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Sports is the industry that unites all generations and social groups. While some people are professional athletes and coaches, some others go in for sports for entertainment or for keeping fit. At the same time, there are millions of people all over the world who are huge fans of different games and sports and never miss the matches in which their favorite teams take part. And given this amazing interest in the sports industry, it is not surprising at all to observe the growing number of sports apps that are being introduced on the market nowadays.
There are applications for athletes and their coaches, there are solutions for fitness lovers and those who are fond of exercising at home, there are apps for sports fans and different games that allow people to feel the vibes of real matches without leaving their houses. The choice is great and the global sports app market is continuously expanding. In 2022, its size was around $3.7 billion and analysts expect it to reach $6.8 billion by 2028.
But what does an app have to offer to its users to achieve success? What are the most popular development trends today? That’s exactly what we’d like to discuss in this article. If you are planning to build an app for fitness or soccer lovers, or create golf apps, or have ideas for any other solution, these trends will help you to develop a really unique product that will win the hearts of users.
Trend 1. Wearables
The Internet of Things is definitely one of the most promising technologies these days. It is being widely used in many industries and the sports sphere is not an exception. The most typical example of such a solution is a smart bracelet that can count the steps made by you per day, and estimate the quality of your sleep, as well as your physical activity. But there are also special smart devices for professional athletes that help coaches to monitor their physical state and analyze the chosen gaming strategy in order to improve it and achieve better results.
Trend 2. AI and ML
AI and ML help to make software solutions really smart thanks to offering new ways of processing data. As a result, you can provide app users with new unique experiences and deeply personalized content based on their interests, preferences, and search history.
Trend 3. Gamification
People like games. That’s one of the reasons for the growing popularity of various gamification elements that are added to different apps including those that are developed for the sports industry. In-app rewards, scores, competition spirit – all these things can motivate people not only to use an app on a daily basis but also to achieve new results in their physical activities.
Trend 4. VR/AR
These technologies have already managed to win their positions in sports app development. Such tools help users to get unique emotions from watching events from home. Even without going to the stadium, they can feel the atmosphere of their favorite matches.
Trend 5. Integration of social media
Have you noticed how the importance of social media managed to grow over the past years? Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are among the most popular platforms where we share our thoughts, memories, and achievements, as well as just photos and videos. That’s why when you are building an app for sports fans and fitness enthusiasts, it will be a cool idea to make it possible for users to share their results with their followers and friends. Moreover, do not forget that the more users share any data from your app on their social media accounts, the more potential users will learn about your application.
Trend 6. Offline functioning
Though mobile internet and WiFi connection are widely available today, let’s admit that it is not always possible to stay connected all day long. But to increase user satisfaction and offer a continuous experience to them, it is highly recommended to allow them to use an app (or at least some key features) without an internet connection.
Trend 7. Cross-platform mobile app development
This trend is more important for developers than for users. Actually, thanks to modern development frameworks and tools, users won’t even feel the difference. But developers definitely will. Today there is no need to write a separate code for each mobile platform. It is enough just to write a single one that will be used for several platforms at once. It helps to save time without quality deterioration. This approach ensures not only faster development but also lower investments in it as now it is enough to write code only once.
Final word
The popularity of sports apps is growing as well as users’ demands and expectations. That’s why, in order to succeed, you need to offer people a high-quality feature-rich app that will efficiently cope with the set tasks. And this principle can be applied to absolutely all types of sports apps: from games to solutions for professional coaches.
