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Not much else to say, but it’s *very nearly* the weekend! What better way to sit back, relax and enjoy yourself than a new edition of The Sports Road - From AI to VR, your number one spot for all the latest in the Sport Tech world.
Here's what we got for ya today:
- Rugby is Changing
- Horse Racing in Web3?
- Golf's Next Big Thing
- AI...
Most valuable public market sports teams
Let's get into it!
The Future of Rugby
It’s pretty rare we speak about Rugby here at The Sports Road, but this is cool…
It’s no secret that – in comparison to other Sports today – Rugby fans are slightly more, how should we put this, sceptical about the introduction of new technology into their Sport.
Saying that though, recently some major tech innovations have been beginning to sprout within the Sport. Just have a look at the ball that was being used at the Six Nations!
The partnership we’re here for today? IRFU x RugbySmarts
Yep, the governing body of Irish Rugby are looking towards AI to direct the Sport into a better future.
With the partnership running for two years, RugbySmarts will have the opportunity to test and evaluate their products at an elite level.
Here’s what we know so far:
- RugbySmarts is a video analytics platform
- The start-up aims to simplify Sports analytics using AI, machine learning, and computer vision
- The platform is specifically tailored towards making a coaches job easier
- The UI is customisable, allowing coaches and users to personalise and focus on areas of the game they feel are most important
“The IRFU is excited to work with MoveAhead, RugbySmarts and Brace, over the coming months. We are eager to learn from Ireland’s innovative entrepreneurs, and working with these companies is a perfect opportunity to support each other as well as developing the game of rugby.”
Who knows, maybe this is the start of Rugby’s technological revolution 😉
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Horse Racing in Web3.0
Horse Racing - thrilling to watch, and a fun way to earn some cash. Seems like the Sport is a match made in heaven for Web3 developers…
Well, that’s going to be put to the test. Yep, PMU – Europe’s largest Horse Racing betting operator – have launched a new Blockchain-based Fantasy Sports game.
This is what we know so far:
- Players are given the chance to buy digital tokens which represent real-life horses
- These can be trained and used in virtual mini games/races to earn rewards
- The virtual games are powered by algorithms trained on multiple years of results
- NFTs are based on historical data and packs include horses, items, exclusive opportunities, and more
"Stables is a fantasy Horse Racing game where you can truly own your horse and participate in Horse Racing. Each virtual horse is an NFT that is linked to a real horse in the French Equestrian market."
Combining classic betting with new and creative twists, PMU are acting as pioneers in the industry and are tapping into a successful market. With the recent explosion of Blockchain-based Fantasy Sport games seemingly taking over, who’s to say this won’t too…
With 4,700 NFTs sold in only the first 24 hours, the game is bound to do big things.
It’s said that developers are already making plans for expansion, working on making a greater variety of rarity tiers and new pricing options.
Additionally, by 2024 the game plans to be international and available for all Horse Racing fans.
Tomorrow’s Next Big Thing…
Whether you’re a fan of Golf or not, you definitely know the names Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy.
With the two being some of the best Golfers of all time, the 2021 announcement that they had partnered up to create ‘TMRW Sports' was big news to everyone.
Harnessing technology to build the future of Sport, media and entertainment, the company was not messing about… In fact, in 2022, they announced the creation of TGL – a tech-inspired Golf league – in partnership with the PGA Tour.
So, all that brings us to today – TMRW Sports partnership with tech giant Next League.
Using Next League’s knowledge in leveraging technology to create an engaged fanbase, the company will be in charge of creating the official website, mobile app, and other digital platforms for the TGL competition.
With the competition only starting in early 2024, Next League will have time to cultivate a strong digital following and heavily market the league.
Sounds like a win, win!
“Given our extensive expertise working across sport and within golf, we know we are uniquely qualified to help TGL design and deliver experiences that reach golf fans in new and innovative ways… We are excited to be creating something special with them.”
Ah, AI
A question: Why is AI taking over?
Well, it makes things easier. Let’s not beat around the bush. Whether it’s a task for work or data analysis at the top level of Sport, people use Artificial Intelligence to make their lives easier.
For that reason, it feels like every time we talk about investment in a new AI-driven piece of tech, it’s always BIG numbers…
This time, $8 million.
Yep, Ludex – a Chicago-based AI startup – has received an investment of $8 million. With investors including big time NFL athletes, this is super cool…
So, what’s all the fuss about?
Ludex is a free to download mobile phone app which lets collectors scan, value and digitally organise their trading collections. Using AI, the whole scanning process is streamlined and all you have to do is take a picture of your card.
Currently supporting Football, Baseball, Basketball, and Hockey cards, the app tends to a large group of people.
“Ludex is going to organise your whole collection for you, but most importantly it's going to tell you how much it's worth. The app is going to change the game for the card industry.”
Who knows, scanning an old card might just change your life forever 😂
Quick bites
- More Bad News For Spurs: A huge ban
- Drama: The Relegation Battle
- F1: Unrest at Mercedes
Meme of the day
Premier league Football Back This Weekend...
Quote of the day
“A good coach will make his players see what they can be rather than what they are.”
Photo of the day
The first time Cristiano Ronaldo Jr met Lionel Messi.
— Frank Khalid OBE (@FrankKhalidUK)
Mar 28, 2023
Legends ❤️
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