Big Data & Big Money: The Integration of IoT’s into The National Football League

Many corporations are leveraging connected devices and the associated data as a competitive advantage in product/service differentiation. The success of products, supply chains, and entire companies could very well depend on their effective integration into the connected world. Industries ranging from farming to energy distribution are using connected grids to maintain highly effective operating costs. Big data companies use consumer trends to evaluate specific markets and demands within. Even residential appliances, lighting, and heating systems are becoming controlled with cell phones and tablets. The concept that everything has capability and should be connected to the Internet through wi-fi and shared data on cloud based servers is commonly referred to as the Internet of Things, or IoT’s. The IoT’s infiltration into most every single aspect of modern civilization is developing at an incredible pace. The National Football League (NFL) is part of a major professional sporting industry with a variety of opportunities to connect and deliver data products with smart devices through the IoT’s. In addition to apparel trends, the players themselves could ultimately become the total consumer product through wearables delivering real time biometrics and performance data. Smart uniforms can indicate if players health becomes jeopardized during critical play or after high energy impacts. Connected fields and game pieces can eliminate the need for subjective replays and reviews. Stadiums one day may very well become highly effective scaled data centers and server hubs. All this integrated data will be delivered and consumed through fantasy style gaming and virtual/augmented reality point of view displays