International Sportstech News

World Athletics has established a standalone Running & Mass Participation department to bring even greater focus to the organisation’s work across the global running ecosystem. The department will be responsible for a broad portfolio including World Athletics’ road running, marathon, cross country, mountain and trail events and activities. World Athletics’ research informs shows that at least 1 billion people worldwide are runners in some shape or form, making athletics the most-participated sport in the world. n recent years, World Athletics has also worked to ensure fairness in elite running competition through the regulation of shoe technology, embracing innovation while ensuring all major shoe companies have access to the same technology. 

The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved the Khelo India Sports Goods Manufacturing Scheme with a total outlay of Rs.1,856.67 crore ($US 194 million) for the period 2026 to 2033-34. The scheme aims to promote investment, manufacturing, innovation and exports, and strengthen India's position in the global sports goods sector. he Scheme envisages the development of dedicated Sports Goods Manufacturing Zones (SGMZs) to promote cluster-based manufacturing and create integrated industrial ecosystems through the co-location of manufacturers, suppliers, testing facilities, design and prototyping centres, and ancillary enterprises. 

UEFA EURO 2028 will take place in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland between 9 June and 9 July 2028. The UEFA EURO 2028 Innovation Programme is a joint initiative between UEFA and UK & Ireland 2028 Limited to identify and support solutions that can contribute to this ambition.  The Programme is after innovators to design, test and validate solutions that enhance the tournament experience while delivering sustainable and lasting benefits for volunteers, communities and tournament stakeholders. Applications close 15 November 2026.

French sportstech company VOGO has received approval by FIBA, the International Basketball Federation and world governing body for basketball, for its Instant Replay System. Specialising in video replay and communication solutions for professional sport, VOGO develops technologies designed to support referees and match officials in their decision-making, while improving the smooth running and efficiency of operations during competitions.

ASICS and the University of Michigan have announced the opening of AMSI Lab, a new academic research and development laboratory on the University’s Ann Arbor campus. The lab supports the ASICS Michigan Sport Innovation Center (AMSI), a joint research program established through a broader research collaboration between the company and university announced in December. AMSI Lab, ASICS’ first industry-academia innovation lab, is designed to create a more direct path from university research to real-world sport innovation and product development.

General Atlantic, a leading global growth investor, and 32 Equity, the strategic investment vehicle of the National Football League, has announced a global strategic partnership to pursue growth investment opportunities across the sports industry. General Atlantic and 32 Equity aim to advance new ways for people to experience and engage with sports, broaden access across markets around the world, and back innovative companies developing new technologies, platforms, and experiences shaping the industry’s future.

Manchester sports technology company Rezzil has raised $US 10 million in fresh funding, with the Premier League extending its backing and Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jobe Bellingham joining a growing list of football investors. The Premier League first took an equity stake in Rezzil in 2024 as part of a four-year partnership centred on virtual and extended reality products using official league data. Rezzil uses player and ball movement data to create performance insights, broadcast graphics and interactive products.

The NBA will make what it calls the biggest investment ever into European basketball when it starts a new league there in 2027. The planned October 2027 launch date of the new league - a merit-based one where teams can play their way in by qualifying from other leagues - remains in place. EuroLeague owners rejected an initial offer earlier this month from the NBA to merge into a single European operation.

Bodø/Glimt is looking to boost their commercial revenue by investing in technology and innovation, combining a new data infrastructure with EDGE Case Ventures, its tech partnership platform. The initiative is designed to move the club beyond simply buying technology. Through EDGE, startups and established companies can develop, validate, and demonstrate products within the Bodø/Glimt ecosystem, while the club gains access to new technology, expertise, and new revenue streams.

Online running retailer SportsShoes.com and AI biomechanics platform Ochy launch a free online AI gait analysis tool that provides runners with a comprehensive analysis of their running form on a 10-second video filmed on their phone. A full report is returned in under a minute, with personalised recommendations for shoes and exercises to improve any weak points identified in the analysis.

The global value of sports media rights reached a record $US 65.82 billion in 2026, up 15% on ‌2025, according to the SportBusiness Global Media Report 2026. The growth in 2026 was driven by the FIFA World Cup and the Winter Olympics. The National Football ⁠League and the National Basketball Association, account for 30% of all the global media ⁠rights value between them. 

The FIFA World Cup 2030™ marks the 100th anniversary of the world’s largest soccer tournament, and Netflix will exclusively broadcast every match to fans in Spain and Andorra. With defending FIFA World Cup 2026 champion Spain serving as one of the competition’s three host nations — alongside Morocco and Portugal.  Netflix will be the exclusive home of the FIFA Women’s World Cup in the United States and Canada in 2027 and 2031.

Paramount has completed its $US 113 billion takeover of Warner Bros Discovery, creating one of the world's biggest entertainment and media companies. For audiences, it means an enormous catalogue of movies and television shows is controlled by one company. Paramount Skydance is now a huge player in movies, television, streaming and news. For Australia it also brings together two businesses already serving Australian audiences, with Paramount's Network 10 and Paramount+ joining Warner Bros Discovery's HBO Max.

CBS Sports and TNT Sports are now much closer to becoming a single entity after Paramount, the parent company of CBS, settled an antitrust lawsuit with a dozen left-leaning states. The settlement, though not yet announced, paves the way for Paramount's $US 110 billion acquisition of TNT Sports parent company Warner Bros. Discovery to move toward a closing, as the lawsuit had been the last major obstacle. Notably, Paramount will not be forced to sell any television networks or production studios acquired in the deal, including CNN, as part of the settlement.

The connected fitness giant, Peloton, unveiled three new treadmills and a host of AI-powered running features, marking one of Peloton’s biggest moves under CEO Peter Stern. Peloton is making its biggest-ever push into the running and treadmill markets, the company’s latest move to be known as more than just a bike company. This week Peloton unveiled three new treadmills, including a foldable model, along with a host of new AI-powered running features such as form-tracking.

The NBA has launched the sixth edition of its startup program NBA Launchpad. Over the past five years, 27 companies from 9 countries have come through the program and collectively closed 100+ deals with NBA and WNBA teams, with many direct partnerships with the league. Priority areas include fan connection, media, officiating, player health and wellbeing, youth basketball and Asia sports experience. Applications close 16th October.

Aussie sports fans have been watching on intently when the NFL’s first-ever regular-season game in Australia hit Melbourne last week. But sports marketers and sporting codes should be scrutinising it through a different lens – there is so much to be learnt from the NFL’s approach to the fan experience, broadcast and the commercial engine that makes the NFL one of the most valuable sports properties in the world. The NFL has more than 10 major technology partners across a range of categories from AI to Cloud, Cybersecurity and many more. A quick scan of major Australian codes shows none has a true AI partner, and most don’t have a technology partner at scale.

Tottenham Hotspur are taking a more hands-on approach to finding their next generation of commercial partners, launching a venture platform which will bring growing businesses inside the club before they reach the traditional sponsorship stage. Hotspur Labs, created with The Players Fund, will target venture-backed companies between Series A and Series C and give selected businesses access to Tottenham’s audience, technology and commercial infrastructure.

Stan Kroenke’s deal to buy the Los Angeles Angels capped a summer with an unprecedented level of action in sports M&A, with more than $US 30 billion in franchises trading hands in the four biggest U.S. leagues. Since the start of June, sale agreements have been reached for the Seattle Seahawks ($US 9.6 billion), the Los Angeles Lakers ($US 12.5 billion), the Minnesota Timberwolves ($US 4.5 billion) and now the Los Angeles Angels ($US 4 billion). The Lakers sale, should it close, would be the most expensive team sports deal ever. There are a number of reasons why sports M&A appears to be accelerating. Major U.S. leagues have scarcity value, and there are tax benefits that come alongside their acquisitions. More recently, some investors—like Lakers buyer Joshua Kushner—are looking at sports as an area of the U.S. economy that might be more insulated from the pending upheaval from advances in AI. 

Smart ring maker Oura has filed for a US initial public offering (IPO).  Revenue climbed 74% to $US 1.21 billion over the first nine months of the fiscal year. Bloomberg reported that the listing could value Oura above $US 16 billion. The product is a sensor-equipped ring worn on the finger. Optical sensors read blood flow, heart rate, body temperature and movement through the night. The app then converts that into daily sleep, activity and readiness scores.

Sportz Interactive has acquired Magnifi, an AI-powered video clipping and content platform, as the sports technology company looks to expand its FanOS product stack and international presence. Sportz Interactive has been operating for more than 24 years and works with over 150 leagues, federations, broadcasters and teams globally. Magnifi's technology is designed to identify, clip and distribute sports moments in near real time, an area that has become increasingly important for broadcasters, leagues and digital platforms looking to push highlights quickly across multiple channels.

The USTA and Kalshi announced a groundbreaking partnership, making Kalshi the first Official Prediction Market Partner of the US Open. The partnership comes amid the rapid growth of prediction market agreements across tennis and professional sports. Kalshi has millions of users, and tennis-related trading volume on the platform is up 25x YoY.

The Orlando Magic has announced that DAZN, the world’s leading sports entertainment platform, will serve as the Magic’s exclusive direct-to-consumer streaming partner for the 2026-27 season. Live games, alternative feeds, and original content through a new team-branded subscription service will launch on DAZN later in September. 

MOGL, an AI-powered athlete Influencer Marketing platform working with 30,000 athletes, has launched a free AI Athlete Assistant designed to help college athletes manage name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals from initial requirements through final payment. The launch comes as NIL payments are projected to reach $US 4.5 billion in the 2026-27 school year, up 60% from the previous year. The tool is built to address the administrative load NIL deals place on athletes who are also managing schoolwork, training, travel, and competition, where each deal can bring its own requirements, deadlines, approval workflows, and payment questions.

Recently launched BlackSun Private Equity, with principals from the world of politics, sports and entertainment, is launching its first fund with $US 1 billion raised so far. Ambitious projects include creating the new World American Football League, where players would own equity in teams, as well as Knockout Fights, a boxing and martial arts platform. The fund will also be looking at investments in media and entertainment, IP, fintech and commercial real estate.

Ultrahuman, an Indian startup best known for making smart rings, has raised $US 70 million in a new funding round that includes backing from Qualcomm's venture arm, as it looks beyond sleep and health tracking to build a ring that can run software on the device and eventually power everything from AI interactions to games. The round values Bengaluru-based Ultrahuman at $US 365 million. Ultrahuman is also working with Qualcomm on a new ring that will use the U.S. chipmaker's silicon.

Enhance, a Dubai-based personal training software platform for high-value, low-price (HVLP) gyms, has raised $US 18.2 million in equity and debt funding as it aims to scale in the U.S. market. Founded in 2018, Enhance provides software that’s designed to help gyms increase their personal training revenue. Globally, the company says it supports 15,000 personal trainers and over 500,000 booked PT sessions per month, while its revenue has grown at a 65% compound annual growth rate since 2019.

EverPass Media, a premier media and technology platform delivering premium live sports content to commercial businesses, has announced a multi-year commercial distribution agreement with Netflix that will bring Netflix's NFL content to commercial establishments nationwide. Through the expanded agreement, commercial venues will have access to Netflix's full NFL slate. The 2026 lineup includes the NFL's Week 1 Melbourne game, the first-ever Thanksgiving Eve game, two Christmas Day matchups, a Week 18 game and NFL Honors — the league’s annual awards show during Super Bowl week.

Global sports subscription heavyweight DAZN has signed a deal to acquire EverPass Media, the platform that delivers live sports content to commercial businesses. Through the acquisition, a platform called DAZN for Business is being launched, with EverPass to rebrand under that name once the tie-up is completed. The list of major EverPass shareholders – including RedBird Capital Partners, TKO, and 32 Equity – will now become DAZN shareholders.

Applications are now open for the Burnley FC Innovation Hub's second year, a six-month accelerator where selected startups pilot their products directly inside the club's Premier League operations. This year's focus areas are AI, sustainability and women's health and performance, a shift from year one's split between football performance and fan experience tools. The inaugural cohort placed Camb.ai, Mantis XR and Piing into live pilots with the club.

Leading youth sports management platform TeamSnap, and XbotGo, a leader in AI-powered sports cameras, have announced that the companies' fully integrated live streaming experience is now available to all organizations, teams, and families on TeamSnap ONE. The integration connects XbotGo's Falcon, the standalone all-in-one AI active-tracking team-sports camera in native 4K, directly into TeamSnap ONE. Users can live stream from the same app they use to manage their season, and follow the action automatically.

The global consumer wearables market is forecast to generate more than $US 1 trillion in revenues cumulatively between 2026 and 2032 as consumers shift towards more capable, higher-priced devices, according to Counterpoint Research’s Global Consumer IoT Wearables Tracker 2024–2032F. Smart hearables and smartwatches will remain market leaders, backed by large user bases, emerging health tracking features and AI-driven use cases.

Rapiscan®, a global leader in security inspection and integrated security hardware and software solutions, and a division of OSI Systems, Inc. has announced it has been named the Official Provider of Physical Screening and Security Technology Hardware/Software Solutions of the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games and an Official Supporter of Team USA. o Rapiscan will support one of the largest and most complex sporting events in the world through advanced security technology hardware and software, integrated security platforms, and physical security operational expertise. 

Telestream, a global leader in media workflow technologies, has announced a strategic partnership with ScorePlay, an AI-powered media infrastructure company, bringing together industry-leading live ingest with best-in-class sports media management. Already supporting some of the world’s premier international sporting events, professional leagues, and major broadcasters, the combined Telestream and ScorePlay workflow makes every captured moment immediately available, enabling rights holders to engage audiences, activate sponsors, and maximize the value of every sporting moment.

In August, LALIGA will become the world’s first national professional football competition to roll out ‘Connected Ball’ technology on a large scale, deploying it across all LALIGA EA SPORTS matches, integrated alongside VAR and SAOT technologies. The introduction of the Connected Ball will also enable the creation of xBALL, LALIGA’s new official data layer, which will serve as the foundation for future innovations in broadcasting, digital technology and match analysis. At the heart of the system is a radio-frequency sensor developed by KINEXON and integrated into the official PUMA match ball.

ProphetX, America's first federally regulated sports-native prediction market, has announced the close of a $US 35 million fundraising round to accelerate its product development, boost liquidity across markets, and scale its B2B platform and partnerships. Unlike sportsbooks, which are single-dealer models designed to profit when consumers lose, ProphetX is a true peer-to-peer exchange where users set their own prices, trade directly against one another, and pay a thin, transparent commission.

Major sports leagues have quietly become some of the most sophisticated venture builders in tech. Through dedicated programs like the NBA Launchpad, NFL’s 32 Equity, MLS Innovation Lab, and accelerators tied to the English Premier League and others, they are no longer passive sponsors. They are piloting, investing in, and scaling technologies that directly shape athlete performance, recovery, officiating, fan experiences, media production, and new revenue streams. The model is powerful because leagues offer something few VCs or corporates can: real-world testing environments with elite athletes, live games, massive datasets, and direct pathways to adoption.

With nearly half of TikTok’s more than a billion users following basketball, TikTok, the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) have announced a new global content partnership spanning both leagues. The multi-year agreement combines creator access to events and highlights with live-game discovery through TikTok GamePlan, and advertiser opportunities with TikTok Pulse Premiere.

Hudl has announced that Titan GPS data now lives natively inside Hudl. This is the most significant update to the Titan product since its launch, and the first time any athlete tracker has been fully integrated inside Hudl.com. This new feature gives coaches without dedicated sports science staff the complete picture of athlete performance.  Physical data linked to Hudl Focus video, housed in one place, connected within one workflow - without the need to switch between apps. Video integration is live today for soccer, with American football to follow soon.

Marquee, an AI-based decision layer for sporting teams has announced that they have raised $US 6.5 million in total funding, backed by investors like Axel Springer SE, Well-tech Ventures, Apex Capital, AnD Ventures, 97212 Ventures and JCP.  Marquee connects the systems that clubs already use every day and turns all that information into helpful insights within seconds. It takes millions of pieces of data and turns them into shortlists, detailed scout reports, tactical breakdowns, and market analysis - all written in easily conveyable language. The solution is used by over 20 clubs across soccer and basketball.