SportsTech Weekly: Global Expansion and AI Adoption in Sports Innovation
Week 13 of 2025 showcases accelerating international growth, AI implementation, and strategic partnerships reshaping the industry's competitive landscape
Hello sports tech enthusiasts 👋🏼 Welcome to Regen Sports, your twice-weekly deep dive into the intersection of sports and technology. Every Monday, catch up on the week's most important developments in sports innovation, and every Thursday, explore in-depth analysis of trends, companies, and technological breakthroughs reshaping the future of sports.
Before we get started, if you didn’t manage to get last week’s developments, be sure to find the recap of week 12's sports tech highlights.
As we navigate this past week, the sports technology sector continues its explosive growth trajectory with remarkable developments across multiple domains. From PSG launching the first football club innovation accelerator at STATION F to the NBA and FIBA exploring a new professional basketball league in Europe, we're witnessing unprecedented international expansion of sports tech initiatives. AI integration dominates the technological landscape (what’s new?), with KT Corp transforming Suwon KT Wiz Park into an AI-powered stadium and Formula E enhancing its Google Cloud partnership with a new Driver Agent tool.
Meanwhile, strategic investments continue to flow into the ecosystem, highlighted by Playback's $22 million funding round and Strikr's ambitious $50 million capital raise.
This week's developments further cement technology's central role in reshaping how sports are played, consumed, and commercialised across global markets.
Without further ado;
ACCELERATORS & INNOVATION HUBS 💭
Image source: VN Explorer
Paris Saint-Germain became the first football club to launch a sport innovation accelerator at STATION F, the world’s largest start-up campus.
The UAE’s Ministry of Sports and the National Olympic Committee signed an agreement to launch the innovative Digital Transformation and Sports Innovation Platform
ASTN, Helix Group and the South Australian Government have partnered up to host the South Australian Sports Technology Showcase, set for the 10th April
QUT, in collaboration with Innovation Central Brisbane will launch several initiatives to increase sports technology and innovation in Queensland
Svexa, the AI training digital twin startup, recently joined Nvidia Inception, an accelerator programme, to improve their capabilities and increase their brand awareness
Why This Matters: Paris Saint-Germain's launch of a dedicated sports innovation accelerator at STATION F represents a shift in how elite clubs approach technology development. Rather than simply being consumers of sports technology, PSG is positioning itself as an active incubator of innovation, something we’ve seen other sports organisations do in other sports. This strategic move could transform the relationship between sports organisations and technology startups, with clubs increasingly functioning as venture studios that develop proprietary technologies aligned with their specific competitive and commercial needs.
PARTNERSHIPS & COLLABORATIONS 🤝🏼
Image source: Atletico De Madrid
Atlético de Madrid announced an extension to their partnership with Google Cloud, becoming the official cybersecurity partner for both the women’s and men’s teams
VisualOn has partnered with Agora to present AI-powered low latency live sports esports streaming at the NAB Show 2025
beIN Asia Pacific has partnered with Planetcast to enhance its sports programming delivery across Southeast Asia and Australia
Serie A announced a partnership with Reddit in an effort to deepen fan engagement, becoming the first football league to establish a presence on the platform
The NHL announced a multi-year partnership with Palo Alto Networks, a cybersecurity firm, becoming the official cybersecurity partner of the league
Formula E furthers its partnership with Google Cloud with a new Driver Agent tool, making data-driven insights and coaching tools more accessible to drivers at all levels
World Snooker Tour has announced a partnership with Halo, a tech solutions provider, to become the title partner of the snooker World Championship
Manchester City Women announced a global partnership with Hytro, a Blood Flow Restriction wearables company to enhance athletic performance and recovery
Image source: Manchester City
Manchester City have announced a global partnership Viagogo, the ticketing marketplace, to provide fans with access to live men’s and women’s matches
Smart mouthguard manufacturer HITIQ announced a partnership with VAFA, naming HITIQ as the Official Concussion Technology Partner
World Athletics has partnered with ECAL, a provider of calendar marketing solutions, to personalise fan experiences and ensure they don't miss any events
In a first for Indian football, Barca Legends will face Real Madrid Legends at DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai, with HiVoco Studios set to be the Official Tech Partner
The National Women’s Soccer League announced several new international media partnerships, expanding its global reach ahead of the 2025 season
Grand Slam Track announced several global broadcast deals across LATAM, South America, the Caribbean, the Middle East, and Africa, along with its Official Water Partner
Why This Matters: The Serie A partnership with Reddit marks a watershed moment in how traditional sports properties are approaching community engagement in the digital age. As the first football league to establish an official presence on Reddit, Serie A is tapping into an established, passionate user base known for deep discussion and authentic interaction. This move recognises the shifting dynamics of fan engagement away from broadcaster-controlled environments toward community-led platforms where fans shape the conversation. The partnership could pioneer new models for how leagues interact with global fan communities, potentially influencing content creation, moderation strategies, and direct feedback loops between leagues and their most engaged supporters.
FUNDING & INVESTMENTS 💰
Former cricketer Zaheer Khan has participated in Ecosystem Venture’s pre-series A investment in the sports tech startup Machaxi
Playback, a Twitch-like live streaming platform that connects creators and fans to live sports, raised $22 million in funding
Strikr, the new tech focused boxing format, aims to close $50 million in its first funding round from several investors
Why This Matters: Playback's funding round signals investors' growing confidence in creator-led sports content models that challenge traditional broadcasting norms. By developing a Twitch-like platform specifically for sports, Playback is positioning itself at the intersection of two powerful trends: the rise of creator economies and the fragmentation of sports viewership. This investment suggests the market sees significant potential in platforms that empower individual creators to build communities around personalised sports content, accelerating the shift away from traditional broadcast models toward more interactive, community-driven experiences that could fundamentally reshape sports media economics.
PRODUCT LAUNCHES & TECH INNOVATIONS 🔬
Image source: NBA
The NBA and the FIBA announced their joint exploration of a new professional men’s basketball league in Europe
KT Corp. has integrated AI into the Suwon KT Wiz Park, turning it into an AI stadium, with plans to improve fan interactions and limit congestion
ShotTracker, an AI-driven video, stats and analytics tool, leveraged AI to improve the coaching products and its fan engagement data, plus create new sponsorable assets
The University of Portsmouth and technology company TG0 have created a smart insoles system that accurately measures the body's interaction with the ground
Why This Matters: KT Corp's transformation of Suwon KT Wiz Park into an AI-powered stadium demonstrates a glimpse into the future of venue operations and fan experience. By implementing AI systems to manage crowd flow, reduce congestion, and personalise fan interactions, KT Corp is addressing some of the most persistent challenges in live event management. This comprehensive approach to stadium intelligence could establish new benchmarks for venue operations worldwide, potentially influencing stadium design, staffing models, and revenue opportunities while simultaneously improving the fan experience through reduced friction and enhanced personalisation.
FINAL THOUGHTS
We're witnessing the sports technology ecosystem reach new levels of global integration and technological sophistication. The growth of dedicated innovation hubs across multiple continents, coupled with strategic partnerships between sports properties and technology leaders, is creating opportunities for cross-pollination of ideas and acceleration of innovation cycles.
Particularly noteworthy is the rapid convergence of AI capabilities with traditional sports operations, from venue management to performance analytics. This integration is no longer experimental but increasingly becoming foundational to competitive strategy and commercial success. Simultaneously, the growing international expansion of media partnerships and platform collaborations reflects the truly global nature of the modern sports business.
Looking ahead, we anticipate continued evolution toward more personalised, data-driven, and immersive sports experiences powered by increasingly sophisticated AI systems. Organisations that successfully balance technological innovation with authentic sports traditions will likely emerge as the leaders in this dynamic landscape. Stay tuned for next week's roundup as we continue tracking the transformative developments reshaping the global sports technology ecosystem.
Track the Trends. Spot the plays. Shape the game.
Thanks for reading,
Dean
P.S. If you found this newsletter valuable, please share it with others who might benefit from these insights. The sports tech industry grows stronger when we learn together.