The Emirates FA Cup is celebrating its 150th anniversary. Throughout its history, we have seen
landmark moments where technological advancements transformed how fans experienced the game.
As the official digital transformation partner of the Emirates FA Cup,
Cognizant is looking to define our next generation of technology and experience advances.
The introduction of radio commentary in the '20s brought the FA Cup final into people's homes.
Meanwhile the first seeds of the IT industry were being sown.
In 1937, viewers watched from home for the very first time.
In 1968, the FA Cup final was shown in color TV for the first time. A few years later
a new company called Cognizant Corporation was formed with a simple mission to make organizations
more effective through technology. And technology continued to improve gameplay in the FA Cup
too. With goal line technology introduced in 2013, 2017 saw a new phase for the FA
in Cognizant as we began a partnership aimed at transforming the future of the
grassroots game through technology. With a 'find football' app players could find teams to join
and 90 000 footballers could simply turn up and play the beautiful game. A year later we launched
the Matchday app to help grassroots players coaches parents officials and volunteers to
manage and play matches. It now serves nearly 70,000 weekly users.
At the same time, the FA Cup welcomed its newest technological tool:
VAR. Last year we launched englandfootball.com advancing the way fans engage with the game
through AI and personalization ensuring that more people than ever could follow football.
Now we can start to see how Cognizant can help transform
how technology fuels the next era of the FA Cup.
AR and VR will change the way we experience match days for the better. With Cognizant's help,
the Emirates FA Cup could introduce elements such as VR stadium tours allowing fans to get
closer to the action and bridge continents through digital experiences.
Cognizant's capabilities in AI will make automated ball tracking a reality in the near future.
Not only will this improve the viewing experience through broadcasting, but it will provide teams
with the data they need to anticipate their opponent's actions and create more momentum
for fans and tracking technology isn't limited to the ball. Wearables have exploded onto the
scene in recent years and Cognizant can build intelligence from in-game data to allow clubs
to anticipate and prevent injuries, keeping athletes at their peak. In the Emirates FA Cup
this could be a game-changer for the competition's smaller clubs as they look to maximize their
squads against the nation's best teams. Every fan would like to be able to see
and hear more from the referees as they make critical decisions that impact the game.
Fitting officials with microphones and cameras could add an additional layer of
officiating transparency. A huge development in a competition with such a proud reputation.
The technology involved in videography continues to progress
and drone cameras have the potential to change how we consume sports coverage.
From whirlwind stadium tours to bird's eye views of the action,
they offer a new dynamic to the traditional camera angles used during broadcasting
and could bring to life some of the Emirates FA Cup's smaller grounds for viewers.
The Emirates FA Cup is steeped in history and with Cognizant as our
official digital transformation partner, we're embracing advanced technologies as we look to
build amazing, intuitive experiences for both fans and players of the world's oldest cup competition.