Australian Sportstech News

Australian fitness tech company Coach Welly has announced a partnership with fitness education leader International Fitness Academy (IFA). This collaboration integrates Coach Welly’s innovative Welly Rewards system into IFA’s programs, providing students with hands-on access to the latest in health and fitness education, technology and rewards. 

The Sporting News has announced a partnership with global sports streaming platform DAZN, which will see the digital website support commercialising DAZN’s content and channels in Australia and New Zealand. In Australia, DAZN’s sports and entertainment content and channels generate more than 8 million long form, brand safe streams a month on YouTube, which can now be directly targeted through contextual ad campaigns.

Athletics Ventures, led by former AFL star Matt De Boer and basketballer Matthew Dellavedova is planning to raise at least $AUD 25 million for its early-stage venture capital limited partnership (ESVCLP). Athletic Ventures has backed the likes of Mexican-themed fast-food chain GYG, Ozempic seller Eucalyptus and electric golf buggy maker MGI.

Sports Entertainment Network (SEN) can confirm that its TV arm, Rainmaker, will produce programs for the Seven Network’s weekday AFL programming slate in 2025. Rainmaker has entered into a commercial partnership with Seven, which will see the production of three new shows each week. News and opinion driven ‘The Agenda Setters’ will air each Monday and Tuesday night, produced live from Rainmaker’s TV studios at SEN’s Southbank offices.

Sports streamer DAZN is a contender to acquire Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation’s majority stake in Australian pay-TV business Foxtel, according to the Australian Financial Review (AFR). The outlet reports that most of DAZN’s takeover interest has been focused on the sports rights owned by Foxtel. News Corp confirmed in August that its stake in Foxtel was up for sale. Foxtel has 3.22 million streaming subscribers and an additional 1.42 million cable subscribers. Of its streaming subscriber total, Kayo Sports, its over-the-top (OTT) sports streaming platform, accounts for 1.51 million – a seven per cent year-on-year (YoY) increase.

Playbk Sports, one of Australia’s leading provider of bespoke eLearning and fitness technology solutions, has partnered with the Brisbane Bullets to develop Bullets Assist, an innovative Learning Management System (LMS) designed to assist young athletes and educators in achieving success both on and off the court. Set to launch in early 2025, Bullets Assist will deliver dynamic and accessible learning resources to educators and young athletes across Queensland, fostering skills, passion and holistic development both on and off the court.

Women’s Elite Rugby (WER), the first professional women’s rugby league in the United States, has signed a landmark deal with Lumin Sports ahead of its inaugural 2025 season. The deal will see WER supply each of its six foundation teams with access to Lumin Sports. Lumin Sports is an Australian technology company that’s developed one app for performance monitoring, strength & conditioning programming as well as medical and team operation needs.

Disability and inclusion facilities access app Cérge has won the 2024 Queensland Sports Innovation of the Year. The awards were supported by QSport, the Queensland Government and QUT Sport. The award elevates Cérge's mission to make the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games the most inclusive and accessible in history, through the use of advanced technology.  

SLOCOACH has announced an official partnership with USA Flag to revolutionise the way Flag Football is coached, learned, and played. Together, they are building an educational and accreditation platform designed to empower coaches, officials, and players as they prepare for the 2028 Olympics. The online platform will provide world-class training resources to nurturing grassroots programs, making Flag Football more accessible, inclusive, and impactful on a global scale.

Zhik, the high-performance sailing apparel brand, today announced the extension of their role as the Official Technical Partner to the United States SailGP Team. Through an extended partnership, the U.S. SailGP Team will wear Zhik-branded technical gear, including wetsuits and drysuits. SailGP, one of the world’s fastest-growing sports properties, launches its 2025 season in Dubai on November 23-24.    

The Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL) is poised for an exciting new chapter, with the Wollemi Capital Group Syndicate (WCGS) and the National Basketball League (NBL) consortium finalising the agreement to acquire a majority interest in the League. The consortium will assume control of the WNBL on April 2, 2025, with Basketball Australia retaining a minority shareholding. This landmark agreement marks a transformative moment for women’s sports in Australia, setting the stage for unprecedented growth, investment, and opportunities in women’s basketball.

Athletes training at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) will use the best in fitness equipment and flooring thanks to a new partnership with AlphaFit. Established in 2012, the 100% Australian-owned family business manufactures gymnasium gear specifically made for the strength and conditioning and high-performance community.

Catapult delivered a strong H1 2025 performance from its core SaaS verticals, with annualised contract value (ACV) growth of 20% year-on-year. ACV, Catapult’s leading indicator of future revenue, reached $US 96.8 million ($AUD 143 million). H1 2025 revenue increased to $US 57.8 million ($AUD 85 million), a 19% increase year-on-year. The result was driven by market segment expansion, new geography expansion and increased adoption of Catapult's New Video Solutions.

After winning the Inclusive Tech Challenge during the NRL Magic Round Tech Showcase Cérge's commitment to the Queensland Government, Advance Queensland and the Department of Sport, Racing and Olympic and Paralympic Games was to onboard 50 Sports Venues in 50 days. Cérge timed the start of the '50in50' with the introduction of new AI powered tools to support Site Consultants efficiently and consistently capture content. The solution aims to support confidence and participation for people with disability. 

Thule Group has signed an agreement to acquire Quad Lock, the global market leader in performance phone mount solutions, giving cyclists, motorcyclists and other adventurers access to their mobile phones while being active. Quad Lock has a turnover of nearly $AUD 200 million per annum, with sales to approximately 100 countries of which 75 percent is via e-commerce direct-to-consumer. The purchase price amounts to $AUD 500 million, or approximately SEK 3.6 billion, which corresponds to a multiple of 10x EBITDA.

MYLAPS Sports Technology and tripleSdata have announced a long-term partnership to offer real-time data insights in horse racing. tripleSdata, headquartered in Australia, is a leader in racing data innovation who provide fully automated, real-time technology solutions for animal racing. Their systems are deployed at premier venues such as Randwick and Flemington, as well as major events such as The Melbourne Cup and The Everest. The MYLAPS ProChip System offers a cutting-edge timing solution tailored for professional equestrian sports and high-speed racing.

Catapult’s MatchTracker is now being used to support UEFA's analysis workflow for this season’s club competitions, especially the UEFA Champions League. MatchTracker has been key in enhancing the analysis process by delivering live event and tracking data alongside video insights. This data serves as a foundation for UEFA’s technical analysts and observer group, helping them objectively frame and identify trends within each match while complementing their expert analysis.

Komo Technologies, a leading customer engagement platform, has partnered with Flowcode, one of the world's leading enterprise QR platforms. Flowcode’s cutting-edge QR tech and Komo’s suite of gamification, incentivization, and personalized content instantly connects the physical and digital worlds, keeping customers engaged well beyond the first scan. The solution can enhance event experiences, drive in-store engagement, or elevate digital marketing campaigns, with no coding required.

Refbook has signed an agreement with Touch Football Australia (TFA) to collaborate on modernising and steamlining tournament match officials administration. The project will deliver specialist functionality for TFA’s complex requirements when managing referees and coaching educators across all stages of large-scale national carnivals. A non-contact alternative to rugby league played in every continent, touch football is Australia’s largest social sport with 550,000 participants.

Australian software vendor Linius Technologies has partnered with Fujitsu to combine AI video analysis with the software vendor’s patented video technology. The partnership is focused on providing a suite of solutions to search, analyse and assemble video streams from multiple sources. The suite revolves around Fujitsu’s expertise in systems integration and “advanced AI-powered video analysis” via its Fujitsu Kozuchi for Vision product with Linius’s virtualised video and data-driven video assembly tech. Key verticals for the suite include security and surveillance, site and asset inspections and maintenance and consumer behaviour.

Centr, the brand founded by Chris Hemsworth that brings together state-of-the-art fitness equipment with expert-led programs in fitness, nutrition, and mindfulness, has announced its entry into the cardio category with the launch of nine premium treadmills. Each treadmill purchase includes a free membership to the Centr app, offering personalized training from Hemsworth’s team of expert coaches. The Centr Runr and Runr-S, tailored for urban runners, are the first treadmills available for purchase. As part of a continuation of Centr’s pivotal partnership with HYROX, they will introduce the new motorless Centr x HYROX Perform Treadmill.

Wellness and member retention platform Coach Welly has announced its newest customer, Aspen Medical Technology, part of the Aspen Medical Group, a global leader in healthcare solutions and services. The strategic partnership between Aspen Medical Technology and Coach Welly, a leading innovator in health and wellness technology, join forces to enhance employee wellbeing through Coach Welly’s innovative rewards software platform and Aspen Medical Technology’s new occupational health and wellbeing platform, Vitaport.

Michele Kang’s organization, Kynisca, is leading a $US 2 million investment in footwear brand IDA Sports. IDA Sports is the lone company in the soccer cleat space that designs and manufactures footwear exclusively for female athletes. The investment in IDA Sports further solidifies Kang and Kynisca’s hold in women’s soccer and their commitment to elevating female athletes. Elysian Park Ventures, Firebird Ventures Ltd and Tipt Ventures also participated in the round of funding.

Catapult has announced a new multi-year partnership with the Rugby Football Union (RFU) that will provide England’s national rugby teams, Premiership Rugby, and Premiership Women’s Rugby (PWR) with advanced performance-tracking technology. These include the Catapult Vector System, MatchTracker, and Focus.

AQUAME has announced a partnership with Hess Cycling Team, a UCI Women's Continental Cycling Team. Commencing 2025 AQUAME will provide their innovative, data-driven hydration solution to support the Hess Cycling Team athletes. This partnership will allow the Hess team to prepare personalized hydration plans for training, racing and optimize post-ride recovery through AQUAME's detailed fluid intake tracking and hydration insights. With AQUAME, the Hess Cycling Team will gain a deeper understanding of hydration patterns and the impacts on their athlete’s performance and recovery.

AO Startups accelerates elite founders through priority access to the AO and professional and community sport. It provides a unique opportunity for startups solving large problems in sport, health and entertainment to build, test or pilot on the world stage with Tennis Australia and the Australian Open. Applications for the 5th AO Startup close on 8 Nov 2024.

Refbook has signed as a technology partner for Basketball New Zealand (BBNZ), providing a specialist platform for officials across the federation’s high performance pathway and competition network. The online solution will provide the flexibility and functionality needed across all of New Zealand’s representative basketball, including the national mens/womens leagues and all junior championships. The partnership is a key part of the national body’s strategy for improving the development and tracking of technical officials nationwide.

Safe Transport Victoria has partnered with DECKEE to enhance the way Victorian recreational boaters can receive boating safety information. DECKEE is used by boaters all over Australia and tailors waterway rules and information on safety equipment to suit the user’s location. DECKEE is a free boating app packed with the maps, tools, alerts, and safety information needed for a safe and enjoyable day on the water.

The Australian Sports Foundation (ASF) has announced a new partnership with leading online management platform revolutioniseSPORT (revSPORT) to expand fundraising opportunities and streamline operations for grassroots organisations. The partnership allows clubs using revSPORT to seamlessly accept tax-deductible donations from members during the registration process, through to the release of the membership donation add-on. From December, ASF’s fundraising platform will integrate directly with revolutioniseSPORT’s whole-of-sport system where its members manage operational data such as schedules, payments and registrations through one user-friendly interface.

Rosterfy's co founders, Bennett Merriman, Christopher Grant and Shannan Gove taking out both the Melbourne Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award (Technology) and Geelong Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Rosterfy is a workforce management platform mainly targeting major sports events and community groups, and particularly focussed on volunteer workforces. 

With an illustrious history, Vanderbilt’s baseball program has consistently been a force to reckon with in the NCAA. Known for their competitive edge, the Commodores are always seeking innovative ways to maintain their momentum. Recently Vanderbilt has integrated Catapult’s state-of-the-art athlete monitoring technology. This integration with Catapult aligns with three key themes: the use of technology in sync with S&C principles, harnessing data and analytics in baseball, and the introduction of Pitch Metrics to objectify the performance of athletes in baseball’s most influential position.

Greenroom Digital has launched one of their most popular and successful fan engagement campaigns, the "Build your Dream Bag" with TaylorMade Golf Company. The campaign allows golfers to build their own dream TaylorMade Golf bag and win it. Greenroom's custom-built platform allows golfers to select products from their dream driver all the way down to their golf ball, generating a dynamic image for them to share across social to build awareness of the TaylorMade range. The campaign will not only grow their existing golfing database, but also deliver unique consumer insights into product preferences.

ASX-listed venture capital fund Bailador Technology Investments has increased its stake in people management software platform Rosterfy, investing an additional $AUD 3 million. In the 18 months since Bailador backed Rosterfy with $AUD 9.8 million in April last year, the platform has doubled its users to 3 million, including the 2023 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, and US Superbowl, with the countries it operates in growing by 75% to 35.

Football Association of Wales have launched BE. Football Community. BE.FC is a combination of turn up and play sessions tailored to girls needs, and an App providing unique and bespoke content for teenage girls to access; to connect with their favourite football stars, learn new skills, gain badges and XP points and compete against their teammates. The App is also designed to house content to support girls through difficult life stages such as confidence, exam stresses and managing their menstrual cycle. Through a partnership with DMC Sport and Clubspark girls and parents can book onto sessions at https://play.faw.cymru. 

Queensland-based fitness engagement platform Coach Welly has announced a partnership with Fitness and Lifestyle Group's Goodlife Health Clubs and Fitness First Australia to bring innovative health and wellbeing offerings to employees across Government, Medical and Enterprise Business in Australia. The partnership strengthen Coach Welly's commitment to helping people measurably improve their health and wellbeing.

In mid-September 2024, Newcastle based live-streaming company BarTV Sports marked a significant milestone, having given back over $AUD 1 million to local grassroots sporting competitions through their innovative subscription model. More than 20 competitions have signed on with BarTV Sports’ subscription service since its inception, making the company one of the most prolific live streaming organisations in Australia. Popular with sports like rugby league and with an emphasis on promoting women and juniors, the company has grown year on year, producing more than 8000 matches so far in 2024.

The best and brightest in world sport will again travel to Victoria in 2025 for SportNXT Melbourne – Victoria’s sport business summit. Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Steve Dimopoulos today announced the three-day event will return to Melbourne next March bringing a host of high-profile speakers from around the world to discuss the latest in the business of sport. The SportNXT summit brings attendees from a wide range of organisations including previously, the NFL, the Walt Disney Company, NBA and Australian Sports Commission. The 2024 summit welcomed almost 1,000 attendees and included an issues rich program including the latest in sports technology.

Seven West Media’s community sport streaming platform Streamer saw more than 4.3 million minutes of local sport watched on the platform in September. The September tally was up 110% year-on-year, continuing the growth of the grassroots platform since its launch in early 2022. Australian Rules football, netball, hockey, skateboarding, school athletics and curling were some of the sports featuring in 188 matches broadcast in the final month of the winter sporting season.

Rosterfy, the world’s leading volunteer management software provider  has unveiled the launch of its revolutionary Volunteer App Years in the making, the Rosterfy Volunteer App marks a significant milestone in the company’s mission to innovate by making volunteering more accessible, encouraging more people to connect to causes they are passionate about. Available to Rosterfy customers and their volunteers and designed with the volunteer experience at the forefront, the Rosterfy Volunteer App will change the way volunteers find, apply and engage with their opportunities.  

Liveheats has signed a landmark deal with the largest youth action sports organization in the world - USASA United States of America Snowboard and Freeski Association. USASA will be using Liveheats as its operating platform for membership, event registration, draws & startlists, live scoring, national rankings and more. Over 5,000 athletes compete in over 500 events through USASA.