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It's Monday! What better way to start your week. A couple of laughs, cringes, and occasional disappointments - just like watching Premier League referees 😅
Here's what we got for ya today:
- More NBA AI?
- FC Barcelona’s New Tech
- Is This The Future of Stadiums
- A BIG Deal
Most valuable public market sports teams
Now, onto the good stuff...
The NBA’s New AI
If you’ve been reading recently, you would see that the goal of fan engagement has dominated the use of AI in sport. Seriously, it feels as though every new technological development in the scene has something to do with it.
And hey, we’re not complaining.
With that though, it doesn’t look like it will be stopping anytime soon. In fact, with the NBA’s new deal, it’s only getting bigger.
In a Series B investment round, alongside two other agencies, the NBA has raised nearly $10 million in Videocities. With the company allowing the NBA a greater understanding of its brand exposure on global scales, it uses AI for in-depth identification technology. Ultimately, this should help the NBA to attain a better understanding of what fans would like to see.
“Aggregating and analysing real-time UGC and brand video data in one dashboard allows our clients to keep their finger on the pulse of their fanbase and partners…It’s no secret that today’s user habits across social media have a significant impact on shaping public perception of any organisation. We are turning that ‘perception’ into quantifiable data.”
Eyal Arad, Videocites’ co-founder and CEO.
Coming only weeks after the NBA All-Star Tech Summit, it’s clear to see what the NBA are trying to do. In using AI to connect with their global fanbase, the Basketball league is attempting to provide an immersive experience for those who cannot attend games live.
Sounds like smart business to us.
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The Future of FC Barcelona
This week saw Barcelona’s annual Sports Tomorrow Congress. The key themes? AI and the Metaverse. What we like to hear.
Claiming to be interested in early-stage companies who share their same values, during the event, the club announced their most recent investments - Visualfy and Oliver.
This is what we know about the deal with Visualfy:
- The startup works in developing technology to enhance the experience for those with hearing disabilities in sport venues
- Club President Joan Laporta has stated that he “believes everyone should have equal access” when visiting Sporting events
- The company has developed a system that can provide visual, rather than audible alerts
While largely off field based, the clubs second investment, Oliver, is far more related to performance:
- Using wearable technology, the company have created a system which provides Sporting performance data
- Oliver is already used by many top clubs and work with 95 clubs in more than 20 countries
With these investments coming alongside the club's agreement with the Barcelona Supercomputing Centre to build a digital twin of a renovated Camp Nou, it’s obvious that digital transformation is at the forefront of the team's mind.
Using the backdrop of the Barca innovation hub – the entity used by the club to share knowledge – the $1.6 project is sure not to be their last.
“I am overwhelmed by a feeling of optimism for the future of our sector”
Joan Laporta, FC Barcelona President
OnePlan - The Future of Sports Stadiums
If you haven’t heard about them before, OnePlan are doing big things in the Sport industry.
Specialising in event management, the company is known for their use of Augmented Reality (AR) in creating digital twins of Sport stadiums and venues.
In doing this, the company is able to provide an insight into how events may look. Simulating crowd control scenarios, the system aids in planning and improving the efficiency of background elements. These include infrastructure such as cameras, vehicles and barriers to security and more.
The company’s successes can be characterised by their work with the NBA, Arsenal, and the Olympics.
But why are we talking about them now?
Building on a $5.3 million investment from last April, the company has recently managed to raise $6 million. With the investment being led by Elysian Park Ventures, the investment arm of the LA Dodgers, this could mean big business.
With the company already looking to deepen its American market, this potential partnership can also work to achieve large-scale development in Major League Baseball.
“We’re honoured to have the support of Elysian Park Ventures and Verance Capital as we further our mission of revolutionising the events and venues industry the world over. It’s heartening to see how our customers, at some of the biggest venues in the world, get immediate operational and security benefits from using OnePlan, along with significant commercial gains.”
Paul Foster, CEO of OnePlan
Aussie Fans, Get Excited
Is this AFL’s time to break on a global scale? Well, this partnership may help them do that.
This week, the Australian Football League and ecommerce giant Fanatics announced the creation of a ten year deal. The details of this deal are as follows:
- Fanatics will sponsor both male and female AFL
- The league's official online stores will transfer to that of Fanatics
- Fanatics will be able to use the official licensing rights to make and sell AFL related apparel and accessories - these can potentially include collectibles, NFT’s and more
In doing this, the AFL can allow for a global distribution of their products. Pairing that with Fanatics’ pre-existing global presence, it looks like big things may come from this.
Already working with top European football teams, the NFL, NBA, F1 and more, the company may be able to surge the Sport from down under into something huge!
“Australian fans are famously passionate about sport, and we believe that historically they have been underserved relative to other markets when it comes to the merchandise made available, the distribution of that merchandise, and the freshness of the product. We’re excited and grateful for the opportunity with the AFL, and we are also very excited to see what we can do holistically across all sports in the region and beyond merchandise with the AFL. The Australian fans will have more access to more relevant products as we continue to grow our presence in this sport mad country.”
Zohar Ravid, Head of Global Corporate Development at Fanatics
Quick bites
- WHAT A WIN: Jon Jones Wins UFC Heavyweight Belt!
- Ah, Football: Arsenal complete dramatic comeback
- Another Twist: Potential buyers through to the next phase in bid for Manchester United
Meme of the day
Yeah, not much else to say really….
Quote of the day
"Baaaaaaaa"
Jon Jones makes GOAT noises following his huge UFC 285 victory 😂
Photo of the day
No. Words. Needed.
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