanne)
Year2026
Volume8
Pages1726682-1726682
Publication date2026-07-22
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueFrontiers in Sports and Active Living (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2624-9367 • E-ISSN: 2624-9367
PublisherFrontiers Media SA (PUBLISHER • CH)
DOI10.3389/fspor.2026.1726682
PMID42559268
OpenAlexW7170059183
LanguageEN
References cited9

This research explores how international sports federations (IFs) use new technologies to enhance at their events. It overviews the digital initiatives and tools deployed to improve in-person and remote experiences. The study analyses two main questions: which technologies IFs use most often and how they implement them to improve international sports events’ quality and attractiveness. The researcher applied a mixed-methods approach by analysing 115 initiatives from Summer Olympic IFs and 65 from Winter Olympic IFs and conducting qualitative interviews with 11 IFs representatives and one academic expert. The findings show cautious optimism about Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Artificial Intelligence (AI) for enhancing fan experiences. IFs mainly use AR for broadcast and advertising, though technical and financial constraints limit its application. VR offers immersive potential but remains niche and costly. However, AI is more widely adopted for automation and content generation but faces realism challenges. The second observation is that customer relationship management systems also play a key role in enabling federations to tailor content and services to fans’ preferences. Furthermore, many IFs use data analytics to monitor fan behaviour and improve engagement through digital platforms like websites, mobile apps, and OTT services. The study also highlights that federations centralising fan data from multiple sources demonstrate higher personalised experiences. Despite financial and organisational constraints, several federations manage to implement impactful technologies with limited resources. Thus, this exploratory research brings new perspectives to the field of sport management by identifying current practices, suggesting practical recommendations and providing the basis for future studies on organisational intentions and practices about digital innovation in international sport.

Analytics · Automation · Big data · Customer engagement · Exploratory research · Field (mathematics) · Key (lock) · Quality (philosophy) · Sport management · Virtual reality · Sport and Mega-Event Impacts · Sports Analytics and Performance · Sports, Gender, and Society

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