La Liga regarded as one of the best users of technology in the worldwide sporting sector

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Spain’s La Liga competition has been categorised as one of the top 10 organisations in the world, in regards to their use of technology in the sporting sector.

According to the latest report published by the English Institute of Sport (EIS) and Sport Technology Awards Group (STA), La Liga ranks eighth as the most important company in terms of technology.

La Liga jumped nine places in the ranking system in the latest edition this year, with F1, NBA and UEFA occupying the top 3 positions.

The global sports technology market continues to grow exponentially, to the point that it had reached an estimated value of $8 billion by the end of 2021, and is projected to reach a value of $40 billion in 2026.

The figures clearly demonstrate that the sports technology market is a thriving part of the sporting industry as a whole.

The Sports Technology Awards Group has released its annual review, in which it sets out the latest developments in the sports technology sector and draws the main conclusions.

The review, produced by the STA in collaboration with the EIS (English Institute of Sport), reports on the key changes in the sporting sector and helps high level industry executives to devise their strategies and plan their organisations more efficiently into the future.

It covers a wide variety of many aspects of sport, such as athletic performance, electronic sports, the metaverse, data and live events, among others, placing importance on the review as a vital reference document in the sphere of technology.

According to the analysis carried out by STA, technology’s power and influence over sport has become extremely significant, to the point that it affects all aspects of it: the way it is practised, consumed and how it engages fans.

A special ranking, labelled the Power List, includes companies that apply technology throughout their structures. La Liga features as the eighth most important in the classification table, just behind DAZN and the PGA.

The Power List is prepared by a panel composed of the stakeholders in The Sports Technology Annual Review. It does not focus on any area, and rather includes all aspects of the sector, thereby identifying the leading brands in the industry as a whole.

La Liga is positioned ahead of major global companies, such as the NFL, Intel and Amazon, according to the STA Group, and is described in the report produced by the STA as one of the companies that is leading the sector in terms of Innovation and Emerging Technology.

A recent deal secured by La Liga is a strong example of their innovation in this space.

La Liga and the technology company, vivo, recently signed a strategic alliance in Spain and Portugal, one that will run for the next two years.

With this, the fourth-largest smart devices brand in the world is becoming La Liga’s first official smartphone partner. This sponsorship agreement, which will run until 2025, gathers both entities’ commitment delivering excellence on entertainment and sports industry’s digital transformation.

During the signing of this agreement, vivo’s President for Spain and Portugal, Diego Xiao, stated: “La Liga and vivo share a passion for making new, unique and innovative experiences possible for our fans. In fact, a fundamental part of this collaboration, in line with the slogan of a campaign we’re launching “Cuánto más lo vives, más te une”, is the commitment of both brands to design, innovation and passion.

“2022 is going to be an exciting year for vivo in Spain. We are very proud that this country is the best performing in Europe and one of our key markets. For this reason, we would like to thank consumers for their trust, as we know that football arouses passions here and we want to share them with fans from all over the country, and the rest of the world.”

Óscar Mayo, Executive General Director at La Liga, said of the deal: “We are delighted to welcome vivo to the portfolio of La Liga sponsors. We both look for excellence in what we do. At La Liga, we work to offer football fans the best audio-visual products and we know that vivo focuses on helping its users to enjoy the greatest experiences and to achieve the ‘Perfect shot’.”

Deals such as this will continue to be the norm for La Liga, with the role and influence of technology in sport to increase into the future.

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Football Australia Expands Mental Skills Program for Match Officials Amid Sustained Focus on Referee Retention

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Image Credit: Football NSW

Football Australia has confirmed a second national webinar for match officials, led by sports psychologist Dr Liam Slack, extending a referee development series introduced after strong engagement with an initial session on managing match-day pressure.

The upcoming session, themed “parking with purpose,” will focus on decision-making strategies designed to help referees process on-field calls and reset attention quickly across a match that can present hundreds of individual decisions. Dr Slack, who also consults with The Football Association and the AFC Referee Academy and previously spent over a decade as a performance psychologist with the Professional Game Match Officials Limited in England, brings substantial elite-level experience to a program open to officials at every level, from grassroots to professional.

The theme builds on work Dr Slack has already delivered within Australian officiating. He recently led a session with Football Australia’s National Referee Academy on the same concept, framing the ability to consciously park a decision and refocus on the next phase of play as a trainable skill rather than an innate trait, one that separates officials who reset quickly under pressure from those who don’t. He has also addressed more than 100 Football Australia elite match officials and staff on developing a stronger match-day mentality, an indication of how embedded this psychological framework has become across the officiating pathway rather than remaining a one-off intervention.

The expansion of the webinar series reflects a broader shift in how football administrators are approaching referee attrition. Rather than treating retention purely as a recruitment or pay problem, the program signals an institutional acknowledgment that the psychological demands of officiating, particularly the compounding pressure of split-second decisions under public scrutiny, are a material factor in whether officials remain in the game.

It rests alongside other measures adopted across Australian football in recent years, including visible identification programs for junior referees and structural reviews of referee departments at state federation level, all aimed at the same underlying issue: a shrinking pool of match officials relative to demand.

Football Australia has not detailed metrics for assessing the program’s impact on referee numbers, though the recurring engagement of an internationally credentialed specialist across multiple tiers of the officiating pathway suggests sustained institutional investment in the approach.

Football Victoria elevates fan enjoyment with Streets partnership

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Image credit: Prostock-studio / Shutterstock.com

Football Victoria (FV) revealed last week a new partnership with ice cream giants, Streets. The brand will become an exclusive ice cream partner for the next three years.

 

An iconic brand for joyful experiences

As a well-known and popular ice cream brand with people all around the nation, Streets will now look to support the fan experience in Victoria through its products.

It reflects FV’s commitment to delivering a family-friendly and memorable experience for spectators. Both on and off the pitch, the organisation is striving to elevate the experience for fans and families alike.

“Football Victoria is always looking for ways to elevate the experience at The Home of The Matildas, and this partnership does exactly that,” explained FV Executive Manager of Commercial and Facilities, Chris Speldewinde.

“It’s a fantastic fit for our community and we’re looking forward to what the next three years will bring.”

Furthermore, Senior Brand Manager at Streets, Ryan Katz, emphasised the brand’s role in community sport and in creating memories beyond the action on the pitch.

“Streets is proud to join Football Victoria as its exclusive ice cream partner,” Katz said.

“There’s nothing better than enjoying a great game with a classic ice cream in-hand, and we’re excited to be part of those moments across the state.”

 

Understanding community football

Community football is all about these moments. Sunny days, the family together, and a sweet treat in-hand while supporting a local team alongside friends and neighbours.

This is why a partnership between FV and Streets is particularly important.

Not for its commercial value, but for what it tells us about both parties’ understanding of what matters to fans. From young fans to experienced matchday-goers, everyone wants to find enjoyment while watching the game.

And while the 90 minutes of action is the focus, the experience of a local matchday is truly defined by interactions with fellow supporters and smaller – but no less significant – moments of happiness during the day.

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