Tuesday, Mar. 26, 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.
- DAZN Hires HQ Trivia’s Scott Rogowsky for MLB Show: Scott Rogowsky, the host of HQ Trivia, will co-host DAZN’s new nightly MLB show ChangeUp this season. The show debuts on the platform Mar. 28 and will air from 7 p.m. ET until the final game of the night is over. Rogowsky will host on weeknights alongside former ESPN host Adnan Virk. Rogowski launched his career with a sports-comedy video series called 12 Angry Mascots, which appeared on ESPN, Comedy Central, and YouTube in 2009.
- UCF Miss Scores Big on Twitter During NCAA Tournament: Central Florida’s missed last-second tip-in attempt against Duke on Sunday has been the most Tweeted about moment so far in this year’s NCAA Basketball Tournament, according to data released from Twitter. With the miss, Duke won 77-76 and advanced to the Sweet 16. Duke’s Zion Williamson and UCF’s Tacko Fall are the second and third-most mentioned players on Twitter since the tournament began, behind Ja Morant of Murray State.
- SendtoNews Signs Exclusive Video Right Deal With MLS: Major League Soccer announced it has signed a local multi-year distribution agreement with video distribution platform SendtoNews. The deal gives STN exclusive rights to distribute MLS highlights, interviews, and other video content to STN’s more than 1,600 publishing partners across North America. “With our video distribution platform, we are able to help expand Major League Soccer’s digital offerings and provide more places for fans to engage with their content,” said Matthew Watson, CEO of SendtoNews, in a press release.
- Milwaukee’s Fiserv Forum Comes Complete With Heated Seats: This season the Milwaukee Bucks have been treated to heated bench seats at the Fiserv Forum, the team’s new tech-laden arena that opened in August. The seats can adjust to fit a player’s height and can be set to a maximum of 106 degrees Fahrenheit according to ESPN. “The heat is definitely needed,” said Bucks forward Khris Middleton. “You see players with heat packs all over their bodies all the time, so to have a chair that heats replaces the heat packs [is good].”
- NBA Experience at Disney World to Open in August: Disney announced that the NBA Experience at Walt Disney World Resort will officially open on Aug. 12. The NBA-themed attraction will include 13 interactive elements and hands-on basketball activities spread across 44,000 square feet. “When we were young, we played basketball in our driveways or in the park, creating those imaginary moments of making the game-winning shot for a championship,” said Stan Dodd, executive producer at Walt Disney Imagineering. “We want to take that energy and help you feel what it’s like to be an actual NBA or WNBA player.”