Monday, May 13, 2019 – A roundup of some of the key sports technology stories you need to know, including SportTechie’s own content and stories from around the web
- St. Louis Blues Launch Online Prediction Game for Western Conference Finals: The St. Louis Blues have launched a real-time prediction game for fans to play during the team’s Western Conference Finals series against the San Jose Sharks. Fans can play the free Enter the Zone contest on mobile or web and will be asked to make predictions about live games for the chance to win NHL playoff tickets and game-used memorabilia. Questions will be asked during pregame and both intermissions. The game was developed by Tally, a sports prediction app founded by Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson.
- Discovery Acquires Golf Digest, Looks to Grow Golf Media Presence: Discovery has bought Golf Digest from Condé Nast in a deal that looks to extend the company’s golf media reach in the U.S. Discovery already owns international streaming service GolfTV, and announced it will also expand its sales partnership with the PGA Tour. “We wanted to bolster GolfTV’s international offerings with Golf Digest’s award-winning journalism, broad consumer reach and deep content library while also creating the largest U.S. digital golf business with Jay Monahan and the PGA TOUR,” said David Zaslav, President and CEO of Discovery, in a press release.
- Suunto’s Movesense Platform Powers New Firstbeat Sports Sensor: Performance analytics company Firstbeat Sports has partnered with Suunto’s Movesense to launch a new sensor and app. The sensor measures players’ heart rates, calculates training load, and sends data to coaches’ iPads for real-time monitoring and analysis. Firstbeat’s heart-rate tracking technology has previously been used by the EPL’s Manchester City, the NBA’s Golden State Warriors, the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins and the University of Alabama’s football team.
- West Ham United Partners With Digital Payments Platform MuchBetter: EPL club West Ham United announced a partnership with digital payments app MuchBetter. The MuchBetter app allows users to make purchases, send money, and earn rewards. As part of the partnership, MuchBetter will receive digital advertising at West Ham’s London Stadium. “We are looking forward to working closely with [MuchBetter] on improving and enhancing our fans experiences through their technology and services,” said Karim Virani, West Ham United’s digital and commercial director, in a press release.