Sportstech & Member News

Future of Sport Lab (FSL), Canada’s premier SportsTech accelerator, announced the selection of ten innovative startups for its acclaimed incubator program. This year’s cohort features a diverse range of ventures spanning AI, athlete training, fan engagement, wearable technology, and athlete wellness, including several Canadian-founded companies and a startup led by former NHL star Mike Weaver and Canadian Olympian Jill Moffatt.

DoubleTake Sport hosted the broadcast services for the inaugural Trans-Tasman Throwdown on behalf of TEG Sport, Basketball Australia, and Nine. The three-game series, held in Adelaide, the Sunshine Coast, and Hamilton (NZ) in early May, featured the Boomers and Opals taking on the Tall Blacks and Tall Ferns, and was broadcast in Australia on 9Go!, in New Zealand on Sky, and to viewers worldwide. The broadcast provided Multi-camera coverage, live stats integration with FIBA LiveStats/Genius Sports, remote production and commentary, courtside commentary and hosting with full production integration.

US Sailing, the national governing body for the sport of sailing in the United States, has announced a new multi-year partnership with Zhik, global leader in high-performance water wear. As the Official Technical Apparel Supplier for the US Sailing Team, Zhik will provide cutting-edge gear designed to enhance athlete performance on the water, with a focus on innovation, comfort and endurance.

Komo Technologies has officially become a Comcast Technology Solutions (CTS) Partner. CTS collaborates with best-in-class tech innovators from around the globe. This partnership underscores the strength of Komo’s platform to deliver seamless, scalable, and cutting-edge engagement solutions to the media and entertainment industry. CTS has nearly 80 partners globally across areas such as content delivery, video analytics and media production.

PMY Group has been announced as the Global Technology Partner for the inaugural World Technology Games - a groundbreaking event launching next year. The celebration of science, technology and human ingenuity will showcase the brightest minds and talent through thrilling competitions such as drone racing, autonomous driving, and much more. As Global Technology Partner, PMY will deliver the event’s technology, content, and data solutions.

Tradable Bits has signed a league-wide deal to build fandom and supercharge sponsorship efforts with Northern Super League (NSL), the new Canadian professional women's soccer league launched this past month. Tradable Bits will provide data acquisition, analysis, and activation solutions at the league and team levels. The NSL joins Tradable Bits' rapidly expanding roster of league-wide clients that includes Rugby Canada, Australian Football League, Northern Basketball League, Netball Australia, Netball New Zealand, and East Asia Super League.

EngageRM, a leading provider of business and marketing automation, CRM, and data analytics solutions, has announced its acquisition of Power’d Digital, a comprehensive first-party channel platform. The integration of Power’d’s first-party channel capabilities will empower EngageRM’s platform to deliver even more personalized and data-driven fan interactions.

The South Australian Sports Institute, University of South Australia and Sportmatch have partnered to provide students an opportunity to experience a day in the life of a professional athlete as told by the athletes themselves. The experience also provided exposure to a high performance sporting environment and the tools of the trade that sport scientists use to create the greatest athletes on the world stage. The organisations launched the 'Discovering Greatness' program with Loreto College Marryatville this week.

A research team from the Chair of Biomechanics at the University of Bayreuth examined the soles of more than 100 running shoes. The results revealed that over a third of the heel areas were poorly designed and may therefore contribute to the risk of injury for runners. Using four measurement parameters, the Bayreuth researchers examined 112 shoes from various manufacturers.  the researchers found that 38% of the 112 tested shoe models were either over-designed (too little cushioning due to excess hardness) or under-designed (too little cushioning due to excess softness).

Virtually Human Studios is launching a reworked version of its digital horse racing game ZED Run as ZED Champions on the Base blockchain. ZED Run, once among the most recognisable blockchain games, saw a sharp decline in activity and trading volume by early 2025.  Zed Champions is a digital horse racing game that maintains core ideas from Zed Run—such as breeding and competing with virtual horses—whilst modifying the underlying mechanics. The game will launch with 4,320 digital horses, each tied to a balance of $ZED tokens.

Mumbai-based Dream Sports invests $US 50 million into Cricbuzz and Willow TV (both owned by Times Internet), gaining a minority stake in cricket's global media ecosystem. Cricbuzz and Willow TV collectively have 185 million monthly users across more than 150 countries. Cricbuzz is a cricket media platform whilst Willow TV is a North American cricket broadcaster. Dreams Sports investments intend to provide more real-time analysis and statistics, engagement and commerce integrations and AI-driven predictions.

Champion Data and LIV Golf have won the 'Best Use of Fan Engagement Tech by a Sports Organisation' category at prestigious STA Awards. The judges were impressed by the platform’s clean execution and clever tailoring, which brought fans closer to the action without overloading the experience. Others nominated for the category included BatFast and ECB, Infosys and Roland Garros, National Basketball Association (NBA) x Monterosa, and Supertri and The British & Irish Lions.

The France sports technology market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 20.7% from 2024 to 2030, reaching approximately $US 3.46 billion by 2030. Initiatives like France 2030 are accelerating this growth with billions in innovation funding, while the Paris 2024 Olympics provided a catalyzing widespread tech adoption. As of early 2025, France hosts a vibrant sports tech ecosystem with approximately 681 companies operating in this sector. Among these, 96 have secured funding, collectively raising over $US 1 billion in venture capital. 

Queensland-based smart sports locker concept SportsBox has announced that it going global. The concept that makes sports equipment more accessible to communities around the world is expanding into 10 countries through a combination of pilots, partnerships and distributors. The expansion includes the USA, UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Singapore, Malaysia, Portugal, Spain and Brazil. With support from the Queensland's Department of of Sport, Racing, Olympic & Paralympic Games (via the ActiveKIT Program) SportsBox is currently rolling out 25 lockers across Queensland. 

YouTube will stream the NFL's Week 1 game in Brazil to a worldwide audience for free, the NFL has announced this week. The Los Angeles Chargers are scheduled to play at Corinthians Arena in Sao Paulo on 5th September. Their opponent will be revealed when the NFL releases its full schedule Wednesday night. This will mark the first exclusive NFL game to be streamed live and for free in its entirety on YouTube and YouTube TV.

iReel has announced a partnership with Sportlogiq to advance performance intelligence. This collaboration brings together Sportlogiq’s industry-leading tracking data and performance insights with iReel’s cutting-edge Generative AI platform. The partnership enables teams, leagues, and media organisations to uncover deeper layers of analysis and redefine how sport is understood, presented, and optimised. Sportlogiq, is a global leader in AI-powered hockey analytics and a pioneer in computer vision across elite sport.

PMY Group has been named the Official Technology Partner for Grand Slam Track™, the global home of track competition launched by four-time Olympic champion Michael Johnson. PMY powered Grand Slam Track’s inaugural Slam in Kingston, Jamaica, in April, and will continue to provide best-in-class technology management, integration and support events in Miami (May 2–4), Philadelphia (May 30–June 1), and Los Angeles (June 27–29), as well as those in the years to come.  PMY will provide tailored technology solutions including connectivity, network coverage, audiovisual systems, surveillance, event communications and on-site tech support.

Techtel, a leading independent broadcast technology systems specialist in the Asia-Pacific region, has announce a new distribution partnership with Cartoni, a globally renowned manufacturer of professional camera support systems. This agreement sees Techtel become an official reseller of Cartoni products across Australia, expanding its portfolio of premium equipment for the broadcast, film, and live production sectors.

Basketball Queensland (BQ) has announced a step forward in its commitment to developing athletes and coaches through the integration of state-of-the-art Hudl video technology. BQ’s continued partnership with Hudl has seen Hudl Focus Indoor cameras installed across all courts at BQ’s home base, complemented by the portable Hudl Focus Flex used for offsite high performance events. The fully automated system will automatically record high-definition video from optimal angles.

Body scanning app and ASTN premium member, 3D Measure Me, has been nominated for the People's Choice Small Business category award at this year's AUSactive National Awards Program. The People’s Choice Award allows the public to support their favorite nominees. Voting closes 16th June, with the winners announced at the AUSactive National Awards Gala on 19th September.

Dream Sports and Microsoft have partnered to enhance India's gaming market, leveraging Dream Sports' extensive user base and Microsoft's AI expertise. The collaboration, announced at WAVES 2025, aims to publish Microsoft's gaming titles locally and develop AI-driven gaming experiences tailored for Indian gamers. This initiative taps into India's booming $3.8 billion gaming market, which boasts 600 million gamers.

SportsEngine Play has agreed to a multi-year extension with Pixellot, accelerating the NBC streamer’s efforts to activate game streaming from youth sports facilities across the U.S.  SportsEngine Play will continue to help sports facilities of all sizes reduce their financial barriers of entry to streaming by offering a live and on-demand solution at no cost. The platform serves a constantly growing list of more than 10,000 facilities. 

WHOOP, the human performance company, has launched WHOOP 5.0 and WHOOP MG, two next-generation wearables designed to unlock a new approach to personal health and longevity. The devices offer 14-day battery life in a seven percent smaller form - and introduce category-defining features, including Healthspan with WHOOP Age, Heart Screener with on-demand ECG and Blood Pressure Insights.

Since adopting VueMotion's AI-powered biomechanical analysis in 2022, the Minnesota Vikings have seen a continuous decline in lower body injury rates, bucking the league-wide trend. In the 2024 season: The Vikings ranked top 3 in the NFL for fewest games missed due to lower body injuries — well below league average. They were #1 in the league for the lowest number of players missing consecutive games due to lower body injuries. By integrating VueMotion into daily player monitoring, injury rehabilitation, and performance optimization, the Vikings not only protected their players but preserved millions of dollars in player salary and competitive advantage.

Cool Beans Underwear was featured on the Today Show during the NRL Magic Round in Brisbane. Founder Saara Jamieson shared her journey, how Cool Beans is different and why the NRL chose to work with Cool Beans as part of the NRL Magic Round Tech Sprint.

Rookie Me have announced a partnership with NZ Rugby. Rookie Me will conduct a talent search program for the Black Ferns, New Zealand's female rugby team. In June 2025 Rookie Me will be conducting four regional Testing Combines across Wellington, Christchurch, Hamilton, and Auckland with the top 30 athletes invited to a national Combine.

Tennis Australia has launched the next edition of its AO Startups program. AO Startups accelerates elite founders through priority access to the Australian Open and professional and community sport. It provides a unique opportunity for startups solving large problems in sport, health and entertainment to build, test or pilot on the world stage with Tennis Australia and the Australian Open. AO Startups are seeking exceptional founders across four key areas - the quantified human, the event experience, the padel and pickleball experience and  the 'wildcard' (anything in sports, entertainment, health and sustainability). Applications close 28th May 2025.

The Gold Coast Sportstech Open Innovation Challenge has been launched to build meaningful partnerships with one of Australia’s most progressive semi-professional sporting organisations the Southport Sharks. The challenge focus areas include, enhancing player safety, elevating performance, driving sports innovation and community and fan engagement. The program is powered by the ASTN Invest Gold Coast and Southport Sharks, and is supported by the Gold Coast Health & Knowledge Precinct. Expressions of interest close 18 May, with a 6-week program kicking off on 22nd May. 

Unrivaled Sports, US's leading youth sports experiences company announced a strategic investment by DICK'S Sporting Goods which led the company's latest funding round. The strategic investment of $US 120 million will help to deliver and expand best-in-class youth sporting experiences, programs and destinations for young athletes across the nation. In the last year Unrivaled has built a national footprint across 30 states through acquisition, now hosting over 600,000 young athletes and nearly 2 million family members and fans.

ASICS has announced the launch of Run Concierge, a collaboration with Boston-based startup Neurun. Run Concierge is a first-of-its-kind AI-driven platform that integrates the latest advancements from Google Maps and Google Cloud to serve as a personal AI running guide. Run Concierge will debut later this summer across Race Roster’s and Njuko’s extensive network of racing events in North America, Europe, and Australia.

Worldwide leader in event venue point-of-sale (POS) technology, MyVenue, has signed a partnership and majority investment by family office and growth equity firm, Greater Sum Ventures (GSV). Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The partnership offers MyVenue additional capital and specialized resources to accelerate global growth and R&D initiatives, and fuel its in-house software development and leadership teams.

Fanstake recently raised $US 6.25 million in seed funding to continue building a platform that lets college sports fans crowdfund potential NIL payouts as a way to entice athletes to attend their school. Fanstake CEO Greg Glass foresees schools needing to find new revenue sources to pay their players and fund their athletic programs. Courtside Ventures led the latest funding round, with participation from the likes of Will Ventures and Scrum Ventures.

After months of deliberation and back-and-forth disputes, DAZN is set to end its Ligue 1 broadcast rights agreement after just one year into a new four-year deal. DAZN will pay the LFP €100m to exit the agreement, as well as the remaining €140m it owes to the organisation for the final two instalments. A DAZN statement sent to L’Équipe informed that there was an exit clause within the contract with Ligue 1 and LFP, and also revealed that the French football league is now focusing on developing a direct-to-consumer (DTC) streaming service. 

Little Athletics Australia and Playbk Sports joined forces to launch a first-of-its-kind eLearning partnership designed to revolutionise volunteer training and elevate the experience of more than 89,000 young athletes across the country. At the centre of this national collaboration are two flagship digital courses: Introduction to Teaching Little Athletics Skills (ITLAS) and Tiny Tots. These initial offerings mark the beginning of a broader digital learning ecosystem, purpose-built to support the Little Athletics community and hosted on a new, custom-designed Learning Management System (LMS).

Next Level Racing®, a global leader in simulation hardware, today proudly announces the launch of the Next Level Racing® HF8 Pro Haptic Feedback Gaming Pad, the latest evolution in immersive gaming technology. Building on the global success of the original HF8, the HF8 Pro introduces over 200% increased torque, 400% more motor power, 60% faster motor RPM, and a new 75fps real-time haptics system, creating deeper, sharper, and faster sensations than ever before. 

Behind every Formula 1 race is a live operating system built to manage the chaos in real time. It’s called RaceWatch and was developed by Catapult and the FIA – Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile through 15 years of collaboration. Every car transmits data through 300+ sensors, every camera feed is integrated, and every metre of track is monitored, allowing officials to build a full picture instantly and act without delay.

Dave Checketts, an influential figure in global sports business, and The Cynosure Group, a diversified private investment firm founded by the Eccles family, announced the formation of Cynosure | Checketts Sports Capital, a new investment vehicle dedicated to investing in high-potential sports opportunities. It also reunites two powerful entities who worked closely to keep the Utah Jazz of the NBA in Salt Lake City over 30 years ago. The fund will target multiple segments of the sports industry including teams, leagues, governing bodies, venues, media and broadcasting and sports technology.

Leading Australian venue point-of-sale specialist MyVenue has partnered with Crypto.com to allow fans to buy food, beverages, and merchandise with cryptocurrency at sports & entertainment venues globally. The technology was made available at the F1 Miami Grand Prix this weekend.

Under the expanded agreement, Genius Sports has been appointed as the exclusive distributor of official NCAA data to licensed sportsbooks for all post-season tournaments, including March Madness, through 2032. Sportsbooks will gain exclusive access to official NCAA data feeds alongside NCAA marks and logos. NCAA LiveStats to remain free for all member schools, delivering trusted, real-time data for over 70,000 games each year. GeniusIQ, a next-generation AI platform, will enhance LiveStats to power real-time analytics, advanced coaching insights, and immersive fan experiences.

The AFL and video game developer Big Ant Studios will launch the code's newest Australian rules football game, hitting the shelves on Thursday, May 8. Named AFL26, the game will follow on from the previous edition, AFL23, but delivering many enhancements. More than 1,200 AFL and AFLW players will be available, with a management career mode allowing fans to take full control of their team from recruiting, drafting and player development.

Drake Star, a global technology focused investment bank and advisory, has released its 2024 Sports Tech Market Report on the industry's financing activities. 2024 marked a historic year for Sports Tech M&A, with over $US 86 billion in total deal value across more than 1,100 M&A, private placement and public market transactions. While the broader M&A market was still recovering from a muted 2023, the sports tech sector demonstrated notable resilience and momentum — a trend that has continued into early 2025.

Australian web3 fitness app STEPN has announce a long-term partnership with the Argentina Football Association—home of the reigning World Champions. This collaboration marks a major step forward for sport and Web3 which will include a series of co-branded Genesis Sneakers, real-life rewards, including signed jerseys and match tickets and a shared vision to inspire the next generation of movers,

New Zealand Rugby League (NZRL) has officially launched on the free coaching and team management app CoachMate. This marks another step forward for NZRL’s digital coaching platform that supports the game’s rapidly growing participation base and dedicated volunteer community. The micro-learning approach makes development more accessible and engaging for coaches at every level.

At the recent Sports Technology Awards in London, both Champion Data and Sportradar won awards. Sportradar won the Best Technology For Coaching and Tactics category. Champion Data and LIV Golf won the Best Use of Fan Engagement Technology by a Sports Organization category. Congratulations to other ASTN members who made it to the finalist list (Box Altitude, LayerCake, MyVenue).

The players union for the USL Super League has partnered with women's soccer footwear company IDA Sports to provide its cleats to all the league's athletes. IDA Sports is the only company devoted solely to soccer footwear specifically engineered for women, based on biomechanical needs. All interested players in the USL Super League will receive IDA Sports Rise Elite cleats for game day. The players will also provide feedback that will help the company with future designs.

Energy drink company Red Bull has launched a CVC arm, Red Bull Ventures. The CVC unit will make early-stage investments in sports and sustainability startups aligned with the parent company’s strategy. Previously, Red Bull had backed innovation indirectly—investing through other VC firms such as Speedinvest, Fund F, Calm/Storm, 3VC, and xista. Now, with Red Bull Ventures, the company is establishing its own platform to directly fund early-stage startups aligned with its brand ethos. While Red Bull has not confirmed the fund size, media reports suggest a target of around €200 million ($AUD 350 million). 

Sports Entertainment Network (SEN) has announced a partnership with Australian Made through its cutting-edge technology, SEN Sync. This collaboration marks a significant milestone for SEN, as SEN Sync becomes an Australian Made licensee, with its source code built in Australia by Project Diamond, SEN’s software development studio. As part of this partnership, Australian Made will be the naming rights partner of SEN Sync across the AFL season, reinforcing the commitment to supporting locally made products and innovations.

Evolt has announced a strategic integration with Technogym, a world-leading brand for fitness, wellness, sport, and health. The integration between Evolt and Technogym will provide customers with a unified, holistic fitness experience, combining Evolt’s body composition analysis with Technogym’s fitness equipment and wellness solutions. Mywellness by Technogym enables collection and tracking of profiled big data from all Technogym digital ecosystem touchpoints and from a wide variety of integrated software or equipment. 

Evolt has announced an expansion into the UK with new distribution partner, Inspace Fitness. This strategic partnership will enable gyms and fitness businesses across the UK to deliver measurable health outcomes, increase client engagement, and grow revenue through advanced body composition analysis.

Hard Rock Bet has launched its latest sports betting tool, Stats Hub, powered by GTG Network. The new Stats Hub provides bettors interesting insights across a variety of sports including the NBA, NHL, MLB, and NFL . Hard Rock Bet is currently licensed and accepting legal bets in eight states in the USA, all of which now have access to the new Stats Hub.