Thursday, May 9, 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.
- Genius Becomes Exclusive Betting Data Partner to English and Scottish Soccer: Genius Sports Group has signed a multi-year deal to become the exclusive betting data partner to the English Premier League, English Football League, and Scottish Professional Football League. Starting next season, Genius will collect and distribute live data to betting companies worldwide. Genius will be replacing data platform Perform Group, which DAZN sold to Vista Equity Partners last month. Genius’s deal with English and Scottish soccer comes just a week after the company secured a betting data deal with NASCAR.
- Top Professional German Handball League Will Use Kinexon Wearables: Wearable technology company Kinexon has signed an exclusive four-year deal with the Handball-Bundesliga, the top pro handball league in Germany. Kinexon will track metrics such as throwing speed, workload, jump height, airtime, and ball ownership through a lightweight chip integrated into players’ jerseys and inside the ball. The data will begin being tracked in August and will be made available to media and fans. Kinexon has become the most widely used wearable tech in the NBA, and has been used to help manage the workload of Philadelphia 76ers All-Star center Joel Embiid.
- Fox Buys Stake in Betting Technology Firm The Stars Group: Fox has bought a five percent stake in The Stars Group for $236 million. The companies will jointly launch two sports betting products later this fall. One will be a nationwide free-to-play game where users can predict the outcome of sports contests to win cash prizes. The second product will allow users to place real money wagers in states with legalized sports betting. The deal also gives Fox the option to buy 50 percent of Stars’ U.S. business in 10 years. “Digital sports wagering represents a growing market opportunity that allows us to diversify our revenue streams, connect directly with consumers and expand the reach of the FOX Sports brand,” said Eric Shanks, CEO of FOX Sports.
- Indiana Becomes 10th U.S. State to Legalize Sports Betting: Indiana governor Eric Holcomb signed a bill on Wednesday to legalize sports betting. Indiana joins Montana as the two states to have legalized sports betting thus far in 2019, and the 10th state overall. The law will allow people in the state to place wagers on mobile phones. Bettors will be able to bet on professional sports and college sports in Indiana, which is notably where the NCAA is headquartered. “By modernizing our laws, this legislation will spur positive economic growth for our state and for an industry that employs over 11,000 Hoosiers,” Holcomb said in a statement.
- Snapchat USWNT Filter Released for Nike Jersey Launch: Snapchat has added an augmented reality filter that places a virtual overlay of Nike’s new USWNT home and away jerseys over a user’s photo or video. The filter is available for today only and its release coincides with Nike’s launch of the new jerseys that the U.S. women’s soccer team will wear at this summer’s World Cup in France. Once the filter is activated, a “shop now” link appears and when tapped will take users to Nike’s online store where the jersey’s are sold.