Sportstech & Member News

Following the success of the inaugural watchalong in 2025, the AFL expanded the concept into a two-match creator series in 2026, partnering with Dan Does Footy and supported by broadcast partners 7plus and Kayo SPORTS. The series launched with Fremantle v Sydney, streamed live across 7plus, AFL YouTube and Kayo SPORTS, before returning for North Melbourne v Melbourne, available on AFL YouTube and Kayo SPORTS. Across the two broadcasts, the series attracted more than 250,000 live viewers across 7plus, AFL YouTube, Kayo SPORTS and Foxtel as well as generating over ten million social video views. 

A Melbourne sports tech startup using AI to deliver performance analysis for amateur players has scored a $AUD 3.5 million pre-Seed raise. The round for Superstat was led by Blackbird, supported by Blinq founder Jarrod Webb, and Mindset Health’s founders, Alex and Chris Naoumidis. The platform turns raw match footage into structured data automatically, generating player stats, event timelines and performance patterns. The company is now hiring a founding computer vision engineer and GTM partnerships expert marketing as it moves its operations to Austin, Texas, and scales in the US.

Austrade South Asia | Australian Trade and Investment Commission has a partnered with the Trade Diversification Network and ASTN to deliver a South Asia export strategy workshops. The workshop will be hosted on 3rd August in Adelaide and 6th August in Melbourne, and is also supported by the South Asia Business Exchange (SABX) and Accessing New Markets Initiative (ANMI). The session will provide practical insights on market opportunities, entry strategies and growth pathways in one of the world's fastest-growing technology markets.

Preciser, an AI sports analytics platform, has announced a partnership with Glory League, the automated sports video platform used by basketball associations, clubs, players, coaches, and families across Australia and New Zealand. The integration is designed to make advanced game analysis accessible to everyday basketball players and teams without the need for manual tagging, expensive analyst support, or complex setup. Players, coaches, and teams using Glory League will be able to request AI-generated stats from their game video, make payment, and receive detailed performance data once processing is complete.

Sportslink Travel has been a valued partner of Victorian softball for many years, providing outstanding support in coordinating travel arrangements for Victorian State Teams under the former One Softball model. Softball Victoria are delighted to continue this relationship under Softball Victoria's new federated operating model. Sportslink works closely with our staff and volunteers to coordinate flights, accommodation and travel logistics, ensuring our athletes, coaches and officials can focus on preparing for competition.

Apple is creating a clearer route for neurotech companies to plug into its product ecosystem. Its BCI input standard allows brain interfaces to register as native controls across iPhone, iPad, and Vision Pro, with Synchron and Control Bionics among the first companies building on it. The model extends across Apple’s health stack. External companies develop the sensors, clinical devices, and algorithms, while Apple provides standardised interfaces and access to a consumer hardware ecosystem operating at far greater scale.

Garmin has announced that it has acquired the TrainingPeaks and TrainHeroic training platforms for athletes and coaches. The acquisition strengthens Garmin’s fitness ecosystem with customizable coaching experiences for endurance, strength and performance-focused athletes across every stage of their fitness journey. TrainingPeaks and TrainHeroic are digital services specializing in connecting coaches and athletes of all abilities who are looking to improve. 

Garmin has announced the launch of CIRQA™ Smart Band, its first screen-free smart band that tracks advanced fitness and wellness feature, all without the need for a subscription. CIRQA Smart Band helps provide a more complete picture of overall health. Users can track metrics like wrist-based heart rate, Body Battery™ energy monitoring, Pulse Ox, stress, skin temperature and more and immediately see their data in Garmin Connect. 

ŌURA has banded together with Eli Lilly’s direct-to-consumer (DTC) telehealth platform, LillyDirect, to marry behavioural and pharmaceutical approaches to obesity treatment – marking a further shift away from drug-only methods towards the implementation of a wider obesity care ecosystem. Through this collaboration, the two healthcare players hope to boost access to a combination drug-wearable treatment approach, meaning LillyDirect users will now be able to receive a free sizing kit for the Finnish company’s flagship product, the Oura Ring.

Making ultra-high-density stadium Wi-Fi work as intended (or even just work reasonably well) is probably the most challenging of all wireless networking disciplines: Thousands of fans – today equipped with gigabit-capable devices – packed together within a small area is normally the recipe for a connectivity disaster. But AmpThink and its vendor partners have over the years resolved a raft of tricky problems to the point where stadium Wi-Fi on a grand scale – for example for NFL or university stadiums in the US – has become nothing short of spectacularly successful. 

The LTA and Redrice Ventures, a leading investment firm focused on health, wellness and sport, have announced a strategic partnership to identify, support, and champion innovations that advance the future of racket sports in the UK. It will explore opportunities across sport, media, technology that help grow participation, enhance player performance, deepen fan and community engagement, and create new ways for people to experience racquet sports. Redrice Ventures is led by Sir Andy Murray and Alastair Brownlee OBE.

Future Golf, Australia's biggest and fastest-growing golf community, has announced a landmark partnership with Club Car, maker of leading commercial utility and golf cars. The partnership will deliver to Future Golf's 57,000-strong membership base the opportunity for one lucky member the ultimate on-course upgrade - the chance to win a fully customised golf car. Club Car's vehicles are synonymous with safety, quality, and reliability, and carry the trust of the world's most prestigious golf organisations, including the US PGA Tour, the DP World Tour, the Presidents Cup, and the Ryder Cup. 

As Toronto hosts World Cup soccer, the Government of Canada and City of Toronto have revealed up to C$900,000 in funding to create a new, local sports technology accelerator that will deliver annual programming to as many as 60 soccer and other sports tech startups. The federal government revealed it has committed C$600,000 to the Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) to help establish the Future of Sport Lab x FIFA 2026 Legacy Incubation Hub. The City of Toronto is kicking in up to C$300,000 in additional funding, alongside other contributions from undisclosed private sector and sports organizations, to support its launch.

Queenslanders working and volunteering in community sport are set to access free training, with new CQUniversity pathways to level up game day, development and club operations. Delivered online and available across Queensland, the micro-credentials will improve capabilities and capacity across: Volunteer Leadership and Club Governance, Inclusive and Child Safe Sport Practices, Digital and AI Skills for Sports amd Disability Inclusion and Adaptive Sport Competency. 

The National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) today announced the launch of PLYRS UNTD, a new commercial brand that transforms the collective influence of NBA players into products, partnerships, and global business opportunities. The initiative turns players’ individual reach into collective leverage, working with brands and industry leaders to open doors for new fan experiences, global licensing opportunities, merchandise, content, player/brand collaborations, strategic investments, and more. The new brand will come to life at the PLYRS UNTD Performance Center opening in Los Angeles this summer as an off-season home for NBA players.

Rogers Communications Inc. announced today it has signed an agreement to buy the remaining 25% ownership stake in Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE) from Kilmer Sports Inc. for C$4.35 billion, increasing Rogers ownership in MLSE to 100%. Beyond MLSE, the Rogers sports portfolio includes ownership of the Toronto Blue Jays, Rogers Centre and Sportsnet, the number one sports media brand in Canada. 

SURJ Sports Investment, a PIF company, together with Live Nation and Oak View Group (OVG), have announced the launch of radia, a new joint venture created to support the growth of sports infrastructure across Saudi Arabia through venue management, operations, activations and commercialisation. The joint venture will serve as a strategic platform for SURJ and PIF, combining deep local insight with global expertise to service Saudi Arabia’s growing portfolio of world-class stadiums, arenas and major sports precincts.

Wrestling Australia has announced a new partnership with Playbk Sports to strengthen how the sport develops coaches and officials, using digital learning to support wrestling’s growth in schools and communities across Australia. Through the partnership, Wrestling Australia will develop its own digital learning in sport platform, offering introductory coaching and officiating courses for teachers, schools, volunteers and club communities.

The Australian Sports Technologies Network (ASTN) has reported a sharp acceleration in Australia’s sportstech sector, with revenue growth rising from 10% in FY2025 to 16% in FY2026, reaching $AUD 7.11 billion. Industry employment also expanded by approximately 6% to 20,604 employees, reflecting strong sector growth and rising demand for talent. The Fifth Edition of ASTN’s annual report provides a comprehensive census of Australia’s sports innovation sector, identifying 924 businesses nationwide. 

Melbourne startup Bodd has opened its new headquarters in Prahran. The facility has research labs and workspaces to continue to improve the company’s innovative technology. The company’s 3D scanner captures personalised body measurements. The groundbreaking technology captures more data in 60 seconds than any other product globally. This helps tackle waste caused by alterations and returns on ill-fitting clothes. This is highly valuable to Bodd’s customers including the Australian Institute of Sport, Australian Defence Apparel, the New Zealand Defence Force and uniform manufacturer Stewart & Heaton.

FIBA has successfully concluded its second Tracking Solutions test event to help expand the range of approved solutions available to national teams taking part in the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2026 in Berlin. Under the updated regulation, FIBA Approved wearable tracking solutions may be used in FIBA competitions, provided they are worn safely in the specified mounting position.

India and Australia have launched the India-Australia Sports Collaboration Roadmap, a new framework aimed at expanding bilateral cooperation in sports, athlete development, research and investment under the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The roadmap was unveiled at the Melbourne Cricket Ground during a joint visit by Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of Australia the Hon. Anthony Albanese, and Premier of Victoria the Hon. Jacinta Allan. the roadmap identifies five priority areas: capacity building, sports science and technology, major sporting events, sports industry and investment, and women’s sport.

Versant Media Group, the owner of cable networks including CNBC, MS NOW and the Golf Channel, has agreed to acquire golf simulation company Full Swing from private equity firm Bruin Capital for about $US 530 million in cash. The company’s golf business already owns digital media platform GolfPass and tee-time reservation company GolfNow.

AO Ventures, the venture capital arm of Tennis Australia and the Australian Open, has announced two new investments. As investment into the global sports technology sector continues to grow, AO Ventures has completed investments in Scottish wearable technology company PlayerData and sports media platform ScorePlay, taking the fund's portfolio to six companies.

Listed ASX company Control Bionics has announced details of a $AUD 10 million capital raising. The announcement is designed to bolster the neurotechnology group's balance sheet and accelerator its commercialisation plans across assistive communication, rehabilitation and sports performance markets.

Hudl has announced the acquisition of TeamUp. TeamUp is a gamified athletic fundraising platform. It helps high school and college sports programs raise money through team events. Hudl, a global leader in sports performance analysis and video technology, will now support coaches from their first fundraiser to the final film session of the season. TeamUp pairs gamified fundraising with Hudl’s fan engagement and operations tools including digital ticketing, livestreaming, and registration and team messaging capabilities like scheduling, communication and management. 

Australian research-led education company SHUNT has launched a new eLearning platform that transforms its digital communications insights into practical learning resources for clubs, sporting organisations and commercial partners. At the heart of the platform is a dataset that monitors how Australian sport is using social media. Tracking more than 30,000 sporting organisation profiles, this provides a unique view of how clubs, leagues and governing bodies communicate, engage their communities and create commercial value.

Como 1907 and Como Ventures will launch Data on the Lake this July, a two-day AI hackathon created in collaboration with Google DeepMind, bringing some of the brightest technical minds in sport, data and machine learning to Como. the event will invite data scientists, machine learning engineers, developers and sports technology professionals to work with real football challenges and explore how frontier AI can shape the next generation of club decision-making.

Cricket West Indies (CWI) has officially appointed INTIX as its exclusive ticketing partner on a long-term agreement, as a critical piece of the organisation’s digital transformation strategy. CWI manages a unique confederation of 15 Caribbean nation-states with a singular vision: to make West Indies cricket the heartbeat of the Caribbean. A core pillar of the partnership is unlocking the ability for CWI to collect and utilise valuable fan data. Through the INTIX platform, CWI can interpret fan behaviour from ticket purchasing patterns to stadium usage across each of the venues the West Indies plays at. 

The Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) has secured a record-breaking $AUD 5.3 billion media rights agreement with Foxtel Group, Nine and Sky NZ, establishing the largest broadcast and media partnership in Australian sporting history. The seven-year agreement from 2028 delivers a substantial increase in annual revenue to the game, returns control of competition scheduling and structure to the ARLC, expands access for fans across key markets and creates new opportunities for growth in Australia, New Zealand and internationally.

The Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) announced the closing of a $US 100 million Series E investment round, representing the largest capital raise in the history of professional lacrosse. Proceeds from the financing will be directed across four priorities: expanding media distribution and original storytelling; growing sponsorship and commercial partnerships; deepening investment in the Women's Lacrosse League; and broadening access to youth lacrosse to make the game more affordable and available. The investment is designed to accelerate the league's growth ahead of lacrosse's return to the Olympic stage at LA28.

Victorian sports technology company HITIQ is expanding its advanced manufacturing facility in South Melbourne, strengthening local capability in product development, manufacturing and research and development as it scales its globally recognised concussion technology. Over the past decade, HITIQ has invested more than $30 million in research and development to bring the technology to market. Its products have been developed with and used by major sporting organisations including the AFL, AFLW, NRL and the English Premier League.

Hudl, a global leader in sports performance analysis and scouting, and FIBA, the International Basketball Federation, renew their long-term rights agreement partnership. The multi-year deal covers the Men's and Women's World Cup and Olympic Qualifying Tournaments, and spans every level of the game - from continental and youth championships to club competitions and qualifying campaigns across five global regions. Both data and video from these competitions will be made available via Hudl Instat.

Marvel Stadium is excited to officially unveil Marvel Stadium 365, a new attractions hub. Developed in partnership with global experience leaders and agencies including Imagineear, FutureLabs, and District Agency, Marvel Stadium 365 Tours will elevate the traditional stadium tour utilising cutting edge technology including through AI driven moments.

Comcast said that it plans to spin off NBCUniversal into a separate publicly traded company, the latest shift in an industry grappling with rapid technological change and new consumer habits. The independent NBCUniversal will include the Universal Pictures film studio, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, NBC News, the streaming service Peacock, the cable channel Bravo, a lucrative theme parks division and Sky. Comcast will focus on providing broadband, cable and wireless services to business and residential customers. 

The NUAXION team won the Outstanding Poster Award at the 2026 EdMedia + Innovate Learning Conference held at the University of Edinburgh. Led by founder and startup entrepreneur Ann Stevens, the NUAXION team was recognized for their presentations and research on WEAVR-AI, a breakthrough framework for Extended Reality (XR) training development.

Under the Dubai Sports Sector Strategic Plan 2033, the emirate aims to increase the sports sector’s contribution to gross domestic product from $US 2.77 billion annually to $US 5 billion by 2033, representing an increase of approximately 80 percent compared with current levels. The strategy also seeks to increase attendance at major sporting events from 1.67 million people annually to more than 4.1 million, while raising the number of major sporting events by up to 250 percent over the coming years. The growth is expected to be driven by sports tourism, broadcasting rights, commercial sponsorship, sports content creation and the digital economy linked to sport.

As part of the the 2026 World Cup FIFA are delivering a portfolio of existing and emerging technologies to enhance the overall quality of football on and off the pitch. These technologies include Football AI Pro, Semi-automated offside technology, Referee View, Video assistant referee system, Out-of-bounds technology, Connected ball technology, Goal-line technology and Football video support. 

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is taking its innovation incubator, Launchpad, global with a significant expansion into Asia. This multiyear commitment aims to discover and integrate cutting-edge technologies from the continent's burgeoning tech scene into the world of basketball. Launchpad, currently in its fifth cycle, connects promising early-stage companies with NBA properties for pilot programs, attracting hundreds of applicants for a limited number of slots each year.

Special Olympics International has officially finalised a technology consulting agreement with global venue and major events technical firm PMY Group. The partnership installs PMY as the primary specialist advisory partner to deliver comprehensive games technology consulting services as the international governing body prepares for the 2027 Special Olympics World Games in Santiago, Chile.

AI-driven sports media and sports tech’s Sportway Media Group has raised €20 million, valuing the company at approximately €92 million. The financing was led by Gamma Waves alongside continued participation from existing shareholders. Founded in 2017 Sportway’s platform and managed service enable sports federations, leagues, clubs and media companies to professionally produce, distribute and monetise live sports content at scale. The company has deployed approximately 2,500 AI-powered camera systems across 21 countries, producing more than 250,000 live sporting events each year. 

The Queensland Government has announced what it describes as the largest upgrade to Suncorp Stadium in the venue’s 23 year history, with the headline addition an Australian-first wraparound LED video ribbon suspended from the roof and external media mesh facade screens described as the size of two tennis courts. The headline architectural move is a 360 degree wraparound LED ribbon board that runs the full perimeter of the seating bowl, replacing the existing fixed signage panels. The ribbon is paired with new supersized scoreboards at both ends of the ground. 

The 146th IOC Session may have approved one of the most important governance reforms in the recent history of the Olympic Movement. Much of the attention has focused on the decision to evaluate individual disciplines, and not only entire sports, when determining future Olympic programmes from Brisbane 2032 onwards, but the deeper change goes further. The reform removes from the Olympic Charter the list of International Federations -IFs- recognised within the Olympic programme and grants the IOC greater flexibility in managing it. 

The Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) has partnered with Australian-owned construction group Built to support The Park – the Australian Sports Commission’s innovation hub designed to connect cutting-edge technology with the real-world needs of Australian sport. Through The Park, the AIS and Built will work alongside industry and sport partners to co-design, test and scale solutions that can deliver lasting value – from improved performance outcomes to greater efficiency and sustainability across the sector. 

Australian healthtech Everlab has raised $A 65 million in Series A funding. The oversubscribed round was led by Airtree Ventures (AU), with participation from global investors including Plural (EU) and existing investors Left Lane Capital (US) and b2venture (EU), alongside angel investors including Australian Test captain Pat Cummins. Founded in Melbourne in 2023, Everlab has completed 40,000+ consultations supporting 20,000 individual patients and major corporate partners. Having processed over 21 million biomarker test results, more than 25% of members have had findings flagged that have not been identified through the existing healthcare system.

3D Measure Me has announced a partnership with FITREC which will help fitness professionals track and visualise client progress using a smartphone. FITREC is dedicated to elevating the fitness profession by supporting trainers, coaches, instructors, and exercise professionals throughout their careers. 3D Measure Me is a smartphone-based body measurement platform that enables fitness professionals and their clients to accurately track body composition and physical changes through advanced image analysis technology.

The Queensland Government has secured another major event for Queensland, with a blockbuster Brazil match to mark the Socceroos World Cup homecoming.  Football powerhouse Brazil will play two matches in Brisbane and Townsville, with local club engagement programs, in a major boost for regional tourism. The Government’s plan to become Australia’s events capital is gathering momentum, with the blockbuster international fixture secured as part of its Destination 2045 tourism plan.

Sony Pictures Entertainment has announced its $US 100 million strategic investment in Cosm, a global technology, media, and entertainment company that is redefining the way the world experiences content through its venues and shared reality technology – an immersive experience that bridges the virtual and physical worlds. This investment advances SPE’s focus on experiential entertainment, fandom and technology.

ASTN has once again represented Australia’s sports technology ecosystem in Taiwan through a long-standing partnership with the IAPS NYCU Accelerator. With a record-breaking 87 applications from 27 countries, competition was stronger than ever. Three ASTN member companies have been selected for the final accelerator cohort, highlighting the quality and global competitiveness of Australian sportstech innovation. This includes Minimis, SportsBox and Aircast. ASTN COO Amy Crosland joined international industry leaders in Taipei for the ASPN Sports Tech Accelerator Batch 3 Kickoff Bootcamp.

The Japan Australia Sports & Health Innovation Exchange (JASHIE) has opened expressions-of-interest to join their 2026 Delegation from 9–13 November 2026. The five-day program will take participants to Tokyo, Osaka and Awaji Island, connecting Australian organisations with leading Japanese innovators across sport, health, technology and beyond. The Delegation gives provides access to industry leaders, curated networking, and business matching opportunities - building partnerships ahead of Brisbane 2032. The Delegation is supported by Trade & Investment Queensland, NTT Data, Mizuno, Nakanoshima Qross and JA Network.