Sport Meets Technology – DLD Expands the Playing Field

Jeff Bezos has invested in Liverpool FC. Runners can now track their pace, breathing and heart rate in real time. Curved screens bring the atmosphere of a stadium to public viewing events. Sport is undergoing profound change. Technology is transforming how we train, experience and consume sport – while simultaneously creating entirely new business models.

For DLD (Digital, Life, Design), that was reason enough to expand its own playing field. Last weekend, Burda’s international innovation platform brought together around 200 selected guests from sport, technology, investment and business at Base 2 La Marina in Valencia. At the heart of the first DLD Sports were some of the most pressing questions shaping the future of sport: How are football clubs and sports rights becoming global growth and investment assets? How are AI, connected-ball technologies and data-driven decision-making changing training, competition and the fan experience? What role will sports nutrition play in the future? And how do major sporting events impact cities and society?

Across interdisciplinary panels and personal conversations, one thing became clear: sport is no longer just entertainment. It has become a testing ground for technology, a media platform, an investment opportunity, a health market and a form of social infrastructure.

Valencia – Where Sport Meets Innovation

Valencia was far more than a fitting backdrop. The Mediterranean city combines a rich history of hosting major international sporting events with a thriving start-up ecosystem – bringing together the very worlds that DLD Sports set out to connect.

"Valencia is a true sports city and has benefited enormously from investments in infrastructure for major sporting events such as the America’s Cup. The former team bases in the harbour are now home to start-ups, offices and co-working spaces. With DLD Sports, we were not only returning to the base of the former German America’s Cup team," explains Christian Teichmann, member of the Burda Executive Board responsible for DLD and CEO of Burda Principal Investments (BPI). "At the same time, Valencia is home to a growing ecosystem of technology and science. This combination makes the city the ideal location for the first DLD Sports."

More Than Competition – Sport as a Seismograph for Change

Few areas make the impact of technology as tangible and visible as sport. Wearables provide increasingly detailed insights into performance, recovery and physical strain. Data helps tailor training plans to individual needs and identify injury risks at an early stage. AI can analyse vast amounts of information and support coaches in tactical and strategic decision-making. At the same time, new technologies are reshaping how fans engage with and experience sport.

Alongside sports-tech start-ups and new league formats, entirely new live and experience-based formats are emerging, bringing people together through sport. At a time when technology and AI are becoming ever more embedded in everyday life, these real-world experiences are becoming increasingly valuable – and increasingly premium. In parallel, new media offerings and business models are creating fresh opportunities for companies and investors. For Burda, too, sport represents an exciting area for investment, as Christian Teichmann notes.

For DLD, sport is therefore a natural extension of the topics the platform has explored for more than two decades: developments at the intersection of technology, business and society.

"Sport today is far more than competition. It is evolving into a new asset class, a technology laboratory, a model for health and a societal platform," says Steffi Czerny, Co-CEO of DLD. "DLD recognised early on that this transformation deserved its own forum. With DLD Sports in Valencia, held alongside SailGP, we brought together leading voices from sport, business, science, technology and media. Our goal was not only to analyse the present of sport, but to help shape its future."

At DLD Sports, Exchange Becomes a Shared Experience

When sport connects so many different areas of life and business, it needs spaces where these perspectives can meet. That was precisely the idea behind DLD Sports. Among those taking to the stage were EPIX Sports founder Lea-Sophie Cramer, investor Alexander R. Thiel (Altor Equity Partners), sports presenter Esther Sedlaczek, former professional footballer Merel van Dongen and UEFA Events CEO Martin Kallen.

Yet the exchange was deliberately designed to extend far beyond the stage. The community came together on Friday evening for a private visit to the Hortensia Herrero Art Centre. Saturday’s programme combined panel discussions with a community viewing of a world-class SailGP race and an exclusive eFoil session hosted by world champion Justin Chait. The event concluded with drinks overlooking Valencia Marina from Base 2.

"AI can generate content. But sport creates something no algorithm can replace: a sense of belonging. The more digital and artificial our world becomes, the more valuable real-life encounters become – whether it is running together in a run club, sharing a protein shake afterwards or experiencing the excitement of a major event side by side at a public viewing. These moments create community, belonging and a stronger awareness of both body and mind in an increasingly technologised world," says Alessia Sinzger, Co-CEO of DLD.

"That is where the future power of sport lies: it is emotional, socially relevant and economically dynamic. For more than 20 years, DLD has been built around the principle of live experiences – creating spaces where different perspectives come together and new ideas emerge through personal encounters. DLD stands for Digital, Life, Design. The combination of technology and community within sport is a perfect extension of our brand DNA."

The inaugural DLD Sports in Valencia brought to life the very ideas discussed throughout the event: technology is opening up new possibilities for sport and turning it into an increasingly attractive growth market. At the same time, sport continues to be defined by something that cannot be digitised or automated – the shared experience of people coming together.

You can find videos of the DLD Sports sessions here: DLD Conference - YouTube

Please find further images here: DLD Sports | Flickr