The Consumer Electronics Show is the biggest gathering of new tech on earth, and the size of the sport technology offering at this year’s event made it clear once and for all just how big the role of data, smart equipment and virtual reality has become in the world of sport today.

Throngs of people flocked to the Sports Business Forum at the Las Vegas show to listen to a panel of A-list speakers starring the owner of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, Mark Cuban.

They were all drawn by the chance to hear the experts’ predictions for the inroads technology will make into the way we consume sport in the year to come, and it’s fair to say they probably weren’t disappointed.

Speaking at the Sports Business Forum, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said: “[There is] an insatiable appetite from hardcore fans to get as much information as they can.”

And it’s this supply of more and more information, whether that’s in the form of data or video feeds, that seemed to be the biggest trend that will keep on enriching the way people enjoy the action this year. For a rundown of what’s in store, have a read below:

Online streaming is here to stay

One of the chief sports announcements of CES2016 was Major League Baseball’s new three-year streaming deal with Le Sports, the largest internet-based sports network in China. Thanks to this partnership, followers of the MLB in China, Hong Kong and Macau will be able to watch up to 125 live games per season for the first time ever.

The matches, to include 20 post season, the All-Star Game, Home Run Derby and the World Series, will be delivered in Mandarin language to computers, mobile devices and streaming TV devices.

Other than announcing a partnership that will see more sport from the US streamed to mainland China, the announcement told us a lot about where the next wave of tech and commercial opportunities will come from. In addition to the still-emerging Asian markets holding huge potential for tech and broadcast companies, streaming services will continue to pop up and service markets that are becoming more accessible.

#CES2016: Major League Baseball will stream America’s National Pastime in China https://t.co/ST3A2VkPZt #cdwsocial pic.twitter.com/N1sAHlHNUu

— Ken Ward (@kenwardcdw) January 11, 2016

‘Free Dimensional’ sports videos

In his keynote address that opened CES 2016, Intel CEO Brian Krzanich announced that the company have joined forces with Israel’s Replay Technologies to deliver an interesting new viewing experience for sports lovers: “freeD” technology.

Allowing people watching sport to choose the precise viewpoint they want to take it all in from, the technology is based on 25 to 32 super high-definition cameras positioned around the venue that film throughout the game. The fan sitting on their sofa can switch between different angles as if jumping around all the best seats in the house.

Intel is showing off “freeD free dimensional” video of a basketball game https://t.co/MzF2hTORSg pic.twitter.com/cxzvjzb2v6

— The Verge (@verge) January 6, 2016

Virtual Reality

Although virtual reality has been touted as the next big thing in sport for a while now, there hasn’t yet been the content in place to really capture the imagination of fans. However, a particularly techie party hosted by startup company NextVR at this year’s CES gave a taster of what is to come surely very soon now.

You needed an invite to get in, but the lucky few were able to watch a live stream of the NBA clash between the Chicago Bulls and Boston Celtics using Samsung VR Gear headsets that picked up images from two camera rigs – one under one of the nets and the other at floor level at half court.

Perhaps the most exciting announcement NextVR made at CES was revealing that it has been working with Qualcomm to develop software that allows live 360-degree virtual reality content to be beamed to mobile devices. This means that 360-degree sports viewing from your phone could be just around the corner.

.@NFL games have already been livestreamed in VR by @NextVR_app #CES2016 via @FortuneMagazine https://t.co/HS938qiOoo #VirtualReality

— Epic VR Channel (@bigpotplant) January 8, 2016

Real-time stats

ESPN and Red Bull Media House announced at CES that they have teamed up with Intel to give their content a more data-driven edge.

The collaboration is based on making use of Intel’s Curie wearable tech innovation, which packs the power of a full size computer into a small button-sized chip, to monitor and feedback real-time performance data from athletes. It’s a dual-pronged plan for the media giants: not just improving the athletes’ performance but also offering up on-screen stats about sporting events as they happen for fans.

It’s a move that promises to give sports lovers more facts and figures on what they’re watching than ever before, and ESPN revealed that it will be putting the technology into use during the X Games 2016 as part of its coverage of the snowboarding event in Aspen.

.@intel also partnering with @redbull to bring these real-time stats to media, medicine, and coaches. #CES2016pic.twitter.com/0trnHg1Uz7

— FBIC Retail & Tech (@RetailTechStrat) January 6, 2016

That’s all we have from this year’s Consumer Electronics Show, we can’t wait to see what the tech companies come up with for next year’s show.