Leaders | Game changer

A global gold rush is changing sport

Fans may be cooling on the Olympics, but elsewhere technology is transforming how sport is watched

The Stade de France with a giant tablet device as the playing field
image: Peter Crowther/Getty Images

A brawny armada of athletes from more than 200 countries will sail down the Seine on July 26th, as part of the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic games. From the Mongolian team in embroidered kaftans to the Canadians in Lululemon bomber-jackets, the procession is designed to symbolise the gathering of every corner of humanity. The message to audiences (and corporate sponsors) is clear: in a fractious, divided world, nothing unites people like sport.

This article appeared in the Leaders section of the print edition under the headline “Game changer”

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