Despite fierce competition, it is the NFL that rules the roost when it comes to being the king of American sports.

Watched by millions, the NFL has a global presence that is the envy of league’s all over the world. With a plethora of international games, a growing interest in other events such as the NFL Draft and NFL Combine the game continues to go from strength to strength.

The Future of NFL after 2024

With the Super Bowl being one of the most watched sporting events in the world, 2023 saw the NFL boom and that is set to continue in 2024.

One area where the NFL separates itself from the rest of the competition is with its constant need to innovate. With innovation all across the league, the NFL is always looking for ways to keep its player safety high, keep the viewing experience great and make the use of new and developing technologies. Reddit users even put together an infographic on the impact of technology on the NFL.

With the NFL showing no signs of slowing down, our NFL expert Kate Richardson takes a look at just some of the ways that the NFL is looking to take itself to the next level through various different innovation strategies.

Technology’s Growing Influence

As we have seen across the sporting spectrum, technology has the ability to take a sport to the very next level and if used effectively, it changes how a game can be played. Take tennis as an example, the introduction of Hawk Eye has led to the development of advanced electronic line calling services, which has removed any margin of error when it comes to determining whether a ball is in or out.

Soccer has seen the wide use of VAR and from next year, most of the top football league’s around the world will feature semi automated offsides which should ensure that the subjective nature of whether a player is offside or not will finally be put to bed.

The NFL is no different, one of the sports that first used video technology to assist both players and coaches, the huge amount of cameras that now feature at NFL games, can help teams and officials reach the right decisions with the ultimate aim to make the consistency and credibility of NFL refereeing as high as possible.

The one USP of the NFL is the communication that is needed from play to play. Coaches and players are in constant communication and when you watch football games on TV you will always see players and coaches talking on various headsets or reviewing plays through Microsoft surface tablets. 

Only the very best tech and the most sophisticated internet technologies are used within stadiums to ensure that teams can speak to each other and make the vital on-field adjustments and correct play-calling that they need to make.

As technology continues to advance, you can be assured that all of the latest enhancements will have a significant presence on the sidelines in NFL stadiums across America.

Changing Game Dynamics

The Future of the NFL will very much lie in technology and one key technological area which will be exploited will be the use of AI and Virtual Reality. 

As both technologies continue to grow, there is a feeling that Virtual Reality will greatly enhance the fan experience and will be able to transfer the atmosphere from a stadium directly into someone’s living room. 

Virtual Reality can also greatly benefit both coaches and players. With players able to don headsets, they can visually practice some of their own plays and also prepare themselves better for the plays that opposing teams may use. 

There will be a hope that the introduction of these technologies might give teams a distinct competitive edge over their opponents.

Protecting players: advanced security technology

The one area where the NFL spotlight shines brightest is on player safety.

Despite a raft of safety measures being introduced to the game around where a player can be hit, the kickoff and specific quarterback protection rules, injuries are still common place around the league and there is a huge effort and focus to improve and enhance player safety.

One area that has greatly helped is the use of wearables.

By placing a small dynamic chip onto a players body, real-time data can be fed back to a head coach and his team. Providing real-time information such as a players’ heart rate and the amount of energy that they have consumed, using data like this, can ensure that teams reduce the risk of injury and keep their stars safe.

Another huge advancement has come with how the league is trying to crack down on the issue of concussion. 

New helmets have been designed for the most impactful positions in the game and it has become mandatory that these helmets are used throughout practice periods.

Reducing head and neck injuries is paramount to the NFL commissioner and his executive vice president with Roger Goodell once stating, “Any time we can change the protocols to make it safer for our players, we’re going to do that. We’re not afraid of having them diagnosed. That’s important to us and why we encourage players to come forward when they have symptoms so we can make sure they are handled properly.”

You can be assured that with the league trying to drive up youth participation, further efforts to reduce concussions will remain a major focus.

Lab-grown ligaments, robots shorten injury rehab

If you went back 15 years ago it would be unfathomable to think that robots would be able to help with rehabbing players injuries, but fast forward to the present and that is what every team in the NFL is now trying to take advantage of. One of the most popular injuries in the game are knee injuries, but U.S scientists have developed lab grown ligaments such as Anterior Ligaments and professional football players have been able to have these ligaments inserted into their bodies.

Early reports have seen that the time needed to operate has been greatly reduced and the impact on an athlete’s body has been far less which has meant that a player has been able to keep their athleticism high post-surgery.

Fan Engagement and Experience

One of the major reasons as to why the NFL continues to grow at a rapid rate is the brilliant engagement and overall experience that it offers its fans.

The game experience is brilliant with plenty of excitement and for those missing out, broadcasters are able to deliver all of the action of an exciting game and reveal all of the drama as a game unfolds courtesy of the very best high-resolution color images.

With the experience for fans high on the NFL’s agenda, the high-quality broadcasts are a great way of connecting with fans and can provide a real spotlight on players and their communities. Even better, the broadcasts can be watched anywhere at any time, and subscriptions are best paid for with Apple Pay, due to the immediacy of the transactions.

With fans living and breathing every moment, the NFL has formed partnerships with numerous Apple Pay betting sites. With the NFL being gambled on all over the world, betting is creeping into the fan experience, and it will be interesting to see how that grows further over time. 

Globalization of the League

“Taking our game to more fans around the world is a major priority for the league and its 32 teams.”

The above quote is from Roger Goodell and shows how important expanding the NFL internationally is to him and his team. Across sport there are many different opinions but one argument that is black-and-white is how the NFL leads the way when it comes to the globalization of the league. With a plethora of international games now played all over the world, the NFL is uniting fans across the globe and the culture of the game has really caught fire in countries such as the UK, Germany, Spain and Mexico.

Although a challenge for those working within NFL football operations, the number of international games is set to grow and in the next ten years it wouldn’t be a surprise to see a permanent franchise based overseas.