SportsTech Weekly: When Web3 Meets Winter Sports
Week 4 of 2025 heats up with AI officiating, crypto partnerships, and groundbreaking mergers reshaping the sports landscape
Hello sports tech enthusiasts 👋🏼
As we navigate through Week 4 of 2025, the sportstech ecosystem continues to demonstrate its unrelenting drive for innovation. This week's developments paint a fascinating picture of where the industry is headed – from AI-powered judging making its debut in extreme sports to traditional sports institutions embracing blockchain technology. We're witnessing a remarkable convergence of cutting-edge technology with both established and emerging sports formats.
Let's dive into the most significant developments that are reshaping the future of sports:
PARTNERSHIPS & SPONSORSHIPS:
Staicy Sport, an AI agent has announced a new partnership with Eagle AI Labs, an innovator in AI technology, to transform the sports betting industry
ANSRS, an automated football data management provider, announced a partnership with Catapult, giving coaches access to both video and data in real-time
Cloudbet, a crypto sports betting and casino games company, announced a global partnership with Karate Combat, becoming the Official Online Casino and Sportsbook
WiSA Technologies announced a 3-year partnership with the National Football League Alumni (NFLA), focused on creating immutable tokens for NFL alumni
Big Bash League team Melbourne Stars have partnered with marketing tech company Komo Technologies to launch a fan activation predictor platform
Image source: Sportcal
Manchester City have announced a new multi-year sponsorship deal with technology firm Veritran, becoming the club's official fan identity partner
Inter Milan announced the partnership agreement for the 24/25 season with Saudi technology firm Zain KSA, becoming the club’s first official regional partner in the area
Juventus has become the first club to join a Kings League team by collaborating with Zebras FC, the team chaired by Stardust creator Luca Campolunghi
Why This Matters: The X Games' adoption of Google Cloud's AI judging system marks a watershed moment in sports officiating. This could revolutionise how we approach judging in subjective sports, potentially reducing bias and increasing transparency in scoring systems.
INVESTMENTS & FUNDING
The Snow League, a professional winter sports league for snowboarding and freeskiing, announced a funding round of $15 million led by Left Lane Capital Ventures
EP Golf Ventures, an investment partnership between the PGA of America and Elysian Park Ventures, has invested into Evenplay, bringing its total raise to $10 million to date
Men in Blazers Media Network announced the closing of a $15 million series A fundraising round, led by Avenue Sports Fund
Springbok Analytics, an AI-driven muscle analytics company, announced the close of a $5 million series A funding round, led by Transition Equity Partners
SportAI, the European-based sports analytics startup, secured new funding of $3.2 million after securing a major client
Nazara Technologies announced its plans to raise $57 million through a 5.4% stake sale to Axana Estates, aimed at supporting Nazara’s acquisition and growth plans
Image source: Sports Business Journal
The PGA Tour announced an investment in CONECTD Golf, a sensor-embedded tech startup, with CONECTD Golf becoming the official putting technology of the PGA Tour
Why This Matters: The Snow League's $15M funding round signals growing investor confidence in alternative sports formats. This investment could catalyse the development of new competition formats and technologies specifically designed for winter sports, potentially transforming how these sports are consumed and commercialised.
PRODUCT LAUNCHES & NEW VENTURES
Hash Epoch, the web3-based competitive sports and entertainment platform, celebrated its official launch in London
Mulier Fortis announced its debut as a consultancy looking to bridge the gap for institutions in sports, media, and technology
The Barça Startup Challenge, powered by NOBA, has returned with its 4th edition, with applications open for startups in sustainability, smart facilities, fan engagement and more
Trade & Investment Queensland announce the India Sports Launchpad Program, supported by KPMG India, to expand networks and drive exports in India’s sports market
Applications are now open for the 3rd season of the APEX Impact Program, aiming to empower founders building early stage technologies in sports, media, & entertainment
Why This Matters: Hash Epoch's launch represents a significant step in bringing web3 technology to competitive sports. This platform could pioneer new ways for fans to engage with sports content and potentially create new revenue streams for athletes and teams.
MERGERS & STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENTS
Tom Brady’s Autograph and Future announced their merger, combining coaching, AI-powered training, and athlete partnerships to offer elite fitness coaching
X Games will leverage AI technology in the form of a judge from Google Cloud in a new collaboration for judging snowboarding competitions
Why This Matters: The merger between Tom Brady's Autograph and Future signals a strategic consolidation in the digital fitness space. This deal could set new standards for how athletes leverage their personal brands in the digital coaching and training market.
As we wrap up this past week, it's evident that the sports tech industry is entering a new phase of maturity and innovation. The convergence of AI judging in extreme sports, the continued evolution of web3 platforms, and strategic mergers are creating an ecosystem where technology isn't just enhancing sports – it's fundamentally redefining how we experience, participate in, and evaluate athletic performance.
As we look ahead, it's clear that the relationship of sports and technology will continue to unlock new possibilities we haven't yet imagined!
Stay tuned for next week's roundup as we continue to track these exciting developments and uncover the next wave of 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