Sportstech & Member News

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.

NBA team owners are expected to discuss an initiative to launch a professional basketball league in Europe during meetings this week. The proposed league would be comprised of eight to 10 teams generating up to $US 3 billion in annual revenue. Franchises in cities such as London or Paris could sell for at least $500 million, according to Sportico. 

The Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) has awarded Queensland University of Technology (QUT) the country’s first gold tier status under the Elite Sport Education Network (ESEN). The ESEN is comprised of AIS-endorsed universities, TAFEs and other education providers who have committed to supporting elite athletes, coaches and officials for the duration of their course of study. The gold, silver and bronze ratings have been introduced to the ESEN to help athletes, coaches and staff balance a career in sport while pursuing higher education.

Embraced by skiers and snowboarders since launching in 2020, Nobody’s Princess has enjoyed fast track global growth by addressing a once neglected market of females wanting both form and function in a size that fits their body. Today the brand announced its first professional athlete sponsorship and bespoke design. Nobody's Princess will be designing the Vanuatu Winter Olympic uniform for Jeanne Crane-Mauzy who is a freestyle athlete competing originally for the USA and now for Vanuatu as a dual citizen.

A new 63,000-seat stadium will be built at Brisbane's Victoria Park for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Gabba, once touted as a future Olympic stadium, is now set to be demolished after the Games to make way for urban renewal. The cost of the stadium, which is set to host the athletics and opening and closing ceremonies, is yet to be announced, although the 100-day review said it would come in at an estimated $AUD 3.785 billion. A new national aquatic centre with a Games capacity of 25,000 and multiple pools will be built at the Centenary Pool at Spring Hill. The cost of the Games is set to climb from $AUD 7.1 billion to $AUD 8.8 billion.

Smart mouthguard manufacturer HITIQ announces a strategic shift to focus on the consumer market, targeting amateur and community-level athletes of all ages across a variety of sports with its new HITIQ PROTEQT system. This direction is reinforced by a significant milestone: a three-year partnership with the Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA), naming HITIQ as the VAFA’s ‘Official Concussion Technology Partner.’ HITIQ PROTEQT integrates proven elite-level technology—previously validated by partners like Monash University and Virginia Tech—into an accessible, boil-and-bite smart mouthguard. 

Colosseum Sport, Startup Nation Central and Accelab have partnered to launch the Global Sports Tech Startups Program to strengthen the sports innovation ecosystem in Morocco and Israel, leveraging the momentum of the 2026 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2030 FIFA World Cup. Up to 10 Moroccan and Israeli startups will complete the 3-month online curriculum which will help them to enter and expand in local and regional markets, and foster innovation and collaboration between entrepreneurs in the sports technology sector. 

CAPE has two studies in work with NASA and SpaceX. NASA plans to use CAPE's 3D scanning technology in space so astronauts can accurately and easily identify how they change shape in microgravity. Further NASA work, and the SpaceX study, are looking into compression garments to protect against orthostatic intolerance (fainting) when returning to Earth, and management of blood flow when entering microgravity.

Paramount Australia and SportsPick Live have revealed a new multi-year partnership aimed at increasing football viewership across venues in Australia, an action that aims to enhance the sports presence in a local landscape in settings such as pubs, clubs, casinos, and gyms. The partnership with Paramount Australia, the home of Australian football, grants commercial venues the distribution rights to Paramount’s exclusive and extensive package of domestic and international football matches.

Queensland University of Technology have announced a number of upcoming initiatives to drive sports technology and innovation in Queensland. This includes the Sport Innovation ProtoComp with QUT Sport students starting 28th March and AusCycling Esports National Championships to be held on 11th April. QUT will also host a Sports Innovation Community of Influence roundtable which will explore key challenges and unlock opportunities to accelerate technology adoption in sport.

World Athletics has partnered with ECAL, the leading provider of calendar marketing solutions, to ensure fans don’t miss a single moment of the World Athletics Indoor Championships held in Nanjing from 21-23 March. This collaboration brings convenience and personalisation to the fan experience, allowing attendees to sync the entire championship schedule or favourite events into their digital calendars.

Ahead of the 2025 Guinness Women’s Six Nations Championship, IDA Sports and Guinness have announced a game-changing collaboration for women in sports – the IDA x Guinness “Never Settle” Cleat, the first-ever soft-ground cleat  engineered for female athletes. The partnership brings together IDA’s expertise in creating female-specific footwear, while reinforcing Guinness’ support of women athletes and women’s rugby with their iconic branding. As the first female-specific soft-ground model available, the cleat features strategically placed metal studs to deliver exceptional traction on wet, natural grass.

The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) has announced a series of new international media partnerships, significantly expanding its global reach ahead of the 2025 season. With coverage spanning over 130 countries, the new deals ensure broader access to live matches and highlights across key international markets. ESPN has secured exclusive rights in Mexico, Central America, South America, Brazil, the Caribbean, the Netherlands, and Sub-Saharan Africa. For Australian audiences, Optus Sport has acquired exclusive rights to all NWSL matches and highlight packages, ensuring full coverage for fans across the country.

Sportradar, a leading global sports technology company focused on creating immersive experiences for sports fans and bettors, announced that it has agreed to acquire IMG ARENA and its global sports betting rights portfolio. IMG ARENA’s portfolio will enhance Sportradar’s content and product offering and further strengthen its strategic position as a leading content provider in the most bet upon global sports, including tennis, soccer and basketball.

Racquet sports facility operations platform Playtomic has raised $70 million in equity and debt in a funding round led by Match Invest. Playtomic, with more than 6,000 partner clubs across 63 countries, is well-established in Europe, the Middle East, South Africa and Latin America, and derives most of its business from padel. Playtomic plans to fuel expansion by administering loans to burgeoning padel clubs to scale their businesses in exchange for those clubs adopting Playtomic’s platform. Playtomic is developing new modules where players can connect with coaches and build leagues, in addition to finding facilities and booking court time. 

Football Australia has announced a groundbreaking, world-first partnership with Live Graphics Systems (LIGR) and its parent company, Crionet. The partnership will centralise the live production and distribution of over 3,500 games annually from state league level to flagship national competitions, such as the National Premier Leagues, the Hahn Australia Cup and Australian Championship. LIGR will provide technical broadcast management, live monitoring and end-to-end operational services across Football Australia’s multi-camera and single camera productions, including the integration of automated (AI) camera workflows at selected venues.

PlaySpark has announced the launch of a new gaming platform specifically for athletes. The platform brings a unique gaming experience that connects fans directly with the athlete, allowing for interactive engagement and exclusive content. With NIL (name, image, likeness) opening up endless commercial opportunities for athletes, PlaySpark gives them an avenue to create their own games and leverage their IP allows for deeper connections to their fans and also powerful sponsorship opportunities. 

PlayHQ has announced a landmark partnership with Basketball England, marking its first major collaboration in the UK. This strategic move will see PlayHQ provide a single, unified technology platform to support grassroots basketball across the country, streamlining operations and enhancing the experience for players, coaches, clubs, administrators, and volunteers. The solution will feature seamless registrations and membership management and simplified payments, competition scheduling, and real-time scoring.

United Sports, a company focused on improving sport globally through elevating standards for coaching, performance, and wellbeing has announced a partnership with Squash Queensland. All Squash Queensland Coaches have access to 3 new Squash specific modules focused on i. injury risk reduction, ii. load monitoring and management and iii. coaching fundamentals.

Genesis Fitness Clubs have launched its first Recovery space in Kelmscott, Perth. The pilot site redefines what wellness and recovery looks like within a big box gym setting. The Recovery space has been carefully curated to support our members’ health, performance and wellbeing, featuring Infrared Sauna, Red Light Therapy Room, Meditation Pod, CryoLounge+, Recovery Boots, HydroMassage, Massage Chairs and Massage Guns.

Most gyms rely on entry control systems to understand member usage, but those systems only tell you when members visit – not how they use your facilities. Newport Live, a leading charitable trust in Wales, wanted to move beyond guesswork and anecdotal evidence to truly understand how their members were using their flagship Station gym. By implementing the TwinLabs Gym Twin, Newport Live gained real-time insights into equipment and space utilisation. The data uncovered surprising trends - like the popularity of certain treadmills just because of their view of the TV, and how the free weights area was busiest on weekends despite assumptions otherwise. With hard data in hand, NewportLive is now making informed decisions on equipment upgrades, space allocation, and staffing - ensuring they invest where it matters most to their members.

Buffalo Bill safety Damar Hamlin (who suffered from cardiac arrest after he was hit in the chest during a game in 2023) is backing a recently launched venture capital fund that is targeting personalized and preventative healthcare startups. Former Baltimore Ravens star Ray Lewis, like Hamlin, is on the board of the One Eight Capital fund, which is looking to raise $US 100 million by the end of the year. One Eight Capital has already raised $US 50 million with roughly $US 5 million deployed across three companies: Nucleus Genomics, healthcare service Sollis Health and fitness company VitalSpark AI. One Eight Capital looks to invest in roughly 50 early-stage companies once it closes.

Digital physical therapy platform Hinge Health has filed for an Initial Public Offering (IPO), aiming to trade on the NYSE. Last valued at $US 6.2 billion in 2021, the company has secured around $US 1 billion from investors and expects to raise $US 500 million in its offering. Hinge serves over 532,000 members across 2,250+ clients. Leveraging AI-powered motion tracking tech, Hinge automates and personalizes musculoskeletal care while reducing human labor hours by approximately 95%. It offers an FDA-cleared wearable e-stim device for pain relief alongside treatment programs, which have expanded to include women’s pelvic health and fall prevention.

When Chelsea’s owners began a complete overhaul of staff and operations at the club, shortly after taking over in 2022, they identified data science as an area the Premier League was significantly trailing American sports. Using one complex system they can assess every player in each position, using hundreds of data points, and make recommendations for who fits best together, based on strengths and weaknesses, in different formations and tactical systems.

Sportvot, a pioneering cloud-powered sports production platform that has transformed grassroots and sub-elite international sports streaming coverage, is officially launching its operations in Australia. SportVot announced it has added Table Tennis Australia to its list of clients. SportVot provides high quality, affordable broadcast services for over 30 sports, across 20 countries and has produced over 300,000 matches. The business offers flexible and feature rich live production, as well as the creation of fast turnaround post-match clips and highlights that are now key to driving fan engagement and commercial outcomes. Tim Anderson has been appointed as SportVot Australia’s Managing Director, solidifying Sportvot’s commitment to elevating sports broadcasting in the region.

DAZN, one of the world’s leading sports entertainment platform, has announced a multi-faceted, long-term strategic partnership with LIV Golf. Through the partnership, DAZN has also secured the exclusive broadcast rights for LIV Golf in Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Portugal and Switzerland, strengthening LIV Golf’s global reach, alongside the LIV Golf+ service. The LIV Golf+ service on DAZN will make LIV Golf available to millions of fans in more than 200 markets around the world to enjoy on a free, ad-supported basis on DAZN’s platform.

Blind and low-vision fans of the Phoenix Suns will now have the opportunity to enhance their home game experience. The Suns have teamed up with OneCourt and Ticketmaster to become the third professional sports organization to provide OneCourt’s haptic display at PHX Arena. Powered by Ticketmaster, the device transforms real-time gameplay into trackable vibrations that fans can follow live through their fingertips. Using generative audio and haptics, users can track everything from score updates to the ball’s location. The device even indicates when a player shoots, and if the shot goes in, the hoop will vibrate twice.

The United Football League announced that it is launching a new technology-focused innovation division this season – FAST – Football Advancement through Sports Technology. Designed with the intent to advance the game of football, FAST will work with both established and emerging sports media and technology companies to test and launch innovations and services that will improve the sport. FAST will provide its technology partners with access to over 600 players and coaches for testing and development. In addition, the division will provide to those partners executive guidance, football specific expertise, operational support and experimentation.  

Champion Data, a pioneering sports data company based in Melbourne, has acquired UK-based specialist sports brand agency WORKS, a global leader in high-end sports event dressing and broadcast design packages. This move marks a significant milestone for both companies, bringing together industry-leading expertise in data analytics, broadcast graphics, and creative design to deliver enhanced next-generation solutions for sport globally. WORKS creates solutions that engage global audiences through brand identity development, event branding rollout, broadcast and motion design and has worked on more than 420 global events, including 57 World Cups and 35 European finals.

Football's global governing body FIFA has partnered with AI technology firm Magnifi to transform how fans experience match highlights and key moments across its digital platform FIFA+. The collaboration will leverage Magnifi's artificial intelligence capabilities to deliver real-time highlights, crucial match moments and personalised player clips to football supporters worldwide. The technology will be deployed across more than 600 matches in the first year, processing approximately 1,200 hours of content.