Sportstech & Member News

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. 

Baseball has always been a game of numbers, but the modern era is pushing analytics into a new stratosphere—thanks to advanced technology like Sportradar’s Synergy platform. Currently used by every Major League Baseball team, Synergy is transforming scouting, player development, and talent discovery on a global scale. The Synergy platform seamlessly integrates video and performance data from players of all levels—from amateur leagues to professional.  Powered by artificial intelligence and computer vision, Synergy enables teams to uncover hidden patterns, predict player trajectories, and improve training regimes. The system is also used by the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) and the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO).

Asus has unveiled its VivoWatch 6 Aero, the world's first fitness tracker that can measure blood pressure and electrocardiogram (ECG) at the touch of a finger. The watch instantly measures blood pressure and ECG (used to detect atrial fibrillation) through wristband sensors. The watch also captures the usual health-tracking, like monitoring SpO₂, heart rate, steps, calories, and sleep quality. 

Sideline Sport partnership with NSW Rugby TV has delivered over 100 games live and on demand across Sydney metro and regional New South Wales over the weekend. Sideline Sport is utilising Broadercaster which provides a multitude of different production models, including traditional onsite camera and cameraman, to remote operator controlled cameras, through to fully autonomous AI based vision capture. Broadercaster allows sports to promote and control their brand, while delivering a professional streaming experience to key stakeholders including participants, fans and sponsors.

SportBox has announced a partnership with Department of Sport, Racing and Olympic and Paralympic Games to help more Queenslanders get active, more often. As part of the Queensland Government's ActiveKIT initiative, SportBox are preparing to roll out 25 brand-new smart lockers across Queensland, designed to support active lifestyles and encourage outdoor play. These lockers will offer free access to sports equipment in key locations, making it easier than ever to play, move, and connect with others.

SportVot and FrogBox have announced a strategic partnership bringing FrogBox's cricket highlights solution to the Indian market through SportVot's local network of grassroots tournaments. FrogBox is now the official highlights partner across several grassroots cricket tournaments powered by SportVot. 

Healthtech start-up Superpower, co-founded by 24-year-old Australian Max Marchione, has raised $US 30 million in a Series A round led by Forerunner Ventures. Two years after its founding, the deal values the company at more than $US 300 million. Superpower is building what it calls the world’s first “health super-app,” selling diagnostics, personalised health protocols and 24/7 care for $US 499 a year. The membership includes a bi-annual lab testing that analyses over 100 blood biomarkers and combines data with AI and physician oversight to create personalised plans.

PMY Group (PMY), a global leader in technology solutions for sport and major events, has acquired UK-based EVENT360, a premier producer of match-day entertainment, immersive stadium ceremonies, and live experiences. EVENT360's impressive client roster includes UEFA, NFL International, Six Nations, the Rugby Football Union, the Football Association, Arsenal Football Club, and SailGP. Under the acquisition, EVENT360 will be rebranded and integrated into KOJO, which is PMY’s global experience division, enhancing the company’s ability to deliver technology-driven fan engagement and world-class live event production.

Strava, the app for active people, announced it will acquire Runna, a UK-headquartered tech company developing personalized running training plans and coaching. The deal is part of Strava’s ongoing initiatives to innovate for its 150+ million registered users and represents deep investment in Strava’s API developer community. Over 100 training apps currently connect to Strava’s API in order to provide users with enhanced features and functionality. 

WSC Sports, the global leader in AI-driven sports content automation, has acquired Infront Lab’s Engines 365 and will add the solution to its offering, further helping sports organisations manage and deliver digital experiences. Beyond the acquisition, WSC Sports and Infront will continue to collaborate on OTT streaming solutions and consultancy services for sports rightsholders based on the combined technology stack.

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.

The Global Institute of Sport (GIS) and the University of Newcastle have announced a landmark partnership to establish a cutting-edge sports university campus in Sydney, leading the charge to develop talent for Australia’s rapidly expanding sports industry through the golden decade leading up to the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Champion Data have partnered with Netball Australia, Fox Sports and HCF Australia to create the HCF Team Health Score, a first-of-its-kind metric giving fans a real-time view of their team’s overall match health. Developed by Champion Data, the Score goes beyond traditional stats to capture the physical, mental and support elements that influence performance on court.

Tennis Australia has formally launched Beyond Tennis powered by Infosys, a gaming application designed for tennis fans as well as Gen Z gaming enthusiasts. Within the gaming application users will be able to step into the shoes of a player’s coach or agent in turn guiding the careers of AI-powered tennis players. This gaming application will witness the world’s first AI-driven tennis league. Alongside being a Digital Innovation partner for Tennis Australia, Infosys will also own a team within the AI-driven league, the Infosys Aces. Tennis Australia has also partnered with OneFutureSport, a Melbournebased company, to capitalise on its creative technology, and digital expertise.

The Australian Flying Disc Association (AFDA) and GameDay has announced a new partnership to deliver digital solutions to enhance membership, competition, and event management across the sport. AFDA will be implementing GameDay’s Passport Registrations, Competitions, and Live Scoring products that aim to streamline operations and improve the experience for players, officials, and administrators. In addition, AFDA is set to launch a brand-new website through Stack Commerce, further enhancing its digital presence as part of the broader Stack Sports ecosystem.

AFLW players are stepping up as role models in a groundbreaking new program set to inspire thousands of young Queensland girls through sport and education. The Brisbane Lions, in collaboration with Playbk Sports and supported by the Queensland Government’s ActiveKIT initiative, launched Inspire, a first-of-its-kind digital education program housed on Lions Learning—the club’s new online platform. The Inspire Program is designed to empower young girls aged 13-18 by providing leadership, body confidence, health, and physical activity education, guided by elite AFLW players who serve as mentors and role models.

Catapult has announced the launch of Vector 8, marking a major leap forward in athlete performance monitoring. With Vector 8, teams can make precise real-time decisions with an live experience, save time with faster and more efficient workflows, and get a clear picture of athlete performance through a completely new user experience. The Vector 8 athlete monitoring system includes a wearable device, fastest power dock ever built, a receiver and relay network that covers 120 athletes across a 400 x 400 metre field and a new App with live and post-session sync, integrated data and video, and AI-powered performance insights.

In the rapidly evolving landscape of competitive gaming and mind sports, maintaining integrity has become increasingly complex. As AI systems grow more sophisticated, the line between human and machine capabilities continues to blur, creating new challenges for platforms committed to fair play. Checkmate Live has announced a significant step forward in addressing these challenges. It has become the first competitive gaming platform to implement a machine-readable Fair Play Protocol for artificial intelligence and large language models (LLMs).

Former ASTN Chair, Co-Founder and Lifetime recipient James D has been nominated for a CYDIA Award for his contribution to sports. These awards will be presented on the final evening of the Cyprus Diaspora Forum 2025 on 10th May 2025.

The method for measuring first downs in the NFL will switch from chain gangs to camera-based technology in 2025. The official use of Sony's Hawk-Eye virtual measurement system, consisting of six 8K cameras for optical tracking of the ball's position, was announced at the annual league meeting. The system notifies on-field officials of the measurement's outcome, with virtual recreations of the measurements produced in real time for the in-stadium crowds and broadcast audience.  

Follow Me AI announced the first commercial implementation of our Kinelitics™ technology platform, by the Queensland Academy of Sport (QAS). After an exhaustive international scouting process, the QAS selected Follow Me AI to co-design, develop and host a Talent ID mobile native app that harnesses the capabilities of our core platform. Our Kinelitics™ platform enables large-scale remote testing of fitness and mobility, by delivering a battery of industry-accepted testing protocols through a standard mobile device and AI Computer Vision. 

Computer visioning running analytics platform, VueMotion, has announced that it has been rigorously validated against industry-leading tools, confirming its accuracy and reliability in performance analysis. VueMotion’s instantaneous speed measurement is as precise as the gold standard, providing coaches and athletes with accurate speed data that they can rely on for performance analysis. VueMotion has been validated against Criterion Laser system (timing gates) for instantaneous speed validation, OptoGate for sprint metrics such as ground contact time, step length, step velocity, and flight time, and Vicon for indoor motion capture of key-points' trajectories.

A smartphone app capable of screening a brain in less than 60 seconds is being used in the battle against concussions. The rollout follows a highly successful clinical trial of the Braineye technology involving almost 350 AFL players in 2022. The tool has changed the way players at the Southport Sharks in the Victorian Football League (VFL) deal with concussions. Players are asked to follow the dot on the screen while artificial intelligence gathers information on the speed and reaction time of their eye in less than 60 seconds. 

DAZN, one of the world’s leading sports entertainment platform, has announced the completion of its acquisition of Foxtel Group, marking a major milestone in its expansion into the Australian market. Foxtel Group, Australia’s premier subscription television provider, will continue to operate as a standalone business while benefiting from the UK-based DAZN’s global reach, market-leading technology, and investment in sports entertainment innovation. Foxtel, Kayo Sports, BINGE, and Hubbl will retain their brand identities, continuing to produce the world-class programming, sports coverage and entertainment.

The European Business Angel Network (EBAN) is the European association for business angels and other early stage investors. EBAN Sports is the dedicated community within EBAN focused on early-stage investing int he SportsTech sector. EBAN Sports organises knowledge exchanges, dealflow showcases and networking activities intended to drive the growth of SprotsTech early-stage investing across Europe.

FloSports, a global sports media company focused on passionate, underserved sports communities, today announces the successful closing of its Series D funding round,  led by Dream Sports, a leading sports technology company based in India. This round brings total funding raised by FloSports to more than $US 100 million to date. The investment will be used to fuel FloSports’ growth through content acquisitions that will expand the company’s sports portfolio. The investment follows the most successful year in FloSports history with 40,000 live events streamed, reaching more than 23 million viewers 

PlayOn, the premier fan engagement platform for high school sports, announced the acquisition of MaxPreps, a leading source for high school sports schedules, scores, statistics and rankings. This strategic acquisition from CBS Sports, a division of Paramount Global, will transform the high school fan experience and streamline the high school sports ecosystem by providing student-athletes, coaches, and fans with an unprecedented level of engagement, coverage, and accessibility.

Australia and New Zealand startup sportstech companies, Refbook (AU) and Glory League (NZ), have commenced an integration and commercial alliance that will enrich the community basketball officiating digital ecosystem. The integration functionality will provide a seamless solution for curating and accessing game vision to facilitate the coaching and wellbeing of officials at the grassroots level.

Leading sports management platform PlayHQ has launched AnalyticsIQ. AnalyticsIQ will deliver real-time insights, AI reports, and interactive dashboards for grassroots sports. The tool will provide deeper insights on player / member registrations trends, tracking and retention as well as an AI-driven grading solution

Apple Health+ is taking on Dr. Google. The tech giant is developing an AI-powered “doctor” inside a revamped Health app. According to Bloomberg, the new service could roll out with iOS 19.4, offering personalized health insights, food tracking, and doctor-led video content. Known internally as Project Mulberry, the initiative pulls data from Apple Watch, AirPods, iPhone sensors, and third-party devices to create a proactive wellness coach.

iReel and Sports Cloud Australia have announced a partnership to accelerate the growth of generative AI for sports.  Together, the companies plan to harness the power of Generative AI to transform how leagues, clubs, media organisations, and rightsholders build advanced digital ecosystems, and unlock new opportunities for engagement and commercial growth. iReel partners with the largest sports data and technology companies, turning complex forms of data into the natural language of sport. 

At major events, accessibility isn’t just about ramps and elevators—it’s about ensuring every fan has a comfortable and enjoyable experience. That’s why, at this year’s Australian Open, PAM worked closely with event organizers to highlight sensory rooms in the tournament’s digital navigation platform. Through PAM’s eXplorer Maps, guests could effortlessly find their way to these rooms via the tournament’s website or app—helping create a more inclusive and welcoming Grand Slam experience for all.

Rely and SIGPA (Sports Integrity & Governance Partners) announced a partnership to deliver a practical and affordable solution for managing integrity matters in Australian sport. This partnership reflects SIGPA's shared commitment to help sporting organisations at all levels adopt best-practice processes for managing complaints under the National Integrity Framework.

K-Sport, a global leader in athletic performance tracking technologies, has today completed the acquisition of 67% of SPT – Sport Performance Tracking, an Australia-based company with over eleven years of activity in the Australian market and operating in the United States since 2018. This strategic move marks a key milestone in K-Sport’s international expansion, providing direct access to the English-speaking markets through a well-established and recognized brand in the sport-tech sector.

Private coaching platform One on One Coaching was created by former Richmond, Brisbane and Gold Coast midfielder Andrew Raines in 2018, but has quickly become a side hustle for AFL assistant and development coaches. One on One Coaching exploded during COVID-19, expanding from just Queensland and Victoria to now be in every capital city in each state and territory. There were approximately 50 coaches involved in 2020. That number has grown to more than 250.

There’s a growing wave of sports content moving into creator territory, and Playback wants to be at the center of it. The livestreaming startup just raised $US 22 million from backers including Alexis Ohanian’s Seven Seven Six, Khosla Ventures, and NBA Investments. It’s making a serious play to become the go-to platform where sports creators and fans watch live games together. The platform lets creators host live watch parties of NBA and MLB games, backed by official partnerships with League Pass and MLB.tv.

 Feldspar, the UK-based technology company, announced the successful completion of early-stage testing of the first functional prototype of a sensor-enabled, high-performance running track. This cutting-edge innovation, powered by AI and real-time data analytics, is set to redefine track technology, providing both physical advantages for athletes and data-driven insights for coaches, broadcasters, and fans. 

Approved updates bring Flag Football and Lacrosse into Los Angeles along with several Olympic events into the Valley for the first time in history, while achieving significant cost savings and bolstering fiscal responsibility, improving athlete and fan experience, and maximizing use of world-class existing venues.

Venue and event management software company, Momentus Technologies, has partnered with CAST (Centre of Arts, Sports & Technology) to offer an opportunity for startups and scaleups innovating within the entertainment sector. Selected companies will showcase their solutions at this year’s 32nd Asia-Pacific Venue Industry Congress, held at ICC Sydney from 22nd-24th June 2025. This collaboration will spotlight four early-to-mid-stage companies, giving them the chance to present their innovations in front of VMA’s 1,000 members, representing 300 venues from 16 countries.

South Australianbased sportstech company MyVenue, has gone live with its POS terminals for food and beverage transactions at one of the world's busiest stadiums, Dodgers Stadium. The POS solution will also provide back office inventory & reporting platforms. MyVenue was selected by Dodgers Stadium after a RFP and pilot process.

The Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) has released new National Science and Research Priorities for High Performance Sport to help guide science, research and innovation initiatives ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic and Paralympic Games. The document highlights the importance of technology in relation to performance optimization, competitive equipment, and strategic insight.

The National Basketball Association (NBA) and the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) announced their joint exploration of a new professional men’s basketball league in Europe that would bring the sport to more European fans and accelerate the game’s growth across the continent. The NBA and FIBA will continue discussions that began more than a year ago with prospective investors, teams, arena developers and commercial partners.

In recent years, Saudi Arabia has rapidly expanded its global sports footprint through billion-dollar investments and high-impact partnerships — all aligned with its Vision 2030 strategy to diversify the economy, boost global influence, and become a sports and entertainment powerhouse. Just in Q1 of 2025, we've seen a wave of major deals and potential investments. This includes Saudi's Public Investment Fund's subsidiary SURJ Sports Investment $US 1 billion minority stake in DAZN, a $US 5 billion proposed investment by PIF into a basketball league that will span Asia and Europe, a potential $US 500 million investment in a new Global T20 Cricket League and $US 300 million by SURJ into One Cycling, envisioned as a 'Super League' for cycling.

The Government of South Australia's Department for State Development in collaboration with the Australian Sports Technologies Network (ASTN) and Helix Group will host a 2025 South Australian Sports Technology Showcase on 10th April. The Sports Technology Showcase will be held during SA’s bustling 2025 Gather Round Festival, celebrating the creativity, innovation and leadership of South Australian companies already servicing the sports sector, or those that are keen to explore.