Get the latest sports technology news! From VR boxing to the newest sports ticketing apps, from VAR drones to AI linesmen - we've got you covered
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The way we consume Sports is changing forever. With new innovations coming out daily, nothing will ever be the same… Pretty scary, eh 😅 Well, there’s no need to worry – The Sports Road is here! Enjoy
Here's what we got for ya today:
- Meta’s New Partnership
- Safety First
- The USA Are Switching it up!
- SportGPT…
Most valuable public market sports teams
Let's get into it!
Feel The Game
Let’s be honest – it’s a GREAT time to be a Sports fan.
With technology gripping our favourite games, it feels like now – more than ever – an extended effort is being put into improving fan engagement.
With major Sports spiralling into becoming global powerhouses, the demand for content and fan experiences is at an all time high. Becoming more and more difficult to navigate, this is where technology comes in.
Today’s news?
Meta is SERIOUSLY changing the game…
Yep, in a partnership between NBC and Meta, you will now be able to watch your favourite Sports as if you were in the stadium *from your own couch*
Ok, ok, we get it. Let us explain. This is what to expect from the partnership:
- The major news coming from the partnership is that NBC’s Peacock streaming service will now be available on the Quest platform
- The content now available will include the Premier League, MLB, WWE, Nascar, and more
- The partnership will last for an initial three years
“Launching Peacock on Meta Quest 2 and Meta Quest Pro meaningfully expands the existing partnership between Meta and NBCUniversal, and offers users more opportunities to experience Peacock’s robust content offering in an immersive VR and streaming experience. Whether it be a VR experience with ‘The Office’ or an iconic film franchise, a live sporting event or the next breakout Peacock original, there’s something for everyone.”
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New Season, New Gear
Look, we all love aggression in Sports…
In fact, without it, I’m sure everyone would agree that the game loses that special something. Saying that though, passion and intensity should never come at the cost of permanent injury.
Sadly though, this is something which the NFL is finding way too often. With the already large number of concussions increasing by 22% last year, something had to be done.
Here’s the latest:
Earlier this week, the NFL announced the creation of a new helmet specifically made for quarterbacks. With a significant number of concussion injuries happening in the position, this progression naturally makes a lot of sense.
Using position-specific helmet designs, the league can take into account the unique locations and speeds which each position utilises and offer customised protection.
This ingenuity shows just one small step into a much greater dive into improving athlete safety.
Constructed by Vicis, the new helmet is designed to reduce the severity of helmet-to-ground impacts – the main cause of concussion injuries in quarterbacks.
“The unique thing is that it has a deformal outer shell, which means when you take an impact in any location on that helmet, it will deform or basically dent in that location to absorb the impact. What that means for us, as designers or engineers, as we’re looking to optimise it for different types of impacts, we’re able to change unique locations to try to optimise the impact mitigation in any one area.”
According to tests, it was found that this helmet performs 7% better than the most popular helmet worn by quarterbacks last season.
Hopefully we see more of this in the future!
Olympic Season is Getting Closer
At its core, the Olympics bring people together.
Although driven by competition, the tournament really does offer up a unique sense of belonging and unity.
Seeing the elite of what Sport has to offer, the games allow you to connect with athletes on a different level. And the best part? With some hard work and determination, it really does show you that the sky is the limit.
So while that’s cool and all, none of it would be possible without having a solid digital background – and teams are beginning to catch on…
Yep, this week the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) and Next League have struck a partnership with a clear goal in mind.
Aiming to revamp the way in which they engage and present themselves to fans, the USOPC hope Next League will be able to deliver a digital experience unlike any other.
“By reimagining the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Digital Engagement Platform, we are further elevating the voices of Team USA athletes and our National Governing Bodies. In doing this, Team USA fans across the world will hear directly from U.S. athletes and will engage in new ways with NGBs to further strengthen the support of Team USA.”
With the goal of cultivating relationships between athletes and fans, the team can be hoping to garner some extra motivation in preparation for the upcoming Olympic and Parlympic games.
Redesigning websites and online profiles, this could kickstart a series of changes in the way we consume Olympic and Sport media…
Australia: The World's Most AI-Assisted Nation
Like we said, the Olympic season is getting closer.
Now strap yourselves in. This one’s a doozy.
Did you really think we would get through an entire newsletter without bringing up AI? Like, come on 😂😂😂
As we mentioned a few weeks ago, Australia is ready to use AI to their advantage for the upcoming Olympics. Having already partnered up with companies in the industry, the team have seemingly recognised the need for having in-depth data powered by artificial intelligence.
Heading the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS), Stuart Morgan referenced AI’s dominance of the Sport Go as a “lightbulb” moment for himself.
From that point onwards, he was hell bent on finding intuitive ways to solve Sports' most complex problems.
This is where SportGPT comes in. Yep, SportGPT. Nice.
Wanting to create a program that would allow coaches across any Sport to ask simple questions and receive in-depth, data-backed responses, Morgan wants to unlock coaches' true potential.
“We’ve got our eyes on the 2032 Olympic Games. Our research and development timelines are geared towards making sure Australia is really well-equipped to be the most AI-assisted sporting nation in the world.”
Some BIG claims. Will Australia become the most AI-assisted Sporting nation? Subscribe and we’ll keep you right up to date:
Quick bites
- Boxing: A big Heavyweight win!
- Football: Do Arsenal have what it takes?
- UFC: Class is permanent
Meme of the day
😂 😂
Quote of the day
“We have to look in the mirror… when a team is there for the killing, you have to kill - especially in this league.”
Photo of the day
The special Holloway
— Sweet Punch Memories (@SPM_staff)
Apr 16, 2023
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