SportsTech Weekly: Innovation Arena - Where Sport Meets Tomorrow
Week 3 of 2025 brings groundbreaking partnerships, AI advancements, and revolutionary fan experiences reshaping the sports industry landscape
Welcome to another pulse-racing week in the sports tech universe! 👋🏼
As we dive into week 3 of 2025, the industry continues to showcase its remarkable ability to push boundaries and redefine what's possible. From groundbreaking accessibility initiatives to cutting-edge AI implementations, and from blockchain innovations to immersive fan experiences, we're witnessing a transformation that touches every corner of the sports world. Let's break down the most significant developments that are shaping the future of sports:
PARTNERSHIPS & SPONSORSHIPS:
Image source: NBA
The Portland Trail Blazers have partnered with Ticketmaster and OneCourt to become the first professional sports team to provide OneCourt’s haptic display for visually impaired fans
OneFootball, has partnered with Kings League to launch a OneFootball channel for football fans globally, available on the OneFootball mobile and TV apps and website
WWE and Cosm announced a multi-year partnership, with WWE Premium Live Events delivered to fans in shared reality at Cosm’s experiential venues
Therabody, the wellness technology company, announced a partnership with smartwatch provider Garmin to bring smarter, data-driven recovery solutions to athletes
Paris Saint-Germain announced a multi-year partnership with Bitpanda, becoming their new Premium Partner and Official Crypto Trading Partner
Basketball team AS Monaco Basket announced Estonian-based crypto exchange zondacrypto as its main partner for the Euroleague competition
India Gaming Expo (IGX), India’s largest sports and gaming festival, has partnered with Skyesports, India’s leading event operator, to host a multi-game esports tournament
Image source: Credit Union Times
First Tech Federal Credit Union, announced their multi-year partnership with MLS side Portland Timbers, which will include the renaming of the suite level suites
Tech giant OPPO have announced FC Barcelona and Spain’s Lamine Yamal as their new official global ambassador
EngageRM, a company in sports tech solutions, announced a partnership with eTrainU, set to launch a Learning Management System (LMS)
AI-powered content distributor, Greenfly, announced a new partnership with Wrexham FC, focused on driving revenue and growing the profiles of the club using AI automation
Klink Finance, a crypto wealth creation platform, and Atleta Network, a Web3 blockchain for the sports industry, announced a partnership to transform sports through blockchain
The Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and Drive Hockey have partnered to introduce smart arena technology at the first Connor McDavid OHL Top Prospects Game
Why This Matters: The Portland Trail Blazers' partnership with OneCourt for haptic displays marks a significant step forward in making sports more accessible to visually impaired fans. Following on from Newcastle United’s initiative, this one continues the standard for inclusivity in sports venues and potentially influence how other teams approach accessibility technology.
INVESTMENTS & FUNDING:
AO Ventures, the venture capital arm of the Australian Open and Tennis Australia, is raising $30 million to invest in tech-led sport, entertainment, media and health startups
Eternal, the athlete-focused longevity clinic, raised $13.25M in a seed round led by Lightspeed Ventures Partners, Courtside Ventures, Treble Capital, and Next Ventures
US firm Enfield partners have announced a new partnership with SURJ Sports Investment, launching a new $4 billion global sports investment fund
Image source: LinkedIn
London-based VC fund Accelerate Ventures, specialising in sports tech, announced an investment in Playerdata, the GPS performance tracking for elite and grassroot athletes
Why This Matters: The launch of a $4B global sports investment fund by Enfield partners signals a massive vote of confidence in the Saudi sports sector. This level of investment could accelerate innovation across the industry and potentially lead to breakthrough technologies that reshape how we experience and participate in sports.
PRODUCT LAUNCHES & INNOVATIONS:
Paris Saint-Germain is looking to create experiences for its younger fans by debuting on Roblox with an immersive and collaborative experience, Paris Saint-Germain OBBY
Miracle Play, a blockchain-based esports company, announced the launch of AI GRANPRIX, an AI-powered racing game on its upcoming 'Miracle Play 2.0 APEX' platform
The Cleveland Cavaliers and SeatGeek, the high-growth technology platform, are launching Concourse Maps, a product feature designed to enhance the fan journey
Infosys and Tennis Australia have unveiled ‘Beyond Tennis’, new AI-driven features for this year’s Australian Open, featuring 16 AI-crafted virtual players across 8 teams
BindiMaps, a smart navigation platform, announced that it’s providing accessible wayfinding solutions for the impaired at the Australian Open for a 4th year in a row
The Nix hydration monitor, a tool for monitoring hydration in real time has been given approval for use by the UCI(Union Cycliste Internationale), sparking discrepancy talks
Why This Matters: The introduction of AI-driven features at the Australian Open through Infosys's 'Beyond Tennis' represents a significant leap in how technology can enhance both fan engagement and player analysis. This could set new standards for how major sporting events integrate AI technology to create more immersive and data-rich experiences.
INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENTS:
FIFA have relaunched their FIFA innovation programme, looking for tech-driven solutions for challenges and opportunities identified by the governing body
The first Kings World Cup Nations reached 100 million viewers and 1.5 billion social media interactions, in more than 60 countries, with Nexim as the tech provider for the event
Image source: Sports Data Campus
Sports Data Campus has entered into an agreement with Budapest-based xfb Analytics, aims to leverage data and technology to enhance decision-making in sports
Global sporting legends and tech industry leaders to join new SportsTech stage, at LEAP 2025, set to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from February 9-12
Tennis Social AI, maker of a tennis simulator, announced the appointment of former President of the USTA Brian Hainline, as its Chief Innovation and Health Officer
Sports tech consulting firm Next League has acquired AI firm Edge3, an analytics platform, with the new college sports vertical headed up by Kenyon Rasheed
Why This Matters: The Kings World Cup Nations reaching 100 million viewers demonstrates the growing appeal of innovative sports formats and the power of digital distribution. This success could inspire more organisations to experiment with new competition formats and technological integration in traditional sports.
As we wrap up another week, it's clear that the sports tech industry continues to evolve at an extraordinary pace. The convergence of accessibility initiatives, AI innovations, and blockchain technology is creating new possibilities for fans, athletes, and organisations alike. From the grassroots to professional levels, technology is not just enhancing the sports experience – it's fundamentally reimagining it.
What's particularly exciting is how these developments are making sports more inclusive, more engaging, and more sustainable than ever before. As we look ahead, it's clear that the fusion of sports and technology will continue to create opportunities we haven't even imagined yet.
Stay tuned for next week's roundup as we continue to track these exciting developments and uncover the next game-changing innovations in the world of sports technology. Until then, keep pushing the boundaries of what's possible in the arena where sport meets tomorrow!
Track the Trends. Spot the plays. Shape the game.
Dean