International Sportstech News

Italian football club Como 1907 has announced the launch of Como Ventures, a startup and investment platform powered by The Players Fund, the world’s largest athlete-led venture capital firm. Como Ventures is designed as a founder-first launchpad. Startups will gain access to Como 1907’s global brand and local operations, while also tapping into The Players Fund’s network of athletes, capital, investors and operators. The program opens applications this week, seeking startups across six growth themes including luxury hospitality and travel, media technology, merchandising and retail infrastructure, health technology and human performance, next generation mobility, and sustainability. 

Private equity powerhouse CVC Capital Partners has launched a new global sports division, Global Sport Group, bringing together its $US 13.6 billion sports investments under one roof.  GSG will manage assets spanning LaLiga, Ligue 1, WTA, Volleyball World, Premiership Rugby, URC and Six Nations, while also targeting new opportunities worldwide. The division aims to unlock growth through shared expertise, operational excellence, and long-term investment, while preserving the independence of each league. 

FIFA has launched four new innovation challenges focused on artificial intelligence, refereeing and talent development. Companies, including start-ups and research organisations from across the world, are invited to submit proposals via the FIFA Innovation Portal. Applications are now open for solutions under the following challenges: audio transcription tool, basic referee body cameras, professional referee body cameras and innovative talent development tools. 

The NBA is seeking submissions for the fifth cohort of NBA Launchpad, the league’s initiative to source, evaluate and pilot emerging technologies that advance the NBA’s top priorities on and off the court. Priority areas include; the future of officiating, youth basketball player health and wellbeing, media and fan connection. Applications close 17th October 2025. 

Apollo Global Management is preparing to launch a $US 5 billion sports investment vehicle, marking its first permanent capital allocation dedicated to the sector. The New York-based private equity giant, with more than $US 800 billion in assets under management, has already been active in sports, including a £80 million ($US 107 million) loan to Premier League club Nottingham Forest earlier this year. According to the Financial Times, Apollo will focus on lending to leagues and teams, as well as buying club stakes. The launch would add Apollo to a growing list of private capital players building long-term exposure to the fast-growing sports finance market.

The National Football League and Front Office Sports (FOS), a leading multiplatform media and news organization covering the business of sports, have announced a new content partnership. The relationship will bring fans closer to the business stories that dominate mainstream conversation through access-driven and behind-the-scenes content from key NFL moments. FOS will collaborate on creative development and execution of projects tied to major NFL tentpole events, including NFL International Games, the Super Bowl, and the NFL Draft. 

Serena Williams has set her sights on new playing court: basketball. The retired tennis star has invested in the women's 3-on-3 basketball league, Unrivaled, now valued at $US 340 million. The Unrivaled league claims to offer players the highest average salary in professional women's sports league history. It began as a way for WNBA players to earn money in the offseason, without having to play abroad. Its second season tips off in January 2026. Bessemer Venture Partners, a venture capital firm, led the Series B investment round. 

BlackRock- and Goldman Sachs-backed media startup Minute Media, which owns properties like Sports Illustrated, The Players’ Tribune, and 90 Minutes, announced Monday that it is acquiring VideoVerse, an Indian AI startup that lets broadcasters extract highlights and create content from sports footage. VideoVerse’s clients include the Indian Premier League and Women’s Premier League (cricket) tournaments, FIFA+, and broadcasters Nippon TV and Clubber TV. While Minute Media or VideoVerse didn’t provide a valuation for the deal, sources told TechCrunch that VideoVerse was valued between $US 200 million and $US 250 million during its last round in 2023, and Minute Media’s deal was in a similar range.

Wingfield, a leader in AI-powered performance analysis for racket sports, and The Picklr, the world's fastest-growing pickleball franchise, are partnering with DUPR Coach and DUPR to launch the sport’s first end-to-end, AI-powered pathway for player development. By combining AI-driven player assessments with automated DUPR match submissions, The Picklr becomes the first club network to leverage AI for both evaluating skill level and competitive play.

StubHub is targeting a valuation of up to $US 9.2 billion in its U.S. initial public offering, the ticket reseller said, becoming the latest company to resume listing plans delayed in April due to tariff uncertainty. The New York-based firm is seeking up to $US 851 million.

ATP and the Public Investment Fund (PIF) have unveiled ATP Tennis IQ Powered by PIF, an enhanced performance analytics platform delivering richer data insights to all singles players across the PIF ATP Rankings. The platform delivers richer data and analytics in real time, in the form of advanced scouting, video analysis and wearables insights. The platform will empower around 2,000 players across the ATP Tour and ATP Challenger Tour.

LiveLike, a global leader in fan engagement and loyalty solutions, has partnered with the Professional Fighters League (PFL) and Futureverse to launch PFL Rewards — a next-generation global fan loyalty experience. PFL Rewards blends physical and digital incentives, transforming passive viewing into active participation. Fans can earn points for everyday interactions — downloading the official PFL app, streaming live fights, submitting predictions, or watching highlights — and redeem them for exclusive rewards including merchandise, event tickets, and VIP access.

DAZN today announced it has acquired live rights to a wide range of U.S. college football and basketball content through a multi-year sublicensing agreement with ESPN. From the 2025 season, fans across selected territories in Europe and the MENA region* will be able to enjoy up to 25 college football games per week during the regular season only on DAZN. Significantly expanding its U.S. basketball offering, DAZN will broadcast approximately 20 games per week across men’s and women’s basketball, as well as 63 March Madness games.

AmpThink, a leader in the deployment of complex technology systems in stadiums and arenas, have released details on what stadium owners spend the most on in technology. Large format display account for 41% of spend, followed by audiovisual at 25%, broadcast at 19% and base technology (such as networks, wifi and telephony) at 15%. These numbers tell an important value story. Real business value is often defined less by technical sophistication or advanced engineering and more by the problems solved and the revenue unlocked.

Formula 1 announced a partnership with Liberty Media and CAA to host an F1 Business Summit – a sports and entertainment summit that will feature a collection of the most influential minds in sports, entertainment, and business. The F1 Business Summit will be held during race week on Thursday, November 20 at Wynn Las Vegas.

Scrum Ventures and Scrum Studio have announced 11 startups selected to join Hokkaido F Village X (HFX), a global acceleration program designed to foster collaboration between international startups, leading Japanese corporations, and local municipalities in Hokkaido, Japan. The program will focus on implementing cutting-edge technologies in Hokkaido and within the F Village, a mixed-use urban development project and home of the Nippon-Ham Fighters professional baseball team. The goal is to leverage innovative technology to enhance the region's appeal and address local challenges.

Hudl, one of the world’s leading provider of cloud‑based technology connecting video and data for sport, has earned FIFA Basic Certification for its broadcast‑tracking solutions. Until recently, evaluating physical performance required GPS wearables, limiting analysis to a club’s own players. Hudl’s certified broadcast-tracking solution changes that. By converting two-dimensional video into accurate positional data, Hudl’s system generates detailed physical metrics from match footage alone covering more than 100 global competitions, providing insights at scale. 

Manchester City Football Club has launched its first project under City Fan Labs, a fan innovation unit focused on next-gen fan experiences, with a Roblox campaign called StickerBook Challenge. City Fan Labs is focused on Virtual Worlds, Gaming, Web3, AI, and XR, created to experiment with the future of fan engagement and build first-of-its-kind experiences for City Football Group and its partners.

Microsoft Corp. is extending its multiyear strategic partnership with the NFL, ushering in a new era of AI innovation across the league. The NFL’s Sideline Viewing System for every club has been upgraded with more than 2,500 Microsoft Surface Copilot+ PCs to empower 32 clubs, roughly 1,800 players, and more than 1,000 coaches and club football staff with real-time game data and analysis tools. Coaches and players have access to a new feature built with GitHub Copilot to filter plays based on criteria such as down and distance, scoring plays, and penalties to quickly analyze formations, decipher coverages and make more data-driven and strategic decisions.

ESPN in the US has launched its new direct-to-consumer streaming service and a set of new features on an enhanced ESPN App, making ESPN’s full suite of 12 networks and services available directly to fans for the first time ever. The unique combination of ESPN DTC within the updated ESPN App gives fans more choice and unprecedented access to all of ESPN, with an elevated viewing experience that makes watching sports more personalized, dynamic and engaging for fans.

Success is certainly synonymous with Loughborough University. The university has an unparalleled reputation for sporting excellence, both in terms of student performance and research, and has topped the QS World University Rankings for sports-related subjects nine years in a row. And to ensure that aspiring analysts are fully prepared for demanding elite environments, the University has integrated Hudl Statsbomb and Insight into the curriculum of their performance analysis courses.

The NBA is launching a league-wide biomechanics program with motion capture labs to be installed at the training facilities of all 30 teams within a year. The protocols have been developed in consultation with the NBPA as well as sports medicine and performance experts. Provisions for such a screening program are codified in the current collective bargaining agreement, requiring players to participate in up to four assessments per season. The goal is to have identical setups, with the same technology vendors and the same prescribed athlete motions, to ensure standardized data collection. The four tech companies that won the league's RFP include Qualisys, Theia Markerless, Bertec and BreakAway Data. P3, a performance expert company, will be a consultant to the program.

Batbox is launching its first Topgolf-style baseball venue in September, and soon its simulators may be in hotel lobbies and airports too, all connected through one digital network. Think Topgolf, but for baseball. With $US 3 million in new funding from EMERGING, Batbox announced plans to license smaller, self-serve simulators to hotels, airports, and office buildings starting this quarter. The latest funding brings Batbox’s total raised to more than $US 10 million, including a previous $US 7.3 million Series A.

Hudl, one of the world’s leading provider of cloud-based video and data tools for sports, announced the acquisition of SportContract, a hockey-first software platform built to streamline video, data, and communication workflows for professional and youth teams.

SailGP, the global racing championship has launched a new mixed reality app, 'SailGP RaceScape XR'. Designed for Apple Vision Pro, the first-of-its-kind XR experience in sail racing app will be available via Apple’s Vision Pro store, bringing global fans a front-row seat to every event of the Rolex SailGP Championship. RaceScape has been built on SailGP’s industry-leading production technology - LiveLine. The cutting-edge technology provides fans multi-screen viewing, AR tabletop racing and live data integration. 

TNQ Tech,Co., a sports technology innovator at the intersection of sports science, neuroscience, and behavioral science, announced the US launch of its JUMP! Performance Platform — the world’s first mobile-based athlete monitoring system that integrates physical, cognitive, and vision performance measurement into a single ecosystem. The platform connects TNQ Tech’s suite of AI-powered mobile applications — SAQ!, FAST!, Move!, Load!, BRAIN!, and EYES! — enabling coaches, teams, and sports scientists to collect, analyze, and store athlete data in one secure, centralized hub.

Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games will, for the first time in Games history, allow venue naming rights, unveiling Comcast and Honda as inaugural partners in a move aimed at boosting commercial revenues. The pilot program, developed with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), will let qualifying LA28 partners retain existing venue names during the Games and buy additional marketing assets.

The sports media landscape is shifting, with viewers increasingly turning to streaming via digital platforms, and parting ways with traditional broadcast and cable. But streaming services must deal with technical issues such as latency and buffering, as over half (57%) of sports viewers face challenges when streaming sports. This is according to a new paper released by InterDigital, Inc., a wireless, video and AI technology research and development company. The report, “Streaming Live Sports: Where Opportunity Meets Complexity”, reveals how streaming infrastructure must evolve in line with changing consumer viewing habits, especially with streaming players increasingly paying for sports broadcasting rights. A total 42% of US internet households paid for a traditional pay TV service in Q1 2025, down from 62% in Q1 2020, whilst over half (55%) of subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) households subscribe to five or more SVOD services.

Burnley Football Club has announced the launch of the Burnley FC Innovation Hub, a new accelerator programme created to help the next generation of sports tech start-ups turn bold ideas into real-world impact. The Innovation Hub offers early-stage companies the opportunity to pilot their products within Burnley FC’s elite Premier League environment. Over a six-month period, selected start-ups will work directly with club staff to test their solutions in live settings, gain structured feedback, and generate the traction needed to take their businesses to the next level.

Paramount has announced a seven-year media rights agreement with TKO Group under which Paramount+ will become the exclusive home of all UFC events in the USA, pulling the mixed martial arts events from ESPN. Disney’s ESPN had secured a deal that, starting in 2019, featured the MMA promoter’s matchups on TV and pay-per-view in ESPN+. The seven-year term, which begins in 2026, has an average annual value of $US1.1 billion, with an overall value of $US 7.7 billion over that period. 

Jump, a New York City–based fan experience and sports technology startup, has raised $US 23 million in Series A funding. The round was led by Alexis Ohanian’s Seven Seven Six, with participation from Courtside Ventures, Will Ventures, Forerunner, and Steve Malik, owner of the NC Courage. Founded by Jordy Leiser, Marc Lore, and Alex Rodriguez, Jump offers a purpose-built platform for sports teams and venues, integrating ticketing, content, commerce, and gameday operations. The announcement follows the company’s recent partnership with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Lynx of the NBA and WNBA.

Garmin has acquired MYLAPS, a leading Dutch provider of integrated timing, live tracking and performance analysis tools that helps create the sports experience for millions of athletes and spectators. With operations in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia, MYLAPS supports elite brands and race management companies around the world with easy-to-use data-driven technology solutions for running, cycling, motor sports and equine competitions.

Canadian sports administration technology startup TeamLinkt has closed more than $US 6 million in Series A funding from San Francisco’s Growth Street Partners to accelerate product development and expand its customer support team. TeamLinkt offers sports management software that helps leagues, clubs, and associations simplify registration, scheduling, communication, and website management. The company plans to use this minority growth investment to expand its artificial intelligence (AI) usage, digital fundraising, payment automation, and advanced analytics capabilities. The funding will additionally fuel continued expansion across North America.

Two of the most prominent athlete-led investment groups are joining forces to create the world’s largest global athlete investor community. The Players Fund (UK) and The Players Company (US) have announced a strategic partnership that brings together over 850 athletes and artists under a shared mission of empowerment, education, and cross-border collaboration. For UK and European athletes, it provides access to the more mature US athlete investor ecosystem, where financial literacy, community deal sharing, and athlete-led venture models are more mature. For US athletes, it offers a gateway to international markets, ideas, and founders they might otherwise never see.

Burnley Football Club has announced a pioneering virtual reality matchday collaboration with Rezzil, a global leader in VR sports technology, marking a major step forward in how fans experience football. As part of Burnley FC’s ongoing partnership with Rezzil, the club will deliver a first-of-its-kind, immersive virtual reality broadcast of the Clarets’ pre-season friendly fixture against Lazio on Saturday 9th August 2025. Through this collaboration, fans can use the Premier League Player app on Meta Quest headsets.

The NBA Africa Triple-Double Accelerator returns for a second edition. NBA Africa, in collaboration with ALX Venture and ServiceNow through the Triple-Double Accelerator, is looking to identify startups and help grow and develop these businesses through financial support and mentorship. Last year, NBA Africa received over 700 applications, with 10 finalists advancing and participating in the program. Applications close 29th August.

Kinexon and other companies have spent years refining connected-ball technology to enhance sports analytics, improve training, and collect more data than ever. As professional leagues begin adopting the new tech, questions remain about potential minute changes to basketball physics. About half of the NBA games played in Las Vegas earlier this month used balls equipped with smart tracking technology. According to Kinexon, the sensors can detect the exact moment a ball enters play, potential fouls, shot accuracy over time, the number of passes, and other information to provide a more detailed look at each match.

The National Hockey League (NHL) and DAZN today announced a multi-year strategic partnership which will see DAZN become the exclusive home of NHL.TV in nearly 200 countries beginning with the 2025-26 season. NHL.TV will be promoted and integrated across the DAZN platform to its fast-growing base of more than 120 million registered sport fans.

The UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 Innovation Programme is a bold initiative designed to help the European football community address real-world challenges in women’s grassroots football. By bringing together commercial partners (such as adidas, Amazon and The Walt Disney Co), Swiss academic institutions, the Swiss Football Association (SFA) and local football communities, the programme is testing new ideas and creating scalable solutions that can shape the future of the game across Europe. The Programme and its pilots tackled real challenges in the women’s game—from redesigning changing rooms to be more inclusive, to rethinking coaching styles, inspiring future female coaches, and keeping young girls engaged in football after their first steps in the game.

Sir Ian Taylor now calls a prized technological innovation that has enhanced the understanding of cricket “the Bumrah”. The Kiwi who has taken Virtual Eye to the world said he had never seen his technology work more effectively than when it explained the unique biomechanics that made Jasprit Bumrah from India almost unplayable against Australia last summer. Through technology capable of catching 250 frames per second, Virtual Eye was able isolate the distinctive characteristics of the champion and explain how he was befuddling Australia’s top order. Taylor was hailed at a function in Sydney last Wednesday night by the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers for the work pioneered by Virtual Eye.