International Sportstech News

More details have emerged regarding King Salman Stadium, a planned 92,000-capacity stadium in the Saudi capital of Riyadh that has been designed by Populous. Plans for the project were first announced in July, and fresh images have now been released. The stadium is scheduled to open by the end of 2029 and would be used during the 2034 FIFA World Cup, which Saudi Arabia is set to be awarded hosting rights to. Populous is also working on other stadium projects in Saudi Arabia, including Prince Mohammed bin Salman Stadium, King Fahad International Stadium and Aramco Stadium.

Smart ring maker Oura has hit a $US 5 billion valuation after raising a $US 75 million Series D from US continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) giant Dexcom. The two companies also announced a strategic partnership that will integrate products including Dexcom’s CGMs and Oura’s ring — which track users' sleep, physical activities and health data — and app. In June, Oura announced that it has sold 2.5m rings, and said it expects to see annual sales double in 2024 to roughly $US 500 million.

Endeavor Group will sell its sports data businesses, OpenBet and IMG Arena, to management-led group OB Global backed by Hollywood power broker Ari Emanuel for about $US 450 million. Both IMG Arena and OpenBet were put up for sale in August. IMG Arena delivers live streaming and data feeds for more than 65,000 events across multiple sports. Selling off non-core businesses like IMG Arena and OpenBet is a necessary move ahead of Silver Lake’s deal to take Endeavor private. Last month, as part of that larger deal, Endeavor agreed to sell its On Location, IMG and Professional Bull Riders businesses to its TKO Group Holdings in a $US3.25 billion deal.

Whoopi Goldberg, Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Award winner and international streaming media company JungoTV, have announced the launch of All Women’s Sports Network (AWSN). It is the first global media channel dedicated exclusively to showcasing women’s sports. The international network is available on VIZIO WatchFree+ (United States), Jio TV and Jio TV+ (India), Evision (UAE/Saudi Arabia), and Jungo Pinoy (Philippines). AWSN's goal is to have the largest distributed female sports network in the world, digital or broadcast. The channel launches with live WNBL basketball and Hockey One League women's games on 13 November. AWSN already has content deals with UEFA, FIBA and a number of international women's soccer leagues.

Garmin announced its first UK-based retail store located in Southampton’s prestigious Westquay Shopping Centre.  The new retail store, which opened to the public on 6th November. The retail location showcases the company’s broad range of consumer electronics from smartwatches, cycling computers and golf devices as well as its products for cars and the marine industry.

Thee Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion has struck a deal around artificial intelligence (AI) with global technology giant IBM. Through a tie-up unveiled today, IBM becomes UFC's global AI partner. The deal involves the creation of an insights engine built by IBM’s data and AI platform, watsonx. The insights, graphics, and statistics – which will be IBM-branded – will be integrated into platforms such as pre-event programming, pay-per-view broadcasts, social media channels, and also in-venue video screens.

Fastbreak.ai, a leader in AI-driven scheduling solutions for the sports industry, is excited to announce its acquisition of SEQL, an innovative sports impact company dedicated to connecting youth athletes with life-changing resources from leading consumer brands, leagues, and cities. SEQL partners with top brands and organizations to provide student-athletes with free, high-quality media content, educational resources, and community-driven programs.

Sports league organization platform Volo Sports has attracted a $US 21 million investment from Bluestone Equity Partners to further its expansion, including through acquisitions. Volo Sports is the largest provider of social and recreational sports events in the US, organizing corporate and adult leagues as well as youth teams. The deal is the sixth investment for Bluestone from its inaugural $US 300 million fund launched last year.

Software platform PushPress has raised $US 20 million in a Series B funding round that will set the stage for the software company to become the go-to platform for gym owners. The funding will drive several key initiatives, including elevating member and mobile app experiences, as well as developing new products to help gym owners streamline every aspect of their business. Altos Ventures led the round, which included participation from StepStone and Mucker Capital. 

The Beligan Pro League and its 29 clubs will use Shikenso's propietary AI-solution to assess sponsorship impact across broadcasts, print, online and social media. Shikenso’s analytics will track all channels—TV, online platforms, print, digital and social media. Sponsorship exposure will be identified not just visually, but also audibly, and textually. Shikenso has been developing its AI tracking solutions for seven years. The company has worked with partners like Deutsche Fußball Liga (DFL), Fuse and Sportfive on multiple projects, and collaborated with global brands such as Aldi, Red Bull, and Mercedes-Benz.

Sportstech research and investment advisory firm, SportsTechX, have launched the 2024 edition of their Global Sports Tech Venture Capital Report. The report provides a deep dive into the investment activity in the Global Sports Tech Ecosystem. Some important 2024  highlights include, i. nearly $US 10 billion in projected dealflow (investment + M&A), 9 New sportstech unicorns and 65% of all investment focused on solutions for fans.

London-based Bioniq, which provides personalised nutritional support based on blood biomarker data, has announced that the global soccer legend Cristiano Ronaldo has financed an undisclosed investment amount in the company. With this investment, the total valuation of the company has reached $US 82 million. The company uses an AI-powered algorithm to assess an individual’s needs and creates a unique formula with vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients to address deficiencies. 

FIFA and Hawk-Eye Innovations have joined forces to establish the 'Football Technology Centre', a joint venture that will explore and develop emerging technologies in football with a focus on the generation of algorithms to automate the detection of on-pitch events for optimal decision-making. Besides the automated collection of event data, the link-up will involve the development of automated offside technology that instantly provides match officials with consistent and accurate information

According to the latest Global Wellness Institute figures, the wellness industry is now worth $US 6.3 trillion. Not slowing down, the sector is expected to top $US 9 trillion by 2028. Established markets like beauty, healthy eating, weight loss, and physical activity are worth $US 1 trillion each. Consumers now view well-being through a broad lens, with health, fitness, nutrition, appearance, sleep, and mindfulness being the focus. People are investing in longevity, wearables, recovery, community, alternative medicine, experiences, and more.

ASICS has announced the launch of a new sneaker designed from recycled materials. The ASICS SportStyle NEOCURVE™ is crafted from a blend of discarded, unused, and newly reclaimed materials: grinded-up footwear, deadstock, and defective shoes. It’s a shoe designed to encourage future recycling and promote the process of product circularity, with every step from collection and disassembly to design and manufacturing, taking place within Europe.

TMRW Sports and Fastbreak.ai, a leader in AI-driven scheduling solutions for the sports industry, have announced a partnership, which will see Fastbreak.ai manage the scheduling needs of  'TGL presented by SoFi' and future league properties. As part of this partnership, TMRW Sports also will make a strategic investment in Fastbreak.ai, further strengthening the strategic collaboration between the two innovative companies. Other investors in Fastbreak.ai include the NBA, NHL, Larry Fitzgerald, and Greycroft. Currently, leagues across the sports landscape use Fastbreak.ai for their scheduling needs, including the NBA, WNBA, NHL, and MLS.

Healthify, an AI-driven health and fitness platform, has raised $US 45 million in its latest financing round, leveraging advanced AI to personalize health guidance. With a firm foundation in India, where it boasts a user base of 40 million, Healthify is set to launch its offerings in the US market. The emphasis on low-cost yet high-impact health solutions through tailored nutrition and fitness recommendations. The investment round included participation from notable backers, including Khosla Ventures and LeapFrog Investments, alongside new supporter Claypond Capital.

One of the world's leading sports data companies, Sportradar, has announced the launch of their Futures Hub, a new program designed to identify, assess, and support the work being done by cutting-edge start-ups. The piloting scheme opens high-potential startups to some of the biggest names in the sports ecosystem - such as UEFA, NBA, ATP, Fan Duel, Bet365 and Entain. The program will help startups validate and selling solutions with Sportradar's clients and partners, scale solutions with market leaders and positions for potential acquisition.

World Rowing, the international governing body of the Olympic sport of Rowing, and Concept2, renowned pioneers in Rowing equipment and creators of the modern Indoor Rowing machine, have announced a significant extension of their longstanding partnership to support the growth of Indoor, ‘Connected’ Rowing globally. It will see the forming of a year-round calendar of different types of Indoor Rowing events, the development and establishment of new competition formats, and the evolution of data generation and display. The spotlight will also be on the introduction of community-building tools and platforms, and the delivery of a cutting-edge gamified offering to the Esports realm.

Morgan Stanley is introducing a new portfolio for investors tied to the most prominent sports leagues. The investment bank’s wealth management division on Thursday announced the launch of what it is calling Parametric Custom Core Sports League strategy. The portfolio, aimed at high net worth sports fans, will allow them to invest in a curated index of companies with strong sponsorship, media and advertisement ties to the most prominent sports leagues. It will target high net worth sports fans and will carry a minimum investment of $US 250,000. Sports have proven to be an attractive and growing asset class as valuations have skyrocketed over the past decade.

Oura, the smart ring maker is buying Sparta Science, a performance analytics company, to enhance its enterprise data platform. Sparta’s Trinsic software translates movement data into population-level health insights, including strength, injury risk, and recovery status. Integrating the tech, Oura will level up its B2B Teams dashboard for corporate wellness, healthcare, and government clients, including the US Department of Defense. Oura has sold more than 2.5 million devices.

According to the 2025 American College for Sports Medicine survey in Health and Fitness trends, 'technology' takes three of the top seven spots. With wearable technology (no. 1), mobile exercise apps (no. 2), and data-driven training technology (no. 7) peaking in the top 10 trends, this year's survey results point to digital technologies making a significant impact on the fitness industry.

The modern pro sports business has historically hinged on one revenue source: TV deals. The NFL and NBA respectively drive 67% and 54% of revenue from selling rights to broadcast live games. However, sports fans are increasingly watching highlights on YouTube instead of watching live games on ESPN. Younger sports fans in particular are increasingly watching new types of sports content that look nothing like live games or highlights (eg trick shots, skills challenges). There are a number of key trends: i.YouTubers are redefining who is a sports star, and what sports content looks like, ii. New sports leagues are emerging around these YouTube creators and iii. New business models are emerging from YouTube sports content.

TGL presented by SoFi, the new tech-infused, team golf league founded by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy’s TMRW Sports in partnership with the PGA TOUR, has announced its inaugural season schedule. SoFi Center features 1,500 fans wrapped tightly around TGL’s field of play and creates a “greenside” fan experience similar to sitting courtside at an NBA game or on the glass at an NHL game.

Two Circles, a data-driven sports and entertainment business, has announced the agreement to acquire Spring Media Group. Spring Media’s media rights, live production and streaming capabilities will bolster Two Circles’ existing fan engagement services. The combined business will provide Two Circles with market-leading remote live production capabilities, a popular streaming platform and relationships with over 500 broadcasters globally, to provide over 950 rights holders and rights owners with global scale in managing fan relationships. This is Two Circles’ second significant acquisition agreement in recent weeks after the acquisition of KORE. 

Cerebro Sports, a leader in basketball analytics and performance metrics, announced an innovative collaboration with Google Cloud to launch a new basketball AI chatbot available on 15th November. Combining Cerebro’s proprietary player statistics database with Google Cloud’s AI technology, the new chatbot will deliver real-time, stats-driven insights to basketball players, fans, and decision-makers at all levels of the sport across youth, college, and pro alike. The chatbot is designed to improve the way players, coaches, and fans interact with basketball data, offering unprecedented access to performance insights that can shape in-game strategies, training, scouting, and fan engagement. 

The LA Clippers’ $US 2 billion Intuit Dome is reshaping the NBA fan experience with advanced AI technology and sustainability initiatives. AI-powered biometric concessions streamline purchases, allowing fans to skip long waits, while the arena’s 270-degree Halo board provides an immersive viewing experience from every seat. In addition to AI, the venue is designed to be the first climate-positive arena in the U.S., featuring solar power and other eco-friendly initiatives.

Noom, a leading digital healthcare company committed to chronic disease prevention announced that it is expanding its in-app capabilities to include a revolutionary body scan feature. In partnership with Prism Labs, a cutting-edge AI and machine learning company, the body scan technology will provide Noom users with a new level of personalized health insights. Members can now complete a body scan by simply recording a 10-second video of themselves using the Noom app. The AI technology will analyze the footage to determine precise body composition measurements of the user’s body and provide a personalized 3D body avatar. 

Russell Brands has announced a new partnership between SPALDING®, one of the leading basketball equipment brand in the world, and SportIQ (SIQ) Basketball, creator of the world's first official size and weight smart basketball. The partnership will combine SIQ's patented technology and mobile application with both the existing and upcoming lineup of SPALDING® basketballs, for an immersive, data-driven, and gamified experience for basketball players of all ages and skill levels.

Sportlight, a leading LiDAR and AI sports technology company, has announced a multi-year agreement with the Saudi Pro League (SPL) to become the league’s exclusive provider of player tracking and performance insights. The partnership will focus on early injury risk prediction, player development, and next-generation performance data analytics. Sportlight is already a leading performance insights provider for the majority of English Premier League clubs and is engaged in pilot projects with major teams across the NBA, the NHL and MLB. 

Endeavor Group Holdings is sending three business lines—events arm On Location, media rights division IMG and the Professional Bull Riders circuit—to subsidiary TKO Group Holdings in a $US 3.25 billion deal. TKO was formed a little over a year ago when Endeavor acquired WWE and spun it off into TKO Group with its UFC division. 

Concept2 is going beyond cardio. The rowing equipment maker unveiled StrengthErg, a machine using air resistance for strength training exercises, with units set to ship Q1’25. Delivering up to 1,500lbs of force in a rower-like frame, users train seated leg presses, chest presses, and rows while tracking progress through a synced app. Considered the gold standard in cardio-endurance, Concept2, spent two years developing StrengthErg, with the founders citing personal interest in strength training for longevity.

The NFL's Big Data Bowl is the annual sports analytics contest from NFL Football Operations with challenges members of the analytics community (from college students to professionals) to contribute to the NFL’s continuing evolution of the use of advanced analytics. The crowd-sourced competition uses data and technology to spur innovation that results in creating new insights, making the game more exciting for fans and protecting players from unnecessary risk. Powered by Amazon Web Services (AWS), contestants use traditional football data and Next Gen Stats to analyze and rethink trends and player performance.

Sony has welcomed KinaTrax, a leader in research-grade markerless motion capture technology for sports that collects in-game biomechanical performance data on athletes, into Sony's sports businesses through a recent acquisition. Joining forces with Hawk-Eye, a Sony group company that forms an integral part of Sony's sports businesses, KinaTrax will bring its biomechanical and analytical expertise, as well as its markerless motion capture technology to Sony's portfolio. It is expected to further create synergy to maximize the use of sports data for athletes, teams, leagues and fans alike.

Unrivaled, the new pro women’s basketball league, signed an exclusive multiyear media rights deal with Warner Bros. Discovery’s TNT Sports. The new three-on-three league, which was founded by WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, will begin its inaugural season in January. Games will air on cable networks TNT and truTV, as well as streaming platform Max. TNT Sports will also invest an undisclosed amount in the league as part of the media rights deal.

Two Circles, the data-driven sports and entertainment business, has announced an agreement to acquire KORE, a market-leading intelligence platform for fans and partnerships. The acquisition will enhance the company’s proprietary technologies and support its unique data-driven approach to growing the value of sports and entertainment for fans and rightsholders. Two Circles will serve more than 700 organizations active in sports and entertainment with the agreed acquisition.

LeagueApps, a leading youth sports management platform, has announced that it has received a significant equity investment from Accel-KKR, a technology-focused investment firm. The investment by Accel-KKR will advance LeagueApps’ role in providing youth and local sports organizers with the tools, partnerships, and community they need to succeed on and off the field – helping them manage and grow their clubs, tournaments, leagues, camps, and facilities. Founded in 2010, LeagueApps currently powers thousands of youth and local sports organizations across eight different team sports, as well as programs by many professional leagues and professional teams.

Streaming platform Free Live Sports has launched with a selection of 100+ live FAST (free, ad-supported TV) sports channels as well as rights to thousands of sports movies, docs, series and highlights. Free Live Sports launches with 68 channels, and another 34 are set to join the platform by the end of October. Some of the channels offered include Big 12 Network, Glory Kickboxing, PFL, Boxing TV, Motorsport.tv, PokerGo, Tennis Channel, Surfer, NitroCircus TV, Billiard TV and ChessTV.

Yahoo Sports and The Athletic have announced a partnership to create a new home for comprehensive women’s sports coverage. A women’s sports hub on the Yahoo Sports website and app will guide fans to written, audio, and video content produced by Yahoo Sports and The Athletic. Views of women’s sports articles on Yahoo Sports are up 253% over the last 12 months. In addition, seven of the top 10 most-viewed articles on Yahoo Sports in August were about female athletes.

Pixellot, a global leader of AI-driven sports video technology has announced the launch of its next-generation portable sports camera - the Pixellot Air NXT. The FIBA-approved Air NXT comes with an array of enhanced features for a wide range of sports including Soccer, Basketball, Ice Hockey, Football, Lacrosse, and Field Hockey. The Pixellot Air NXT boasts a number of upgrades including new digital stereo microphones, smoother video powered by NVidia technology, and up to four times more storage. It also seamlessly integrates with Pixellot’s coaching, analytics, and OTT platform – a single eco-system for easy video and data management.