{"id":16318,"date":"2016-11-17T19:15:57","date_gmt":"2016-11-18T00:15:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digital.hbs.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/how-to-become-the-next-leo-messi\/"},"modified":"2016-11-17T19:15:57","modified_gmt":"2016-11-18T00:15:57","slug":"how-to-become-the-next-leo-messi","status":"publish","type":"hck-submission","link":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/how-to-become-the-next-leo-messi\/","title":{"rendered":"How to become the next Leo Messi"},"content":{"rendered":"

Founded in Barcelona in April 2014, FirstV1sion\u2019s mission is to develop products that bring the true reality of sports closer to the fans. To do this, the Spanish startup integrates the most advanced audiovisual and radio transmission technology into elite athletes\u2019 jerseys. It is the only company in the world capable of transmitting an athlete\u2019s point of view, live, during an official game[1]<\/a>. So far, it had only been possible in Formula 1 and Mountain biking, by installing cameras in racers\u2019 helmets. With its innovative clothing, FirstV1ision goes beyond these two sports, allowing other sports fans to become engaged with and directly learn players\u2019 techniques. Intel named it one of the ten most interesting wearables of the year (2014)[2]<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"firstv1sion\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The sports industry presents some opportunities<\/strong><\/p>\n

The 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil reached a global in-home television audience of 3.2 billion people[3]<\/a>, the last Super Bowl had 111.9 million viewers[4]<\/a>\u2026these and many other sports tournaments engage millions of people to watch their favorite sports players in real-time from home. FirstV1ision is taking it one step further by creating a unique and immersive experience that allows the viewers to position themselves in the players\u2019 eyes. The audience numbers prove that it has great market potential.<\/p>\n

In addition, the so called wearable technologies have allowed companies such as Fitbit or Garmin to modernize the sports industry while achieving highly successful results. Other small companies have entered the market by introducing smart clothing which incorporates sensors that track cadence, muscle effort and heart rate, among other metrics. However, none of these companies have yet launched a product like FirstV1ision\u2019s. By being a first mover, FirstV1sion has a competitive advantage worth exploiting.<\/p>\n

Facing possible challenges<\/strong><\/p>\n

We might consider the sports industry to be innovative; however there is still much room for technology companies like FirstV1ision to elevate this industry to the next level. There are a number of challenges, though, that FirstV1ision needs to consider.<\/p>\n