Sportstech & Member News

TPG, a leading global alternative asset management firm, has announced the signing of a definitive agreement to acquire Learfield, the USA's leading media and technology company powering college athletics. The company serves as the monetization engine for collegiate sports intellectual property (IP), linking more than 12,000 brands and over 1,200 institutions with an integrated suite of sponsorship and media solutions, ticketing technology, licensing management, name, image, and likeness (NIL) strategy, and AI-enabled data platforming.

It was only revealed a few days ago and yet the Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3 is now a record breaker. Adorning the feet of Sabastian Sawe as he powered his way to a sub-2 hour marathon and new world record at the 2026 London Marathon, this is the lightest racing shoe from Adidas ever, weighing in at an average of just over 97 grams. It’s 30% lighter than the previous iteration of the shoe. It also has a 39mm stack, maximising the cushioning and energy return.  The major change from the Pro Evo 2 is the carbon technology in the shoe has been totally redesigned.

Venues Ōtautahi, New Zealand’s largest venue, event, and culinary services management company, has deployed MyVenue’s point-of-sale (POS) solution at four venues. One New Zealand Stadium, which officially opens this weekend by hosting the Super Round of Super Rugby Pacific, will use 200 MyVenue-powered POS devices to serve fans across concessions, premium clubs, and suite locations. A further 100 devices will operate across Wolfbrook Arena, Hagley Oval, and Christchurch Town Hall.

Melbourne’s epicentre of live events, Melbourne Park, is partnering with global ticketing provider AXS to deliver a world-class ticketing experience for year-round events outside the Australian Open (AO), making it easy for fans to access world-class sport, music and entertainment. As a global ticketing provider, AXS powers the world’s most iconic venues, including The O2 in London, Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, and T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Melbourne-based basketball stats and highlights startup, Superstat, has announced that it has launched in the US. Superstat uses AI and computer vision to analyse basketball game footage, providing automated stats, highlights and insights.

Coachbetter has announced a partnership with Adelaide United Football Club and supporting their Junior Development Program. Coachbetter is the unified operating system for grassroots football clubs that connects club operations and coaching in one system. The Coachbetter solution supports the Academy's coaching staff with tools and insights that help them strengthen their programs and deliver an even greater experience for their players.

Fetch TV has announced a major expansion of its sports lineup with the launch of Unbeaten, a linear sports channel that delivers a wealth of live international action and emerging global competitions to Australian sports super-fans. Unbeaten, owned by Australian sports content company Inverleigh, delivers wall-to-wall sporting action with a primary focus on live competition across football, basketball, combat sport while offering a front-row seat to sports often under-represented in mainstream broadcasting or streaming, making it a compelling alternative for sports fans. 

‍In the world of professional soccer, a hamstring injury can derail a season, and a reinjury can be devastating. For Jamie Blair, Performance Coach for Charlotte FC Crown Legacy second team, finding a way to not just heal the injury but fundamentally correct the underlying movement flaws was essential. By integrating VueMotion into his technology suite, Jamie successfully guided a Charlotte FC player through a hamstring rehab, correcting movement patterns to ensure a rapid, robust, and lasting return to the pitch.

A new executive education program designed to shape the next generation of sports industry leaders is set to launch in June 2026, offering participants a rare blend of academic insight and real-world application at the highest level of global sport. The Executive Edge in Sport, delivered by the Global Institute of Sport (GIS) in partnership with the Rotman School of Management Executive Programs, will provide current and aspiring leaders with the tools needed to navigate an increasingly complex and rapidly evolving sports landscape.

Layercake has announced a strategic integration between its Streamcake platform and Ceeblue’s Media Fabric, a leader in real-time video streaming technology, to deliver end-to-end streaming solution combining advanced workflow automation with ultra-low latency delivery. The integration enables customers to deploy, manage and scale live video workflows with sub-second end-to-end latency. 

Layercake, the company behind the intelligent media orchestration platform Streamcake, today announced the formalisation of its integration with Bitmovin, a leading provider of video streaming infrastructure, as a core capability within its platform. By combining Bitmovin’s encoding, playback and analytics capabilities with Streamcake’s orchestration and automation engine, Layercake enables organisations to design, deploy and operate complete media workflows across the entire content lifecycle, from ingest through to delivery and playback.

Marvel Stadium and General Manager, Scott Fitzgerald, has been shortlisted for two awards in TheStadiumBusiness Awards 2026. This includes Venue of the Year (Marvel Stadium) and Executive of the Year (Scott Fitzgerald). The Venue Of The Year Award recognises the venue that deserves recognition for their outstanding performance over the past 12 months. The Executive Of The Year Award is awarded to the sports venue leader, pioneer or visionary that has consistently over-delivered.

PitchCast has announced its integration with PlayCricket, enabling enhanced digital coverage and engagement for grassroots cricket. The collaboration allows clubs and competitions to seamlessly capture, stream and share matches, providing richer data and content experiences for players, fans and administrators.

Judo Australia has partnered with specialist software and compliance firm, Safeguarding You, to launch an first for Australian sport – Charlie, an AI-powered Concussion chatbot. Charlie will empower judoka, their training partners, coaches, parents, and onlookers to ensure any suspected concussion is assessed against the CRT-6, the current protocol for determining next steps if someone has had a head knock or is simply feeling shaken or unwell.

Tiparra, the Australian digital engagement platform helping clubs, events, venues and destinations build their own branded mobile experiences, announced the release of several major new features designed to deepen audience engagement and unlock stronger commercial outcomes for sporting organisations. This includes fan offers, fan-generated content, prediction activities and flexible news feeds.

The NFL announced today that it is partnering with TMRW Sports to develop and operate a professional flag football league for women and men. The new professional league will launch with support from a broad and influential investor pool, including NFL clubs, established institutional and strategic investors, and current and former NFL players.

Playlist, the parent company of Mindbody, Booker, and ClassPass, has announced the closing of its merger with EGYM, a global innovation leader in smart fitness technology, AI-enabled workout programming, and corporate wellness solutions, establishing the world’s largest full-stack fitness and wellness operating system. The transaction, which included $US 785 million in new equity investments and values the combined enterprise at $US 7.5 billion

Wearable health leader Whoop has announced a funding raise of $US 575 million at $US 10.1 billion valuation which will be used for global expansion. The round was led by Collaborative Funding, and included investments from leading athletes Cristiano Ronaldo, LeBron James, Rory McIlroy, Virgil van Dijk, and Mathieu van der Poel. In the past 12 months, Whoop has received medical clearances and launched blood testing. Whoop are building a personal, preventive health platform powered by continuous biometric data, advanced analytics, and AI to help people understand their bodies and improve their health in real time.

ASTN will be holding a networking event in Perth on the evening of Wednesday 29th April focusing on The Future of Fan Engagement and Stadium Experience. The expert panel includes Cassandra Calleja (The Sports Networker),  Matthew O'Sullivan (Fremantle Dockers), Chris Andrich (VenuesWest) and Dr Martin Schlegel (ASTN - Australian Sports Technologies Network). The panel will explore how technology is reshaping the way fans connect with sport— inside and beyond the stadium.

Former Melbourne Storm fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen has made his first big move since announcing his retirement from the NRL, investing in a mental performance platform. Papenhuyzen is turning his attention to business backing Optimize Mind Performance (OMP), a Sydney founded, now Boston-based, sports-tech startup that provides athletes with mental skills training resources. 

Perth Football League’s A-Grade Men’s and A-Grade Women’s competitions are set for a major upgrade, with remote camera technology from GameFace and Premier Data’s advanced analytics delivering in-depth player stats and professional-level analysis. The system will not only deliver expert, play-by-play statistical breakdowns, but also enable matches to be live-streamed directly via the Local Footy Hub platform.

Leading sports streaming technology company Layercake has won the SPORTEL Pitch Perfect Innovation Contest in Singapore, as part of the SPORTEL Conference. Layercake's solution, Streamcake, reduces infrastructure costs to ultra-low latency live event delivery for sports.

Global sportstech advisory firm, SportsTechX has released the 9th edition of the Global Sports Tech Ecosystem Report 2026. The report focuses on some of the structural shifts reshaping the sportstech industry, including consolidation of the industry, changes in direct-to-consumer broadcasting and the re-emergence of the competitive running sector.

Teamworks, a leading global sportstech company powering more than 7,000 elite sports organizations globally, has announced the acquisition of Pro Football Focus (PFF)’s enterprise (B2B) business. The acquisition includes PFF's proprietary game event data and analytics platform that NFL teams and collegiate football programs rely on daily.

WearOptimo’s hydration sensor, in the first human trial, has achieved initial proof of concept has already outperforming the clinical gold standard of blood draws. The results caught global attention and led to deeper collaboration with Rolex through its Perpetual Planet Initiative, which supports explorers, scientists and organizations creating practical solutions to global challenges. Rather than chasing the consumer market straight away, founder Mark Kendall focused on where the technology could save lives and drive change - mining, defence and elite sport.

As part of Nike and WSL Football’s multi-year partnership, Sportable’s Connected Ball and advanced tracking technology will bring new levels of performance insight and data to women’s football within the matchday and training environment. The Barclays Women’s Super League is the first football league in the world to use the technology. Sportable’s FIFA certified Connected Ball technology will be integrated into Nike’s Official Matchballs, with player-tracking systems to be deployed in Barclays WSL matches. 

ASTN has delivered two masterclasses to SportWest and its members in Perth. The sessions focused on educating sports organisations on the fast-evolving development of technology and AI in sport. The masterclasses introduced a roadmap to help build capacity and capability in the digital transformation journey as well as provide an overview of AI in Sports and an introduction to a responsible-use framework and AI tools. 

Stadium operators, Venues Ōtautahi, the Christchurch City Council-owned events, venues and culinary business, have launched their partnership with world-leading digital navigation providers PAM. The smart maps include full navigation across the city with travel times and directions. PAM provide wayfinding services to some of the biggest sporting events in the world including the PGA Tour, Formula 1, and Australian Open, along with a large number of the world’s biggest stadiums including Hard Rock Stadium and Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium.

Populous’ Brisbane team has today been appointed as the Principal Architect for the Moreton Bay Indoor Sports Centre with new artist impressions offering a look at the future Olympic and Paralympic Games venue and community hub. Slated as a venue for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games with up to 10,000 spectator capacity, the new Moreton Bay Indoor Sports Centre will feature 12 multi‑use indoor courts designed to support the growing demand for indoor sports across the Moreton Bay region, including basketball, netball, volleyball, futsal, pickleball and wheelchair rugby.

The Queensland Government has announced that the new 63,000 seat stadium being built for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games at Victoria Park will be situated in a "central position" near Gilchrist Avenue in Brisbane .Earlier this year, the government announced it had selected Australian firms Cox and Hassell to design the stadium, alongside Japanese group Azusa Sekkei. The firms worked on Perth's Optus Stadium and redeveloped the Adelaide Oval and the MCG. The stadium is slated to cost about $AUD 3.6 billion, and forms part of the $AUD 7.1 billion infrastructure plan for the 2032 Games.

Online coaching platform PlayBook Coach has announced a netball partnership with Rebel Sport across south-east Queensland. Customers will receive an $80 vouhcer to redeem a PlayBook Netball Coaching session with the purchase of a pair of ASICS Netburner shoes.  

In a stadium or live environment, AI should do two things: it should improve operations (time, cost, reliability) and lift commercial outcomes (conversion, per-cap, premium utilization). Both depend on reliable data across the venue. If the inputs aren’t trusted, the outputs won’t be either. According to PMY Group, where AI becomes particularly interesting in stadiums and venues is in connecting the physical environment with digital insight. The biggest opportunity is using real-time signals so operators can act during a live event, not after.

Genius Sports has announced a new multi-year integrity, technology and AI partnership with the Pac-12 Conference to power the next generation of sports betting, integrity, fan engagement and monetization, and performance analysis in college sports. As part of the agreement, Genius Sports will deploy GeniusIQ, its data and AI platform, in every venue across Pac-12 football and men’s and women’s basketball competitions, creating a single, intelligent foundation for tracking data and video capture, real-time insights, and commercial activation.

Pickleball Australia has announced a new partnership with United Sports, a specialist sports education platform, to bring educational online coaching modules to their members. Through this partnership, United Sports will develop six online coaching modules, each tailored specifically to pickleball and aligned with current research and best practice. 

Supercars has partnered with Champion Data and WORKS to deliver new data-driven storytelling through a new fully integrated broadcast graphics package across the Supercars Championship 2026 season. Created in close collaboration with Champion Data's design agency WORKS, the project includes a complete visual overhaul for the 2026 season, spanning on-screen graphics, openers, animations, transitions, track maps, touchscreen integrations, and commercial assets.

Champion Data have announced the appointment of Travis Auld as Chair of the Board. Travis brings a wealth of leadership experience across elite sport and major events. He currently serves as CEO of the Australian Grand Prix Corporation and previously held senior roles at the AFL, Gold Coast Suns, and Essendon Football Club.

CVC Capital Partners has raised $US 4.3 billion for its Global Sport Group (GSG) division after reportedly agreeing a complex financing deal with Pimco and KKR. The agreements value GSG at around $US 8.1 billion. The division was launched by CVC in September 2025 to host its multibillion-dollar sports portfolio, which includes investments made in soccer’s LaLiga and Ligue 1, the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), Volleyball World, as well as Prem Rugby, the United Rugby Championship (URC) and the Six Nations.

EngageRM has announced it has been enrolled into Microsoft’s FastTrack Portfolio Partner program, a strategic collaboration framework designed to accelerate customer success and ensure architectural excellence across Microsoft Dynamics 365, Power Platform and Microsoft Copilot Studio implementations. It means EngageRM is currently the only sports technology company globally participating in Microsoft’s FastTrack program. 

Evolt Health has announced a new partnership with Life Fitness and Hammer Strength that brings advanced body composition intelligence into the connected fitness experience. This collaboration connects Evolt’s body composition technology with Workout Intelligence powered by AugieAI within the Life Fitness Connect app. By combining physiological data with AI-powered workout guidance, the integration allows training recommendations to adapt to each member’s goals, fitness level, and progress over time.

JA Network has welcomed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Queensland Government and the organisers of the Japan Australia Sports & Health Innovation Exchange (JASHIE), marking the official commencement of long-term collaboration in sport, health and technology innovation in the lead-up to the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games and beyond. The MOU formalises cooperation between the State of Queensland, acting through the Department of Sport, Racing and the Olympic and Paralympic Games and the Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation, and the JASHIE organisers: Mizuno Corporation, Organization of Future Medicine (Nakanoshima Qross), and JA Network.

McLaren has announced the launch of an exciting new venture, McLaren Golf.  This launch will extend McLaren’s DNA, built on decades of experience in elite motorsport and supercar engineering, into a new category, led by a dedicated team of golf-industry experts and world-class engineering minds.

The NRL and Advance Queensland are collaborating on a three-year Innovation Partnership that aims to help the NRL solve some of their pressing challenges through Queensland innovations. The NRL Magic Round Innovation Partnership aims to support Queensland-based businesses to refine and adapt their technologies to meet the needs of the NRL, its clubs and/or its partners, and address real-world industry challenges. In 2026, the partnership will deliver the NRL Magic Round Tech Showcase during Magic Round on Friday, 15 May 2026. Queensland-based organisations are invited to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) to exhibit under one of two streams. Applications close 30th March.

ShotQuality, the AI-enabled real-time performance intelligence platform used by sportsbooks, market makers, and quantitative trading groups, has announced a partnership with Kalshi, the first federally regulated prediction market exchange in the United States. Kalshi and ShotQuality will work together around real-time event intelligence and structured data generation for live events and broadcasts.

FrogBox is set to enter the New Zealand market bringing automated video capture, live streaming and shareable highlights to community cricket across the country. The expansion builds on the recently announced partnership between Frogbox and PlayHQ which will see the two platforms working together to deliver an integrated competition management, scoring and streaming experience for cricket communities.

Hockey New Zealand has officially launched on the free coaching and team management app CoachMate, marking an important step forward in supporting the country’s volunteer coaches and strengthening the delivery of community hockey. The launch forms part of Hockey NZ’s ongoing commitment to building a nationally aligned coaching environment that helps coaches develop, grow and inspire the hockey whānau.

AO Ventures has announced a further investment in Mindspring Padel, strengthening its partnership with one of the most innovative companies helping accelerate the global expansion of padel. The follow-on investment builds on AO Ventures’ initial backing of the company in early 2025 and reflects the exceptional progress Mindspring has generated as demand for padel infrastructure continues to grow rapidly across international markets. 

The DGTO was introduced in 2022 and will head to a review next year. Many Australian game developers are hopeful it will continue to make an impact, and even be expanded for the years to come. Australia’s DGTO was introduced in 2022 as a means to reduce the tax burden on local Australian game development studios, in recognition of their contributions to culture and the arts. All studios with expenditure of $500,000 or above are able to claim a 30% refundable tax offset, with cost-savings transferred back to the business, to reinvest in new and more ambitious projects. Glinda Games was created to take specific advantage of the cost-saving offered by the DGTO, with the business built around supporting Australian developers.

Genies, an AI avatar technology company powering the next era of interactive digital identity, and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) have announced a licensing partnership to offer Genie avatars for NBPA member. This opens up new ways for players to connect with fans across games and apps. Through the collaboration, Genie avatars may be licensed to developers to create games and apps, supercharged by Genies' developer ecosystem.

LALIGA has joined as a partner of the GSIC powered by Microsoft's Groundbreakers Challenge. The Challenge is a platform designed to connect leading sports organizations with startups and technology companies capable of solving real industry problems. Illegal streaming continues to undermine the value of media rights, impacting leagues, clubs, broadcasters, and ultimately the sustainability of the sports ecosystem. LALIGA and GSIC are looking for innovative companies developing technologies that can help with this problem. Selected companies will have the opportunity to pitch live at the PEAK SportsTech Conference in Las Vegas in April, in front of global leaders from sport, media, technology and investment.

Layercake has partnered with the Victorian Institute of Sport (VIS) to deliver a unified digital ecosystem designed to support elite athlete development while strengthening community engagement.  The platform combines a dynamic public website with an integrated Learning Management System (LMS), providing more than 400 athletes across 45 sports with seamless access to training resources, education, and performance tools.