Sportstech & Member News

Major League Baseball (MLB) and Sportradar have announced a long-term extension and expansion of their decade-long partnership, set to begin with the 2025 season. The partnership aims to unlock the full potential of MLB’s data and audiovisual (AV) content while growing the MLB worldwide. As part of the agreement, MLB has acquired an equity stake in Sportradar. Under the new terms, Sportradar, in partnership with MLB, will exclusively distribute MLB’s ultra-low latency official data, media content, including MLB Statcast Data, and AV content across its global client network, which spans 800 sportsbook clients and 900 media companies. 

NSW-based media and production company BarTV Sports has announced a strategic alliance with the New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL). The partnership will provide the NSWRL’s 117,000 members and supporters with extensive coverage from grassroots all the way up to major competitions across NSW for up to $AUD 19.95 a month. The move follows the introduction of a dedicated subscription-based app for NSWRL TV in 2024. Approximately 900 games will be covered per annum for NSWRL, with BarTV streaming over 8,000 games across multiple sports per annum.

STWS has announced that the 2025 Sports Tech Conference and Content Live Technology Show will be co-located at the MCG Melbourne over Wednesday and Thursday 29th - 30th October and sit as the centrepiece of the 2025 Australia Sports Innovation Week. Content Live is the leading technology show for the sports broadcasting industry, featuring the latest products and innovations for professionals across sportscasting, newscasting and live event production. 

ESPN and Major League Rugby (MLR) have reached a multiyear media rights agreement, bringing the highest level of professional rugby in the United States to ESPN platforms. Under the agreement, all regular season and playoff games will stream live on ESPN+, with a select number of matches presented on ESPN2. Additionally, fans can stream replays of each match, highlights and rugby content on The Rugby Network, following a 72-hour delay. 

Tennis Australia has taken a page directly from the NFL, NBA, and MLB playbook by launching its own venture capital fund. Their unique advantage? Immediate access to those 1.2 million attendees, 10 million broadcast viewers in Australia alone, and a direct line to 1.5 million active tennis players nationwide. At the heart of their strategy is AO STARTUPS, a unique program redefining how sports organisations invest. Startups can test their products during the Australian Open, gaining invaluable exposure and immediate feedback. Tennis Australia just announced they’ve had their first fund close. This fund is called AO Ventures. The $US 30 million fund has cash commitments from the family office of Tesla chair and Blackbird partner Robyn Denholm (Wollemi Capital Group) and the Gnanalingam family, who own the London football club Queens Park Rangers.

Since 2018, Swimming Australia has worked with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to develop technology that is the envy of other global swimming powerhouses. Swimming Australia is using computer vision, machine learning and generative AI to track swimmers and analyse their results.  The technology has changed how coaches and athletes approach competition and training. It provides valuable information for coaches to make better informed decisions about their athletes and tailor training programs for individuals to be the best they can be. In the past, Swimming Australia has only used the technology at high-level race meets, however, in its push to continue to innovate and stay ahead of the rest of the world, the technology will now also be used in the training pool – another world first.

In October 2024, the Lao Football Federation (LFF) was named the AFC Member Association of the Year. This prestigious recognition was awarded for their commitment to innovation and football development, especially in the realm of youth football. LFF is using cutting-edge technology like DRIBL to fuel their ambitions and overcome the limitations they face as a small football nation. By embracing DRIBL, the LFF has streamlined league management, eliminated the need for time-consuming paper records, and introduced a new level of transparency and efficiency to their operations. The ability to manage leagues online has made it possible for youth players from even the most remote provinces to compete, with results accessible to coaches, scouts, and even potential sponsors.

Eight Queensland business have been selected for the NRL Magic Round Tech Sprint, delivered by Advance Queensland and in partnership with ASTN - Australian Sports Technologies Network. The companies selected include Crowd Canvas, Myriad Studios, Talk All Sport, WearOptimo, Imagine Realities, Cool Beans Underwear, FemPro Armour and Cérge. The businesses will take part in a 10-week NRL Magic Round Tech Sprint, which includes five core 1-hour workshops and weekly meetings with the NRL subject matter experts to help to pivot and tailor their innovative products to the NRL’s needs.

Sports Cloud Australia and NSC Events have announced the inaugural Digital Sport Business Summit to be held at Marvel Stadium on Tuesday 29 April 2025. The Summit will bring together executives and experts from sport governing bodies, government, consulting giants, and iconic venues to pro sports, esports, tech innovators, sponsors, and leading sport apparel and equipment brands.

Fast-growing, Australian-born fitness franchise STRONG Pilates has launched world-first strength training equipment - bridging the gap between strength conditioning and traditional Pilates. STRONG Pilates has introduced a Reverse Spring System built into their exclusive Rowformer and Bikeformer beds - a reformer bed with a rower or bike attached. The new Reverse Spring System allows users to lift over 40kg through a series of exercises that replicate the power of traditional strength training movements like squats and deadlifts while remaining low-impact.

Five Australian sportstech companies have been shortlisted for the prestigious 2025 Sports Technology Awards. This includes Catapult, Layercake, MyVenue, Box Altitude and Chicks Who Ride Bikes. Catapult has been shortlisted for the Coaching and Tactics and Sports Performance categories, Layercake for the Digital and SaaS platform category, MyVenue for the Match Day Technology category, Box Altitude for the Sports Performance category and Chicks Who Ride Bikes for the Women's Sports Innovation of the Year. The winners will be announced in London on 23rd April 2025.

Michael Johnson's new track league has struck a media deal for Peacock to stream all the action live and The CW to broadcast the weekend races during the four events in 2025.  The move gives NBC Sports, the Olympic rights holder that operates Peacock, a foothold in track and field after not renewing its deal to stream track's Diamond League meets after last year. The Grand Slam Track League has signed 48 athletes to compete in a four-event circuit beginning April 4 in Kingston, Jamaica.

ShotQuality and Field Vision have partnered to introduce Drive Quality - a new real-time American Football metric designed to predict offensive performance as part of a mission to bring real-time, AI-powered player location data and predictive analytics to multiple sports. By combining ShotQuality’s advanced computer vision technology with Field Vision’s deep football expertise, the organisations are delivering insight that gives sportsbooks, analysts, data scientists, and fans new insights into expected performance.

Leading fitness & wellness new source Athletech has announced the 50 most innovative companies that will define the fitness and wellness industry’s future. The list includes three Australian companies including Centr (the fitness app and equipment brand founded by Christ Hemsworth), Evolt (body scanning technology) and F45 Training (high-intensity gym and functional centres).  

Electronic Arts (EA) has reached an agreement to acquire TRACAB Technologies, a leader in advanced sports optical tracking and analysis solutions. EA Sports is expected to leverage TRACAB’s technology and teams to harness advanced AI, machine learning, and real-time sports data to create lifelike animation and simulate real-world action. TRACAB’s tracks nearly everything happening on the field or pitch at 60Hz per second, generating 600 million data points per game, including 65 unique data points per player and referee by capturing live skeleton data from 21 joints on each individual body on the pitch, as well as center of mass and ball tracking.

FrogBox has announced a partnership with Prime Video to help grow female cricket at the grassroots level. Through this initiative, 50 community cricket clubs with female teams across Australia are receiving a free FrogBox Streaming Kit, empowering them to capture and share their matches, celebrate moments, create visible role models and inspire the next generation of female cricketers.

The NBA has selected five companies in the fourth cohort of its technology R&D program, Launchpad. Launchpad pairs companies with NBA and WNBA divisions for six-month pilots. The league announced six priorities of interest -- Future of Officiating, Youth Basketball, Player Health & Wellbeing, Future of Media, Fan Connection and NBA Impact. The five companies include Somnee (a wearable headband providing gentle neuro-stimulation to help users fall asleep more quickly and deeply), VReps (educational platform that teaches strategies and allows users to review plays), SportIQ (sensor-based basketball to produce performance and analytics data), OneCourt (a haptic tablet that converts tracking data in a real-time broadcast with audio for vision-impaired) and Trashie (customer rewards program for good recycling, reuse and repurposing).

The NFL is set to host multiple international games in Australia with Melbourne reportedly given the nod. News Corp reports the Allan government has secured a multi-year deal after months of secret negotiations with the NFL. The Los Angeles Rams are set to be the ‘home’ team for the match and will likely square off against the Philadelphia Eagles. The first in-season game is expected to take place at the MCG in October, 2026, which will be just weeks after the AFL grand final. Next season’s fixture will see a game played at Real Madrid’s iconic Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Spain for the first time.

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), one of the world’s most globally recognized football clubs, has joined forces with Matchain, a blockchain platform known for its expertise in AI and decentralized identity (DID) solutions. The collaboration has resulted in the creation of the Joint Innovations Studio (JIS), an initiative that aims to revolutionize PSG’s digital landscape by integrating advanced blockchain, artificial intelligence, and decentralized technologies. This move is expected to enhance fan engagement, improve operational efficiency, and bolster PSG’s partnership ecosystem.

With 22.4 billion pairs of shoes manufacturing annually around the world ASICS has been pursuing two approaches to circular manufacturing to reduce or eliminate waste. Launched in 2024, the ASICS NEOCURVE™ sneaker is made from defective and unsold stock. The entire process of grinding, materialization and manufacturing takes place within the EU, and the sneaker is sold only in Europe. Also launched in 2024, our NIMBUS MIRAI™ running shoe has a single-material polyester upper that can be detached from the sole, chemically recycled, and remade ready to run again. 

Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) and BMO Stadium have teamed up with PAM’s Smart Navigation Platform to redefine the fan experience, offering real-time traffic and parking updates while streamlining the journey for every attendee. Using PAM’s cutting-edge 3D interactive mapping technology, fans will enjoy state-of-the-art digital wayfinding that guides them from parking, to food and beverage options, and ultimately to their seats. Fans can access the new LAFC eXplorer maps through the Venuetize Mobile App, the LAFC website, QR codes, and other communications channels, ensuring accessibility across multiple touchpoints.

Irish sports technology company Output Sports has raised $US 4.8 million in funding to boost its US expansion and increase staff numbers. The funding includes new supporters such as Apex Capital. Output Sports technology captures and analyses athletic data through a single wearable sensor system and its used in velocity-based training, reactive strength, and power development . It works with more than 800 sports organisations to provide data-backed insights to improve athletic performance, including more than half of all English Premier League clubs.

AXS has launched its new biometric authentication feature for its mobile app in what it claims to be a ticketing industry first. The feature aims to provide users with a secure way to access accounts and tickets while also reducing fraud. With on-device biometric authentication, users can log in to their accounts and access their tickets using their fingerprint or facial recognition.

Basketball Queensland (BQ) has partnered with etrainu, a leading provider of online training solutions, to enhance official development and accreditation processes across the state. The move to etrainu has been made to align with Basketball Australia and provide our referees and referee coaches with an easy-to-use, automated accreditation system. The etrainu platform provides Queensland officials with an engaging set of courses from beginner through to intermediate grades.

Following the success of several law trials and innovations introduced to the 2024 Autumn Nations Series, this year’s Men’s, Women’s and U20s Six Nations Championships will continue to promote the changes in game approach. This will include ‘Touchfinder’, an evolution of the Smart Ball technology. ‘Touchfinder’ is intended to support the team of match officials, specifically assistant referees, in identifying exactly where the ball crosses the touchline, purely from kicks into touch. For the first time instrumented mouthguards will be applied to the U20s Six Nations. Sensors in the mouthguards monitor the frequency and magnitude of head acceleration during training and match play, and form part of the HIA process.

The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) and VALD have announced a collaboration to advance musculoskeletal health technology solutions for physical therapy providers and their patients. Through this collaboration, APTA and VALD aim to expand access to advanced tools that improve assessment, treatment and outcomes across physical therapy. As part of this data and technology collaboration, VALD will leverage its innovative technology to elevate clinical outcomes and reinforce the value of physical therapy care.

Gymshark, the fitness community and apparel brand, has announced the launch of its inaugural innovation programme, the Gymshark Innovation Lab, in partnership with corporate innovation specialist L Marks. As part of the partnership, Gymshark is inviting startups and innovators to bring their concepts to the Gymshark Innovation Lab, to help them bring these visions to life and become potential partners. Innovators and startups get the opportunity to pilot their concepts and visions in a new ten-week immersive programme. The Gymshark Innovation Lab will seek to unearth transformative solutions that enhance product performance and sustainability, optimize supply chain management and unlock pioneering innovations in robotics.

Neko Health has raised $US 260 million to expand a preventative healthcare service designed to detect cancers, cardiovascular disease and other conditions. The company, was co-founded by Spotify CEO Daniel Ek and uses more than 16 medical devices to noninvasively check moles, the heart and more. Neko currently provides scans for around $US 372 from two sites in London and Stockholm. The company plans to use the financing to expand in the U.S. and Europe and invest in diagnostics. To date it has performed 10,000 scans, and has 100,000 people on a waiting list.

The Liberty Hockey One League will remain live and free on 7plus Sport, with Hockey Australia and the Seven Network today announcing a long-term partnership extension. The three-year commitment will see Seven remain the home of hockey until the end of 2027. It follows a record-breaking 2024, during which thousands of Australians witnessed HC Melbourne and the Perth Thundersticks make history by winning the men’s and women’s crowns for the first time.

Bloomberg has reported that Meta plans to launch a version of its smart glasses aimed at athletes, with data tracking features designed to improve performance feedback. These sunglasses for athletes will reportedly be inspired by Oakley’s ‘Sphaera’ design and include a single camera placed centrally on the frame to reduce weight. This aligns with Meta’s partnership with EssilorLuxottica, the parent company of both Oakley and Ray-Ban, with whom they collaborated on their first smart glasses. While these new releases will initially focus on data tracking and performance metrics, Meta’s long-term vision includes fully functional AR glasses.

Researchers at the University of Bayreuth have conducted the first comprehensive study on gender-specific differences in running, considering various shoe and speed conditions. Their findings, which contribute to the development of optimized running shoes, have now been published. The study demonstrated that there are numerous differences in running biomechanics between female and male recreational runners. Together with research partners Fraunhofer IPA and PUMA, the University will continue to focus on the collection, analysis, and application of motion data in running and football, paying particular attention to sex-specific aspects.

Billionaire Sir Leonard Blavatnik has injected a further $US 827 million into streaming giant DAZN in a bid to become a major rival to Netflix. The businessman has now invested more than $US 6.7 billion in the London-based sports streaming service. DAZN’s revenue increased $US 2.86 billion in 2023, and its expected to pass $US 6 billion in 2025. The increase would be partly driven by extra income from its $US 2.2 billion acquisition of Australian pay-TV giant, Foxtel, as well as the $US 1 billion deal for rights to the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.

Springbok Analytics, a leader in AI-driven muscle analytics, announced the close of a $AUD 5 million Series A funding round. The round was led by Transition Equity Partners, with participation from the National Basketball Association, Cartan Capital, Boston Global (AUS) and other strategic investors. This funding supports Springbok's mission to advance muscle health analysis across human performance, life sciences, and longevity. Springbok Analytics has developed a first-of-its-kind, FDA-cleared AI technology that delivers automated, precise and comprehensive muscle health assessments from MRI scans.

The India Sports Launchpad Program offers Queensland companies with an opportunity to expand networks, showcase capabilities, and drive exports in India’s sports market. Supported by KPMG India, this program combines virtual and in-market components to deliver essential market insights and connect participants with key Indian stakeholders, including professional sports clubs, organizations, and investors. The TIQ India Sports Launchpad Program will take place from March 2 to 8, 2025, incorporating the Australia-Gujarat Sports Forum and the Indian International Sports Summit.

Autograph and Future have announced their merger, combining coaching, AI-powered training, and athlete partnerships to expand access to training globally. Autograph, co-founded by seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady, leverages technology for fan and professional athlete engagement. Future offers fully virtual personal training with real coaches, powered by wearable technology and AI. The merger integrates Autograph’s extensive athlete network and partnership ecosystem with Future’s personalized coaching platform. The entity will blend human expertise with AI-driven insights to improve virtual personal training.

Optus, Australia's No. 2 telecom carrier, is in talks to sell its sports streaming platform Optus Sport to media house Nine Entertainment, the Australian Financial Review (AFR) reported on Monday. A deal would let Nine's local streaming service Stan stream matches from the Premier League. Optus Sport has exclusive streaming rights to the Premier League, which AFR estimated to be worth A$100 million ($62.2 million) per year, and the FA Cup, another English football tournament, until 2028. Stan already broadcasts the UEFA Champions League football and the Wimbledon tennis tournaments.

Big Bash League team Melbourne Stars have partnered with marketing tech company Komo Technologies to launch an exciting predictor game in under 4 hours! The game gives fans the chance to test their cricket knowledge and get involved in the action. The solution provides valuable fan insights for the Stars' membership team to build on next season.

Tennis Australia has announced the startups that have been selected for their next edition of AO Startups. The new cohort - Volta, Oho, INTIX, Foodini, Scala Sports, Lumi and exar.live - bring the 2025 AO StartUps portfolio to twelve companies, making it the largest intake since the program’s inception. Companies participating in AO StartUps are provided the opportunity to prove their business models in real time and directly access proprietary intel and exposure at one of the world’s largest sport and entertainment events. 

Deakin University and VicHealth are joining forces to launch a world-leading research centre to explore interactions between our economy, commercial entities and health outcomes. Deakin and VicHealth will each invest $AUD 4 million over the next 5 years in the "VicHealth Commercial and Economic Determinants of Health Research Translation Centre". The centre's research will be used to create better health policies, healthier communities and a higher quality of life for Victorians.

APEX has announced that applications for Season 3 of the APEX Impact Program (AIP) are now open. The AIP focuses on supporting passionate founders who are building innovative early-stage technologies that could make a real difference in Sports, Media, & Entertainment. In Season 1 and 2, APEX worked with companies like Hexis, Traits Insights, VRTL, and LuckySeatz. The program provides introductions to APEX's sports community, strategic and commercial support and invest €250,000 to drive growth.

ROUVY, the indoor cycling app that brings the world's most iconic rides to life using real video routes filmed on location, empowering users to ride, train, and explore anywhere from home, has announced that it has completed acquisition of fellow platform FulGaz from The IRONMAN Group. Athletes can now access the top 20 most popular FulGaz routes on ROUVY in addition to numerous courses from IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 races around the world.

With support from Sport and Recreation Victoria, Lander & Rogers, Commission for Children and Young People Victoria and powered by etrainu, Vicsport have created a free and interactive program designed to guide sport administrators, volunteers, coaches and/or officials through 11 Victorian Child Safe Standards.

Kiwi Fitness, a new AI-powered strength training app, is transforming how gym-goers approach fitness. The app provides personalized workout plans, real-time progress tracking, and adaptable training sessions, offering an alternative to traditional coaching—at a fraction of the cost. Kiwi Fitness uses machine learning algorithms to create tailored workout experiences for users. The app takes into account factors such as fitness goals, available equipment, and individual progress, delivering adjustments on the go to ensure optimized performance and results.

International gaming marketing company, Livewire, is officially partnering with American video game publisher and developer, Zynga, to help brands reach gamers. Covering markets in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, the partnership melds Zynga’s reach (a web made up of players based in more than 170 countries and more than 6 billion downloads) with Livewire’s next-generation attention platform. The move is expected to assist brands in engaging with audiences in the gaming space, via “rewarded video, playable ads, and custom integrations.

EngageRM, a global leader in sports and entertainment technology, has announced a long-term strategic partnership with Toronto Tempo, Canada’s first WNBA team. The strategic partnership marks a significant step forward for both organizations and is EngageRM’s official entry into the Canadian market. The Tempo, who will enter the league in 2026, will leverage EngageRM’s full suite of technology solutions across ticketing, premium seating, partnerships, marketing, and data analytics to engage fans and partners, build their brand, and deliver a best-in-class experience for their community and stakeholders.

Personal training company Exos has partnered with Plae, a top brand in athletic training facilities, to host this year’s NFL Combine Training Program. Exos, a strategic programming health and performance company, has trained over 1,000 NFL draft prospects over the past 20 years. The brand works with various groups, including college and high school athletes, assisting with nutrition, personal training, mental health support, and more. Plae specializes in designing premium training facilities for athletes. In July 2024, the company was chosen as the official gym equipment supplier of the Australian Olympic team. 

Garmin Health and WeGuide have announced the winners of the Australian and New Zealand Research Grant 2024. The research grant recognises pioneering medical and wellbeing researchers and innovative digital health startups. Three research projects from Edith Cowan University, Queensland University of Technology and the Murdoch Children's Research Institute were recipients. The winners will receive ten Garmin wearables for seamless data collection and the opportunity to use the WeGuide platform to facilitate participant engagement and data collection.

Tennis Australia has announced the launch of Beyond Tennis powered by Infosys, an innovative free gaming app that blends sport, artificial intelligence, social media, and storytelling. Designed to captivate Gen Z, gaming enthusiasts, and tennis fans alike, Beyond Tennis allows users to step into the role of a player’s coach or agent, shaping the careers of AI-driven tennis players both on and off the court. Using advanced AI engines, users can guide their players’ training and strategy, while chatting with them in a life-like simulation, while watching their season play out in real-time on social media.

BindiMaps is providing the smart wayfinding solution for the Australian Open for the 4th year in a row. The solution particularly helps those that are vision impaired or use a wheel chair in navigating their way through the venues. The solution helps patrons find courts, explore food options or nearby facilities using maps and audio options. 

Rely, an incident management platform, has joined the Australian Sports Technologies Network (ASTN) as a Premium Member. Rely helps employers prevent, mitigate, respond to and report on workplace issues, and meet WHS laws. The solution promotes integrity, compliance, and safe cultures. ASTN is Australia’s leading network driving innovation and growth in sports technology, bringing together industry leaders, startups, and organisations passionate about advancing the sports ecosystem.