Steve Ballmer has some tech-fueled ideas to change the way we watch sports. Speaking at Recode’s Code Conference on Tuesday, the former Microsoft CEO shared his vision for how sports fans may one day watch games at home. “I think there’s such an opportunity to change the way people experience sports by using technology,” Ballmer said. Ballmer’s NBA team, the Los Angeles Clippers, will partner with Los Angeles-based startup Second Spectrum to release a new product that overlays the traditional TV broadcast with new data and animations largely driven by artificial intelligence. Led by two former USC professors, Second Spectrum has built… Read More
Seattle is the fastest-growing big city across the U.S., but a potential new income tax would sway folks away from the area and negatively affect its bustling business ecosystem. That’s what Steve Ballmer told KIRO Radio this week, with the former Microsoft CEO noting how an income tax, which is currently moving through city council and would target Seattle’s wealthiest residents, could cause an “unfavorable business climate.” Ballmer said the income tax would “cause people to think about moving jobs elsewhere” away from Seattle, which he described as “a center of talent in the tech industry.” Ballmer also opposed a proposed statewide income tax, I-1098, in 2010.… Read More
Peloton, the freshly-minted unicorn company that makes $2,000 high-tech spin bikes, is opening up a showroom in the Seattle area. According to the company’s website, the showroom will be in the Bellevue Square Mall. Peloton is hosting a launch party for the new studio June 8. Peloton just closed a $325 million Series F funding round, at a $1.25 billion valuation, led by Wellington Management, Fidelity Investments, Kleiner Perkins and True Ventures, with participation from GGV Capital and Comcast NBCUniversal. Wall Street Journal cited Brian Smith, an analyst with Piper Jaffray, who expects the value of the health and fitness market… Read More
There’s something pretty cool happening at the intersection of sports and technology, and the connection made between a Seattle startup and a Davidson College professor at the GeekWire Sports Tech Summit event last year is a prime example. Dr. Tim Chartier, a mathematics and computer science professor at Davidson in North Carolina, gave a 20-minute presentation at the inaugural Sports Tech Summit last year on “big data in sports.” Chartier is an applied mathematician who has done work for the NBA, ESPN’s Sport Science, NASCAR teams, and fantasy sports sites. (By the way, we’re hosting our second annual Sports Tech Summit next month… Read More
Golf isn’t the most popular sport, but Topgolf is certainly doing its part to change that perception. The growing sports entertainment company operates more than 30 driving-range-meets-bowling-alley entertainment facilities — with 11 more soon to open — that feature 6-person hitting bays with microchipped trackable golf balls, along with food, drink, TV screens, free WiFi, and much more. Technology is a key part of the Topgolf experience — from the balls with RFID chips to the Protracer cameras — and that’s why we’re excited to hear from Topgolf co-chairman and CEO Erik Anderson at the GeekWire Sports Tech Summit on June 21-22 in Seattle at CenturyLink Field. Anderson, who… Read More
