Football is one of the most closely followed sports in the UK, with stats by Statista indicating that around 15 million people attended a premier league game in 2023.
The actual number of people watching from home is far larger than that, with stats on Wikipedia indicating that up to 31% of the UK population watch football. It’s no surprise then that so many startups are trying to get a piece of the action.
How Much Is The UK Football Industry Worth?
According to stats, the Premier League and its clubs contributed £8billion to the UK economy during the 2021/22 season and supported supported 94,000 jobs.
When it comes to the clubs themselves, Brand Finance estimated that the top-ten English clubs are worth £7 billion, so they are certainly a big economic asset.
How Have Startups Changed The Football Industry?
Startups have played a big role in transforming the football industry. They have led the charge in integrating modern technologies like AI and data into the football landscape.
This has helped with elements like performance analysis and scouting, helping players get better at the game. They have also made football more accessible by helping people organise games and providing a platform for building community.
Here, we take a look at a group of startups that are driving forward the world of football. Let’s take a look…
Kognia Sports
Kognia is helping people get better at playing football with its AI-powered insights.
By analysing videos, the platform provides tactical recommendations, data around offense/defence play and player feedback. This not only allows coaches to have a more 360 view of the game, but also helps them coach their team into stronger players.
Street FC
Street FC is helping foster football communities by connecting players in major cities across the US.
By organising casual street matches, Street FC is making football more social and accessible. The app allows players to find, join and create games, making it the perfect way to meet people in crowded cities.
Ginga Tracker
Ginga Tracker is a wearable football tracker, that provides personalised, AI-driven insights to help people improve their game.
With data transferred directly onto a smartphone or smartwatch, players can monitor their speed, agility and endurance in real-time, acting as a personalised coach. Available to pre-order the Ginga tracking is helping every player have their own coach right in their pocket.
Play Togga
Play Togga is a fantasy premier league football platform that allows people to create leagues with friends, draft players and track real-time scoring.
The app gamifies the experience, making it more interactive and providing a fun platform to engage with.
Futiba AI
Futiba AI is using AI to help people connect with football.
Through their football-trained chatbot, the company allows fans to ask the chatbot interactive questions, giving them data and insights into the football clubs that they love.
Football AIM
Football AIM is like a digital assistant for football coaches, allowing them to plan their seasons, track their players and manage their schedule.
The platform uses AI to track and analyse player performance, allowing them to use data-driven insights to improve their game. The platform is perfect for both youth clubs and professionals, helping them improve, organise and play more efficiently.
Tonsser
Tonsser is a football community app where players can track their progress, connect with scouts and show off their skills.
By creating their own profile, uploading highlights and getting ratings from peers and coaches, Tonsser is helping more people across the football community connect and transition to professional leagues.
Train Effective
Train Effective is a football training app that allows anyone to join a professional soccer academy from anywhere. Not only does the platform have a huge library of training videos, it also provides access to coaching.
By allowing people to access training sessions and access a community to support their improvement, the app is helping people learn better game skills.
