International Sportstech News

Sports data and technology company IMG ARENA has scored an early legal victory against competitor Stats Perform in a closely watched legal dispute in the UK. A British court denied Stats Perform's petition for summary judgment (one party argues there is no real dispute involving material facts and that moving party is entitled to win the case as a matter of law) effectively moving the case forward. The ruling comes one year after IMG in March 2023 filed a legal claim for inducing or procuring breaches of contract and unlawful means conspiracy against rival Stats Perform at the UK's High Court of Justice. More specifically, IMG alleges that Stats Perform hired scouts to collect live betting data across several European football/soccer leagues exclusively contracted with IMG.

Myzone has announced the launch of MZ-Open, an access function that enables Myzone gym users to experience all the benefits of Myzone’s world renowned heart rate training ecosystem through their Android or Apple smart watch. By integrating with Apple and Android smart watches Myzone reduce barriers to entry, helping gym operators encourage even more members to join the Myzone community.

ZONE3 has launched what is being billed as the world’s first biodegradable performance-focused wetsuit, the latest iteration of the ZONE3 Vision. With an RRP of £399, the new model Vision wetsuit uses biodegradable rubber – Terraprene, from neoprene specialist, Yamamoto. According to ZONE3, the Terraprene material preserves high quality and performance, while being able to biodegrade entirely in landfill conditions.

With younger generations of fans wanting to consume sports through short-form content operators leading each of the major leagues are actively experimenting with new formats and initiatives that reflect younger fans' distinct priorities and media consumption habits. This includes experimenting with platforms like Roblox and TikTok and partnering with the likes of Nickelodeon.

Technogym is advancing prescription exercise. The Italian connected fitness equipment maker released Checkup, an AI-powered mental and physical health assessment station for gyms, hotels and clinics. Measuring body composition, strength, balance, mobility and cognition, the smart kiosk delivers a Wellness Age and “prescription” training programme designed to lower it.

According to Drake Star's "Sports Tech Market 2023 Report" the sports tech industry saw another record deal making year in 2023, including $US 37 billion in deal value across 1,171 deals, surpassing the 2022 announced deals value of $US 21 billion by a huge margin. With $US 26.7 billion in total disclosed value through 328 deals, M&A activity increased almost 3x over 2022 (excluding the $68.7B Activision/Microsoft deal). While Media & Broadcasting segment saw the largest deal activity, Wearables & Performance Enhancement reported significant increase of over 2x in deal activity over 2022.

Barcelona, the Spanish soccer giants, have launched a new streaming service that will be rolled out for free globally. The Barca One OTT platform will start broadcasting in “the next few weeks” and offer content based on the heavyweight LaLiga club. Barça One will feature over 1,500 hours of material from the Barca TV archives (games, shows, reports, historic content) as well as a new selection of programs with the latest Barca info, including live broadcasts, press conferences, and original content.

Following a rigorous testing process, SkillCorner’s single-camera tracking technology has achieved a place on the FIFA Quality Programme for Electronic Performance and Tracking Systems (EPTS), achieving the 'FIFA Basic’ mark associated with broadcast tracking. The FIFA Quality Programme, run by football’s world governing body, is an internationally recognised standard for quality and reliability in the areas where it matters most: the equipment, surface, technology and services used for the game. The FIFA Quality Programme for EPTS specifically aims to ensure and improve the quality of tracking systems used in Official Matches and tournaments throughout the world.

 UEFA unveiled a new carbon footprint calculator, tailor-made for football organisations. It will help them understand and reduce their carbon emissions in areas such as mobility, purchased goods and services, facilities and logistics. In addition to the calculator, UEFA have also produced a user guide, tutorial videos and a full methodology to support users at every step of their sustainability journey.

The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) today announced a multi-year venture through which Second Spectrum, a Genius Sports technology solution, will become the optical tracking provider to the league. With this investment, the WNBA becomes the first women’s professional sports league in the U.S. with leaguewide 3D tracking data.

ABC Fitness, one of the world's leading tech provider for fitness businesses has announced the launch of TZ Storefront, a new partnership between ABC Trainerize and WRKOUT that empowers coaches and fitness professionals to support their clients’ wellness goals, while launching a passive income stream through product recommendations. 

Over the weekend, we launched the first stand-alone adidas store on ROBLOX. The expanded presence on the platform providers more than 200 million monthly players with the opportunity to buy adidas virtual product. The store features more than 800 individual articles, including bringing adidas footwear and apparel to the platform for the first time.

CricViz, one of the world’s leading cricket data and analytics provider, has been appointed as data analysis and insights partner by Disney Star for the upcoming 2024 IPL and ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.CricViz will partner with the leading Indian broadcaster for the first time, and as part of the agreement. CricViz analysts will work closely with Disney Star’s production and commentary teams across live broadcasts and provide insights to power on-screen graphics and analysis for pre- and post-match shows.

ESPN announced Meta as the fourth member of the ESPN Edge Innovation Center. The collaboration is focused on bringing an ESPN-branded virtual reality (VR) sports experience to Meta Quest. Immersive VR sports highlights will be available in the free Xtadium app on Meta Quest, and coming later this summer, ESPN will launch an immersive, ESPN-branded experience in Meta Horizon Worlds.

n matchday 23 of the current season, a RefCam was used in a Bundesliga match for the first time. The small special camera was attached to the referee’s headset during the match between Eintracht Frankfurt and VfL Wolfsburg and filmed the match from his perspective. A sound link was also used to reproduce the referee’s perspective authentically and up close. 

Reliance Industries said its unit Viacom 18 will absorb Star India, one of India's earliest private sector broadcasters, originally owned by Rupert Murdoch and currently owned by The Walt Disney Company of the US. Viacom18 is, in turn, a joint venture controlled by Reliance. Reliance Industries will have control over the merged entity, said Reliance. Digital assets, such as Hotstar and JioCinema, are part of the transaction. The merger will create the biggest media entity in India, with ownership by Reliance Industries, Disney (direct holding) and others.

As gamers eagerly await the release of EA Sports College Football 25, the straightforward process by which EA is negotiating for the use of players’ names, images and likenesses is a problematic development for the NCAA as it defends against antitrust claims of unlawfully suppressing economic opportunities for college athletes. Last Thursday, EA Sports shared details about the game, which is expected to release this summer. The game, the first EA Sports college video game in 11 years, will feature more than 11,000 players from 134 FBS teams. Players who agree to appear will be paid $600 and receive a complimentary copy. 

The Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) has launched SAFF+, an exclusive digital platform to help take Saudi football to the next level. Utilising cloud broadcasting technology alongside high-quality multi-angle cameras fitted within 62 stadiums nationwide, as an AI-assisted multi-purpose digital platform, SAFF+ will begin broadcasting men’s and women’s matches from 15 local competitions that don’t have exclusive television rights, providing fans with unprecedented access to matches held across the Kingdom.

Epicore Biosystems, a digital health solutions company developing advanced sweat-sensing wearables to provide real-time personalized hydration insights for performance and safety, and the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) have partnered to bring Epicore’s novel biosensing capabilities to the anti-doping world as a new drug detection method to complement existing urine and blood collections.

The integrated fitness platform acquired Assault Fitness and RPM Training, elevating its equipment offering. Utilized in CrossFit, pro sports, and the US military, Assault is a leading manufacturer of self-powered bikes, treadmills, and rowers, while RPM’s gear and apparel are popular in the functional training space. After raising $US 15m in 2022, they closed a Series B investment last year. Then, FitLab partnered with Nike to launch the apparel giant’s fitness studios. Next, the company will debut the first XPT studio — a performance wellness center offering ice baths, sauna, and breathwork.

Samsung’s Galaxy Ring, its latest wearable, is launching with health-tracking features including heart rate and sleep monitoring while also giving users a score of their readiness for the day. The ring, which is fitted with sensors, will be able to give readings on heart rate, respiratory rate, the amount of movement made during sleep and the time it takes a person to fall asleep once in bed. All of that will be accessible through the Samsung Health app.

Apple recently filed a patent for a “wearable device with perspiration measuring capabilities” for its Apple Watches. The solution would be non-invasive and could measure perspiration, skin temperature and more to help consumers optimize hydration. The hydration-tracking feature could continue to improve on the already-beloved Apple Watch, and a potential new smart ring could disrupt that growing space currently dominated by Oura.

French soccer giant Paris Saint-Germain said it will become a network validator for the Chiliz Chain blockchain that hosts its PSG fan tokens, and use the money it generates to buy them back on a regular basis. Sports clubs have dipped their toes in crypto over the years through the creation of fan tokens, which can be used for sports memorabilia and experiences. However this is the first time a club is getting involved as a blockchain validator. Validators are entities that manage blockchain nodes, securing the network through functions including transaction verification and smart-contract authorization. In exchange, validators generate revenue from running a node.

Today, 10 companies were accepted into the fourth class of the Comcast NBCUniversal SportsTech Accelerator, powered by Boomtown. The immersive six-month program will kick off in March. Since the first class in 2021, SportsTech alumni have achieved 132 pilots, partnerships, and commercial deals with consortium partners. This year's cohort includes Aquimo, Dizplai, Fobi, KYMIRA, Mantis-AI, Mobii Systems, StellarAlgo, Plantiga, ZATAP and Zoomph.

Apple has launched 'Apple Sports', a free app for the iPhone that delivers real-time scores, key statistics, and live betting odds. At launch, users will have access to live data from the NBA, NHL, and MLS, among other leagues. The app, Apple’s first in the sports arena, is being released ahead of March Madness, offering real-time data for both men’s and women’s NCAA basketball. Other leagues will be added over time, including the NFL and MLB.

Sports video and data company Hudl recently signed a strategic partnership with Snap! Mobile to integrate Snap!’s fundraising tool into Hudl’s growing offering for amateur U.S. sports organisers. The deal signals Hudl’s recognition of the evolving challenges—and opportunities—presented to grassroots organizations as more and more elements of the athlete and supporter experiences move online. 

NBA commissioner Adam Silver demoed a potential future for how NBA fans will use AI technology to watch basketball action at the league’s Tech Summit Friday. The proposed interface is named NB-AI. Silver presented a situation where he could speak with an NBA trained digital assistant that had the powers to personalize a fan’s live game viewing experience on the NBA app. At one point, Silver asked the tool to take a live basketball game and recreate the action “as if it were a Spider-Man movie.” The result quickly recreated a play, turning the players into cartoon characters while adding dramatic music and digital effects more familiar to comic book fans than sports diehards.

Yesterday, OpenAI unveiled a groundbreaking innovation: Sora is text-to-video AI generator capable of crafting realistic videos up to a minute long. This tool is not just about creating videos; it's a leap into the future of content creation, particularly in the fitness industry.

Champions Innovate is a groundbreaking initiative that takes place in the months leading up to the Champions League final and brings together UEFA, commercial partners, host city authorities and startup companies. Each season, the startups are tasked with finding innovative solutions to specific challenges set by the host city. For the 2024 final at Wembley Stadium, the City of London proposed three challenges, each with the goal of enhancing the competition's social and environmental impact. Three startups – Pavegen, My Emissions and Pledgeball – were chosen to develop pilot projects responding to the challenges. Each was teamed up with one of three Champions League sponsors – PepsiCo, Just Eat Takeaway.com and Mastercard.

WIT, the digital activation platform across sports and entertainment, announced today that it has closed a round of Series A funding led by McCarthy Capital. Vaidhy Murti founded WIT in 2021 as a platform for sports teams to create immersive fan experiences to digitally engage with fans. Over the last two years, WIT has powered viral campaigns featured on ESPN and Sunday Night Football, to a custom arcade-style game mirroring the NFL’s Emmy Award-winning Super Bowl LVII halftime commercial.

Five years in development, Alter has launched a personalized fitness platform using DNA to tailor exercise, wellness, and stress management programs. Founded by Blake Johnson and Scott Cohen—the team behind billion-dollar orthodontics startup Byte—Alter’s approach revolves around genetic predisposition. Combining digital fitness with personal diagnostics, Alter hopes its screens will become an everyday portal to health optimization.

A visionary leap in community wellness, Wellnify.ai has been launched by founders of successful sports technology startups Kinduct Technologies and TheProgram.ai. Founded by industry veterans Travis McDonough, Brendon Ferguson, Jeff Johnson, and Duncan Addison, Wellnify.ai aims to transform the habits of community members through an engaging and interactive digital ecosystem.Wellnify.ai has been built leveraging the power of gamification, the science of behavior change, and the pillars of engagement.

Kabata has been named a 2023 Good Design Winner in the Sports & Recreation spac.  Kabata is the first intelligent dumbbell system that uses data analytics and predictive AI to enhance a workout by automatically adjusting weights between workout sets while also delivering custom workout programs and activity tracking via a connected mobile app. 

Wilson Sporting Goods has announced the release of the Wilson Airless Gen1, the first-of-its-kind 3D printed airless basketball, that does not need to be inflated. The basketball nearly fits the performance specifications of a regulation basketball, including its weight, size, and rebound.

ESPN, FOX and Warner Bros. Discovery are forming a new joint venture to launch a sports streaming service in the fall of 2024. This will include the companies’ portfolios of sports networks, certain direct-to-consumer sports services and sports rights. Subscribers will have access to linear sports networks including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SEC Network, ACC Network, ESPNEWS, ABC, FOX, FS1, FS2, BTN, TNT, TBS, truTV and ESPN+. It can also be bundled with Disney+, Hulu and/or Max.

The NBA announced on Monday that it will unveil an all-glass LED court for the upcoming All-Star weekend in Indianapolis. The social media announcement included a video mock-up of the court that promises to display design and colour changes, live replay and video content, stats, animations and interactive games for fans during timeouts.

StatusPro has raised $20 million in funding from Google Ventures and others to build its XR sports gaming empire.New York and Miami-based StatusPro wants to take sports gaming into the realm of virtual reality, and it has already launched its NFL Pro Era and NFL Pro Era II titles for platforms such as Meta Quest 3, PlayStation VR 2, Pico, and the Steam Store. NFL Pro Era has surpassed a million users.

The Sports Tech Research Network has released a white paper that introduces a standardized, evidence-based framework which can be adopted by sports technology stakeholders to assess the value, usability, and quality of technology. Developed in collaboration with 48 experts across the sports industry, the Sports Technology Quality Framework consists of 25 measurable features grouped under five quality “pillars”: i. Quality Assurance & Measurement, ii. Established Benefit, iii. Ethics & Security, iv. User Experience and v. Data Management.

Just as National Football League (NFL) players train and practice to constantly improve, the NFL continually seeks new ways to make the game safer for its players, and more exciting for fans. A key element of this effort is development of the Digital Athlete, a joint effort between the NFL and Amazon Web Services (AWS) that represents the next generation of player health and safety for the league.

More than 600 apps and games designed to take advantage of the unique and powerful capabilities of Apple Vision Pro will be available this Friday, February 2. With the NBA app on Apple Vision Pro, basketball fans can stream up to five broadcasts live or on demand with Multiview, keep an eye on real-time player and team stats, and effortlessly glance at other games and scores. PGA TOUR Vision, the first golf app developed for Apple Vision Pro, takes fans directly onto the greens of the world’s most iconic courses.