International Sportstech News

The method for measuring first downs in the NFL will switch from chain gangs to camera-based technology in 2025. The official use of Sony's Hawk-Eye virtual measurement system, consisting of six 8K cameras for optical tracking of the ball's position, was announced at the annual league meeting. The system notifies on-field officials of the measurement's outcome, with virtual recreations of the measurements produced in real time for the in-stadium crowds and broadcast audience.  

The European Business Angel Network (EBAN) is the European association for business angels and other early stage investors. EBAN Sports is the dedicated community within EBAN focused on early-stage investing int he SportsTech sector. EBAN Sports organises knowledge exchanges, dealflow showcases and networking activities intended to drive the growth of SprotsTech early-stage investing across Europe.

FloSports, a global sports media company focused on passionate, underserved sports communities, today announces the successful closing of its Series D funding round,  led by Dream Sports, a leading sports technology company based in India. This round brings total funding raised by FloSports to more than $US 100 million to date. The investment will be used to fuel FloSports’ growth through content acquisitions that will expand the company’s sports portfolio. The investment follows the most successful year in FloSports history with 40,000 live events streamed, reaching more than 23 million viewers 

Apple Health+ is taking on Dr. Google. The tech giant is developing an AI-powered “doctor” inside a revamped Health app. According to Bloomberg, the new service could roll out with iOS 19.4, offering personalized health insights, food tracking, and doctor-led video content. Known internally as Project Mulberry, the initiative pulls data from Apple Watch, AirPods, iPhone sensors, and third-party devices to create a proactive wellness coach.

There’s a growing wave of sports content moving into creator territory, and Playback wants to be at the center of it. The livestreaming startup just raised $US 22 million from backers including Alexis Ohanian’s Seven Seven Six, Khosla Ventures, and NBA Investments. It’s making a serious play to become the go-to platform where sports creators and fans watch live games together. The platform lets creators host live watch parties of NBA and MLB games, backed by official partnerships with League Pass and MLB.tv.

 Feldspar, the UK-based technology company, announced the successful completion of early-stage testing of the first functional prototype of a sensor-enabled, high-performance running track. This cutting-edge innovation, powered by AI and real-time data analytics, is set to redefine track technology, providing both physical advantages for athletes and data-driven insights for coaches, broadcasters, and fans. 

Approved updates bring Flag Football and Lacrosse into Los Angeles along with several Olympic events into the Valley for the first time in history, while achieving significant cost savings and bolstering fiscal responsibility, improving athlete and fan experience, and maximizing use of world-class existing venues.

The National Basketball Association (NBA) and the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) announced their joint exploration of a new professional men’s basketball league in Europe that would bring the sport to more European fans and accelerate the game’s growth across the continent. The NBA and FIBA will continue discussions that began more than a year ago with prospective investors, teams, arena developers and commercial partners.

In recent years, Saudi Arabia has rapidly expanded its global sports footprint through billion-dollar investments and high-impact partnerships — all aligned with its Vision 2030 strategy to diversify the economy, boost global influence, and become a sports and entertainment powerhouse. Just in Q1 of 2025, we've seen a wave of major deals and potential investments. This includes Saudi's Public Investment Fund's subsidiary SURJ Sports Investment $US 1 billion minority stake in DAZN, a $US 5 billion proposed investment by PIF into a basketball league that will span Asia and Europe, a potential $US 500 million investment in a new Global T20 Cricket League and $US 300 million by SURJ into One Cycling, envisioned as a 'Super League' for cycling.

NBA team owners are expected to discuss an initiative to launch a professional basketball league in Europe during meetings this week. The proposed league would be comprised of eight to 10 teams generating up to $US 3 billion in annual revenue. Franchises in cities such as London or Paris could sell for at least $500 million, according to Sportico. 

Colosseum Sport, Startup Nation Central and Accelab have partnered to launch the Global Sports Tech Startups Program to strengthen the sports innovation ecosystem in Morocco and Israel, leveraging the momentum of the 2026 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2030 FIFA World Cup. Up to 10 Moroccan and Israeli startups will complete the 3-month online curriculum which will help them to enter and expand in local and regional markets, and foster innovation and collaboration between entrepreneurs in the sports technology sector. 

The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) has announced a series of new international media partnerships, significantly expanding its global reach ahead of the 2025 season. With coverage spanning over 130 countries, the new deals ensure broader access to live matches and highlights across key international markets. ESPN has secured exclusive rights in Mexico, Central America, South America, Brazil, the Caribbean, the Netherlands, and Sub-Saharan Africa. For Australian audiences, Optus Sport has acquired exclusive rights to all NWSL matches and highlight packages, ensuring full coverage for fans across the country.

Racquet sports facility operations platform Playtomic has raised $70 million in equity and debt in a funding round led by Match Invest. Playtomic, with more than 6,000 partner clubs across 63 countries, is well-established in Europe, the Middle East, South Africa and Latin America, and derives most of its business from padel. Playtomic plans to fuel expansion by administering loans to burgeoning padel clubs to scale their businesses in exchange for those clubs adopting Playtomic’s platform. Playtomic is developing new modules where players can connect with coaches and build leagues, in addition to finding facilities and booking court time. 

Buffalo Bill safety Damar Hamlin (who suffered from cardiac arrest after he was hit in the chest during a game in 2023) is backing a recently launched venture capital fund that is targeting personalized and preventative healthcare startups. Former Baltimore Ravens star Ray Lewis, like Hamlin, is on the board of the One Eight Capital fund, which is looking to raise $US 100 million by the end of the year. One Eight Capital has already raised $US 50 million with roughly $US 5 million deployed across three companies: Nucleus Genomics, healthcare service Sollis Health and fitness company VitalSpark AI. One Eight Capital looks to invest in roughly 50 early-stage companies once it closes.

Digital physical therapy platform Hinge Health has filed for an Initial Public Offering (IPO), aiming to trade on the NYSE. Last valued at $US 6.2 billion in 2021, the company has secured around $US 1 billion from investors and expects to raise $US 500 million in its offering. Hinge serves over 532,000 members across 2,250+ clients. Leveraging AI-powered motion tracking tech, Hinge automates and personalizes musculoskeletal care while reducing human labor hours by approximately 95%. It offers an FDA-cleared wearable e-stim device for pain relief alongside treatment programs, which have expanded to include women’s pelvic health and fall prevention.

When Chelsea’s owners began a complete overhaul of staff and operations at the club, shortly after taking over in 2022, they identified data science as an area the Premier League was significantly trailing American sports. Using one complex system they can assess every player in each position, using hundreds of data points, and make recommendations for who fits best together, based on strengths and weaknesses, in different formations and tactical systems.

DAZN, one of the world’s leading sports entertainment platform, has announced a multi-faceted, long-term strategic partnership with LIV Golf. Through the partnership, DAZN has also secured the exclusive broadcast rights for LIV Golf in Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Portugal and Switzerland, strengthening LIV Golf’s global reach, alongside the LIV Golf+ service. The LIV Golf+ service on DAZN will make LIV Golf available to millions of fans in more than 200 markets around the world to enjoy on a free, ad-supported basis on DAZN’s platform.

Blind and low-vision fans of the Phoenix Suns will now have the opportunity to enhance their home game experience. The Suns have teamed up with OneCourt and Ticketmaster to become the third professional sports organization to provide OneCourt’s haptic display at PHX Arena. Powered by Ticketmaster, the device transforms real-time gameplay into trackable vibrations that fans can follow live through their fingertips. Using generative audio and haptics, users can track everything from score updates to the ball’s location. The device even indicates when a player shoots, and if the shot goes in, the hoop will vibrate twice.

The United Football League announced that it is launching a new technology-focused innovation division this season – FAST – Football Advancement through Sports Technology. Designed with the intent to advance the game of football, FAST will work with both established and emerging sports media and technology companies to test and launch innovations and services that will improve the sport. FAST will provide its technology partners with access to over 600 players and coaches for testing and development. In addition, the division will provide to those partners executive guidance, football specific expertise, operational support and experimentation.  

Football's global governing body FIFA has partnered with AI technology firm Magnifi to transform how fans experience match highlights and key moments across its digital platform FIFA+. The collaboration will leverage Magnifi's artificial intelligence capabilities to deliver real-time highlights, crucial match moments and personalised player clips to football supporters worldwide. The technology will be deployed across more than 600 matches in the first year, processing approximately 1,200 hours of content.

Thanks AI and the trillions of data collected in 30 years on Technogym's Mywellness Open Platform, Technogym is able to offer the Healthness solution. This includes a range of products and services including the Technogym Checkup, the new assessment station based on AI is able to analyze psycho-physical and cognitive parameters and automatically calculate Precision Training programs. The new AI-based Biostrength and Biocardio product ranges allow users to deliver Precision Training Programs automatically thanks to the Technogym App, enabling them to track data and adapt the program to progresses. Heatlhness health prevention programs tangible thanks to data and AI.

Hudl has acquired FasModel Sports, the provider of best-in-class game preparation, scouting and recruitment tools in basketball and ice hockey. Hudl will combine its own video, analytics, and content ecosystem with FastModel’s industry-leading play diagramming, scouting, and recruiting products. This will enable Hudl to deliver a one-stop-shop solution to coaches and video coordinators. FastModel services the majority of NBA and WNBA teams, and thousands more in college and high school basketball. FastModel found similar success in ice hockey, with teams in the NHL and PWHL as well as college and high schools.

The International Sports & Entertainment Free Zone Cluster (ISEZA) is poised to become the UAE’s inaugural dedicated sports and entertainment business cluster within the Free Zone environment. It will function as an industry-centric business hub, enabling licensing for various sports and entertainment business activities, and nurturing a collaborative ecosystem that aims to promote the industry’s growth. The Zone will deliver a cohesive platform for licensing businesses across established sectors, including sports management and marketing, event management, talent representation, and media and broadcasting, while also driving growth in emerging fields like e-sports, AI-driven sports tech, and fan tokens. 

Aescape, which has developed massage robots using artificial intelligence, has raised $US 83 million in strategic funding. Aescape said its Aertable uses sensors and AI to map, understand, and adapt to each body’s unique contours and areas of tension. The system captures 1.2 million unique data points about the body’s muscle structure to create a personalized massage experience. The funding will enable the company to expand into new markets, and grow its partnerships with global brands.

International Sports Group (ISG), a financial holding leader in innovative sports technology, has announced its acquisition of Iterpro, an all-in-one sports data management platform. Both ISG and Iterpro share a clear vision: to transform traditional sports management by consolidating data and streamlining operations into a single, unified system. Iterpro’s cutting-edge capabilities perfectly complement ISG’s commitment to driving peak performance, ensuring that sports operations is optimised for success.

Fanatics has launched the Fanatics Ticket Marketplace after partnering with Ticketmaster. The Fanatics app will allow people to buy resale tickets alongside apparel, merchandise, and collectibles. The partnership is part of a wider collaboration between the two which enables Ticketmaster tickets to be listed on Fanatics while Fanatics merchandise becomes available on Ticketmaster.

Spanish LaLiga football club Sevilla FC has become the first sports organisation to be invited to join the global AI Alliance. The club was recognised by the group in light of its pioneering work on artificial intelligence (AI), most notably regarding attendance prediction solutions. The AI Alliance was co-founded by IBM and Meta and includes other technology partners and academic institutions. Sevilla has incorporated AI into its ticketing, sponsorship and Fan 360 tools, with a special emphasis on attendance prediction solutions, which have had a significant impact on the management of the secondary ticket market.

United Soccer League has expanded their partnership with Spiideo & SportsEngine Play to transform streaming, data & scouting in pre-professional men’s and women’s leagues. The United Soccer League (USL) is the largest and fastest-growing soccer organisation in the United States, impacting more than 200 communities nationwide. The USL is the first and only organization to offer a comprehensive youth-to-professional pathway for both men and women under one ecosystem. Spiideo is used by thousands of teams and installed in more than 6,000 venues across 60 countries.

adidas and Fastbreak AI have joined forces to launch a groundbreaking initiative that will provide more than 6,000 athletes across the United States with access to premier athletic camps and tournaments. This partnership aims to break down the financial barriers that prevent many young athletes from competing at the highest levels. adidas will serve as the program's founding sponsor, fully funding fees and expenses to enable participation for these athletes. Fastbreak AI's Impact platform (AI-powered scheduling, tournament management and sponsorship platform) will manage the selection and placement of participants into top-tier camps and tournaments held in Los Angeles, New York, Detroit, Chicago, Atlanta, Miami, and Houston. The Athletes to Tournament initiative focuses on basketball and soccer athletes between the ages of 8 and 19. 

TitletownTech Startup Draft located in Green Bay has opened its application period for startups to apply to their 2025 program. Top companies on the board will be invited to the TitletownTech Startup Combine on April 3rd and 4th. The program provides startups the opportunity to showcase their business in front of prospective customers, receive coaching from leaders in the market, and compete for a $US 1 million investment from TitletownTech and $350,000 in credits from Microsoft for Startups.

TKO Group Holdings has closed its acquisition of IMG, On Location and Professional Bull Riders (PBR) from Endeavor Group Holdings. The deal was first announced back in October, with all three to be acquired in an all-equity transaction valued at $US 3.25 billion. IMG is a sports marketing agency servicing more than 200 rights holders including The R&A, the All England Lawn Tennis Club (Wimbledon) and Major League Soccer. On Location is a provider of premium hospitality and live experience, and is an official partner for the likes of the FIFA Men’s World Cup 2026, the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics and the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The ATP and Overtime announces a content partnership that will deliver behind-the-scenes tennis content to Overtime’s 100M+ millennial and Gen Z/Alpha audience. The partnership aims to expand the reach of one of the world’s most popular sports to younger audiences through the launch of new Overtime tennis platforms across social, featuring popular Overtime talent and some of the biggest names in tennis. Overtime will produce content at numerous ATP Tour events worldwide throughout the year including ATP Masters 1000 tournaments, the Nitto ATP Finals and the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF. 

Paris Saint-Germain has launched PSG Labs, a global initiative designed to accelerate cutting-edge technology in sports, fan experience, and performance, with stadiums and training grounds one of three focus areas. PSG, which is owned by Qatar Sports Investments (QSI), has said the first international PSG Lab will be based in Doha. PSG Labs will work closely with select partners in key technology ecosystems to accelerate the development of breakthrough innovations in fan experience, stadium and training ground and health and performance.

The top 100 franchises are worth $US 470 billion collectively with a cutoff of $US 2 billion. The leader is NFL team Dallas Cowboys coming in at $US 10.32 billion, followed by 3 NBA teams, the Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks and LA Lakers. The first football / soccer team comes in at number 17, Manchester United followed by Real Madrid at 18. The of 100 includes all 32 NFL franchises, all 30 NBA franchises, 15 MLB franchises, 10 European football teams and 8 NHL franchises.

Hudl, a global leader in sports performance analysis and scouting, has announced a renewal of their exclusive partnership with United Soccer League, a driving force behind the growth and development of soccer in the United States. This three-season exclusive agreement includes matches from: USL Championship, USL League One/Jägermeister Cup, USL Super League, USL League 2 and W League. All scouting video and data from the licensed competitions will be made available on Wyscout—the world’s largest database of football video and data. 

Grand Slam Track™, the new global home of professional track competition, launched by four-time Olympic Champion Michael Johnson, announced it has selected global sports AI, tech and data leader Stats Perform as its exclusive global data and betting rights distributor and integrity partner. Grand Slam Track™ will host four Slams taking place this year between April and June in Kingston, Jamaica, Miami, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles. A total of 96 contracted men’s and women’s star athletes will race over three hours, across 12 event groups for three consecutive nights.

In 2024, USA private equity investments in the sports sector reached over $US 10 billion. That is more than twice as much as in all European top leagues combined. In total, private equity firms have invested around $US 55 billion in U.S. sports leagues since 2019. USA sports leagues have introduced changes to allow this kind of investment in teams. Major League Baseball (MLB) led the way as the first U.S. sports league to allow private equity firms to purchase minority stakes in teams, a move adopted by the NBA and NHL. In August 2024, the NFL permitted private equity firms to acquire up to 10% of team shares. 

PSG becomes the first European club to offer live broadcasts of select Ligue 1 matches in virtual reality. Produced in partnership with YBVR and Monks the virtual reality broadcast exclusively on Xtadium, the world's leading immersive platform. The broadcast was made possible through a partnership with beIN Sports and accessible on META headsets in the United States.

NikeSKIMS, a new brand from NIKE, Inc. and SKIMS merges NIKE's world-class approach to advanced innovation, sport science and athlete insights with SKIMS’ obsession for the female form and pioneering pursuit of solutions for every body. NikeSKIMS will offer an extensive line of women's training apparel, footwear and accessories. NikeSKIMS will debut its first collection in the United States at select retail locations and nike.com/NikeSKIMS this spring. 

Playpoint has raised $US 5.5 million, led by Blueprint Equity. Playbypoint provides integrated POS and management software for racket sports clubs allowing them to handle all aspects of their operation under one single solution. This raise reflects the growing demand for innovative, user-friendly technology in racquet sports. Playbypoint makes it easier for clubs to manage operations, engage their communities, and elevate the player experience.