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

Avatar

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.

Previous ArticleNext Article

NSW Football Associations Unite Behind AED Mapping Project for Statewide Safety Network

Avatar
Image Credit: Shutterstock

Twelve football associations across New South Wales have joined a statewide effort to map and register Automated External Defibrillators across sporting facilities, in a project that its organisers say will significantly improve emergency response times and save lives at community sport venues.

The Heartbeat of Sport AED Mapping Project, backed by funding from the Minns Labor Government to the Heartbeat of Football Foundation, represents the first comprehensive research into AED placement across NSW sports grounds. The data collected will be provided to NSW Ambulance and its GoodSAM team to enrich the existing AED registry available to ambulance and public first responders, and will feed into NSW Health’s newly released public AED map.

The project has drawn active participation from associations spanning the breadth of the state’s football community, including Eastern Suburbs, Manly Warringah, Granville, Southern Districts, Nepean, Northern Suburbs, Football Canterbury, Bankstown, Hills, Sutherland Shire, North West Sydney Football and Football South Coast.

When seconds matter

The urgency behind the project is not theoretical. At Doyalson Wyee Football Club, a 70-year-old player survived a sudden on-field cardiac arrest because an AED was available on site. The outcome of that incident – and the many others like it that occur across community sport each year – depends entirely on whether a defibrillator is accessible, charged and registered in the systems that emergency responders rely upon.

Sudden cardiac arrest kills without warning. The survival rate drops by approximately ten percent for every minute without defibrillation. In a community sport setting, where professional medical staff are rarely present, a registered and accessible AED is the difference between a player walking off a pitch and one who does not.

The mapping project addresses a gap that has existed largely unexamined. More than 2,400 defibrillators have been deployed across NSW sports and recreation facilities through the Local Sport Defibrillator Grant Program, with grants of up to $3,000 available to eligible organisations. But a device that exists without being registered in emergency response systems provides significantly less value than one that is accurately mapped and immediately locatable by ambulance crews responding to a call.

By encouraging clubs to complete AED registration surveys, the twelve participating associations are ensuring that the equipment already on their grounds is activated within the broader emergency infrastructure – translating a physical asset into a functional one.

Regional communities and the equity of safety

The project’s expansion of the #HeartHealthMatters Program, which brings CPR and AED familiarisation training to sporting organisations with a particular focus on regional areas, addresses a dimension of safety preparedness that often receives less attention than equipment access alone.

Knowing a defibrillator exists on site is insufficient if the people present during an emergency do not know how to use it. Regional clubs, which frequently operate with smaller volunteer bases and less access to formal training programs, face a compounded risk – less equipment, less training, and longer ambulance response times due to geography. The program’s regional focus acknowledges that safety infrastructure, like sporting infrastructure more broadly, is not evenly distributed.

The data gathered through the mapping project will also guide future investment decisions, identifying facilities that still lack AEDs and providing the evidence base for targeted grant funding to address those gaps.

Football associations that have already contributed AED data have demonstrated, in the words of the project’s organisers, strong sector leadership and a shared commitment to safeguarding participants at every level of the game.

For a sport that involves hundreds of thousands of players, officials and volunteers across the state each week, the ambition of the Heartbeat of Sport project is straightforward – that no preventable death occurs on a football ground because the right equipment was not there, or could not be found.

Decision overturned: FIFA World Cup 2026 to return to Federation Square

Avatar
Image credit: FiledIMAGE

Following the announcement earlier this week that Federation Square would not return as a live site for this summer’s FIFA World Cup, Football Victoria announced yesterday that the decision has now been overturned.

Widespread support prevails

The football industry moves swiftly. Whether it’s a deadline-day transfer or cut-throat managerial changes, a lot can happen in a short time span.

And this proved true once again in Melbourne this week.

On Wednesday, Melbourne Arts Precinct announced that it will not proceed as a live site during this year’s tournament.

But following widespread backlash to the decision to not use Federation Square as a live site, the initial verdict will no longer go ahead.

“In the past 24 hours, Victorians demonstrated just how important our national teams are to the fabric of our community,” said Football Victoria CEO, Dan Birrell, via press release.

Furthermore, Birrell highlighted that support for a swift overturn also came from those outside the football landscape.

“The response extended far beyond football participants and supporters, reflecting the wider community’s recognition of the signficance of the tournament and the role these moments play in bringing people together.”

 

Community comes first

Having Federation Square as a live site during this year’s World Cup ensures that Melburnians wanting to back the Socceroos, can do so as one unit.

But even those who won’t be cheering for Australia, and will instead be adorning another nation’s colours, will still be able to unite and show their pride.

This is what live football is all about.

A variety of communities and nationalities which – despite supporting opposing sides – can come together under a shared love of the game. As Birrell continued to explain, this is a fundamental part of why the decision to overturn bares such importance.

“Football is a game that transcends age, background, language and culture.”

“It brings people together from all walks of life and creates moments of connection that are incredibly powerful, particularly uring global tournaments like the FIFA World Cup.”

The Socceroos will kick off their World Cup campaign against Turkey on June 14.

 

Most Popular Topics

Editor Picks

Send this to a friend