How to See Live Vivo IPL 2018 on Your Smart Phone or Laptop

How Technology has Changed the Way We Watch Sport

The general consensus is that technology has changed sport for the better. Technology has also changed the way we watch sport. Although people still enjoy getting together for big matches - thousands of people congregated in London’s Hyde Park to watch the 2014 FIFA World Cup final between Germany and Argentina - there are now a number of ways for spectators to keep up-to-date with their favorite teams.

While major sports institutions like Sky and ESPN rely on new technology to improve their broadcasts, problems have arisen too. Illegal streaming services - which are widely available online and used by many to watch live broadcasts - cost the sports broadcasting industry millions each year. In the UK, 45,000 streams have been detected, most of which show matches from the English Premier League. Regardless of whether you think they should exist, there’s no doubt that they’ve had an impact on the way we watch sports.

Uploading a stream is straightforward. An article in the Guardian stated that it was possible to get a stream up and running withrudimentary IT skills and a cheap Windows laptop. Prolific uploaders, many of whom run multiple sites, make money from advertisements, creating lucrative businesses from themselves in the process. While it’s not impossible to get caught - a man was recently arrested in Manchester for leading a number of streaming operations - most can rely on a degree of anonymity, especially if they’re only uploading a few matches per week.

Thousands of live sporting events will be available through the B/R Live streaming service, making it a central hub for passionate fans to find and consume content most meaningful to them.

Turner Sports also announced B/R will distribute an updated NBA League Pass—single games and League Pass' upcoming full new offering, which will include the ability to watch partial games at a reduced price—beginning with the 2018-19 regular season. That will mean access to nearly 1,000 live out-of-market NBA games through the new platform. 

“The distribution of content continues to evolve and Turner has invested in creating and delivering premium, multi-platform experiences including our soon-to-be-launched B/R Live sports streaming service,” said David Levy, President of Turner. “Our long-standing partnership with the NBA has been led by a shared vision to provide fans with the most engaging experiences that match a wide variety of viewing preferences. Because watching live sports should be easy. For more real-time updates, follow B/R Live on Twitter and sign up here for a download link when available. 

Live sport has never been more accessible than it is today and we have advances in technology to thank for that. Whether you want to watch a match legally or illegally, it’s now just a few clicks away. The fact that people still gather to watch big matches shows that the public still enjoy the camaraderie and atmosphere that comes with cheering your favourite team en mass, but perceptions have changed, and technology has been central to that.