Thursday, June 20, 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
- NBA and NBPA Will Launch Virtual Sports Betting for 2019-20 Season: The NBA and NBPA have partnered with Highlight Games to create NBA Last 90, a virtual sports betting game set to launch in the U.S and Europe during the 2019-20 season. The game will determine virtual results using NBA highlights and footage from NBA matchups over recent seasons. NBA Last 90 players will have the ability to wager on various outcomes, including which team will win, who will score on the first possession, and the total number of points scored during the last 90 seconds of a simulated matchup between two teams.
- EA Sports Reports Record Viewership for FIFA Global Series: EA Sports announced record viewership for the regular season of its FIFA 19 Global Series with more than 680 million minutes watched, representing a 60 percent increase over last year’s FIFA Global Series. The video game maker said the series generated 61 million in total views, a 25 percent year-over-year increase. Padding that growth has been an overall uptick in interest for FIFA and the series. The FIFA 19 Global Series featured 17 official football league partners, compared with just eight last season. This season also featured the first-ever eChampions League in collaboration with UEFA, and the competition is set to kickoff in Germany on July 5.
- RightEye and USA Baseball Extend Eye-Tracking Partnership: Eye-tracking technology company RightEye and USA Baseball have extended their partnership for a third consecutive year. RightEye offers set of eye-tracking tests and vision training games that are intended to measure and analyze eye movement, brain processing, and reaction time. It can then compare USA Baseball players’ vision scores to other amateur and pro athletes. RightEye will screen players at 34 USA Baseball events across the country as part of the new agreement.
- HTC Vive Plans New Headset for MLB’s Home Run Derby VR: Virtual reality headset maker HTC Vive has announced a new product that it will introduce through an existing partnership with MLB later this year. Vive Pro Eye will add integrated eye tracking to the MLB’s Home Run Derby VR game. The headset will follow and analyze where users are looking, which will enable a gaze-oriented menu navigation instead of handheld controllers. Last year at MLB All-Star Week, the league held its first-ever VR home run derby tournament. This year, the league brought the game to select ballparks across North America.
- The NFLPA’s OneTeam Collective Invests in ByteCubed Labs: The NFLPA’s accelerator, the OneTeam Collective, has invested in and partnered with ByteCubed Labs. The company is developing a wide array of products, including a mixed reality training program for athletes and AI-powered experiences for fans. Products related to mobile games, fantasy sports, and event gamification are also planned. “At ByteCubed Labs, we are paving the way for how data and sports can converge to reconfigure the way sports training is done, while bringing fans closer to the game,” said Ahmad Ishaq, founder of ByteCubed Labs, in a statement.
- Magic Gaming Signs Deal With Esport-Management Platform: Magic Gaming, the NBA 2K League affiliate of the Orlando Magic, has partnered with online gaming platform Esport-Management. A series of online Pro-Am 2K tournaments will be streamed on the team’s Twitch channel. Co-branded social media content and in-game advertising will also be displayed on Magic Gaming’s social media feeds as part of the deal. “Not only will it allow players who didn’t make the NBA 2K League a way to stay competitive, but it will allow NBA 2K coaches to keep an eye on the new talent that is out there,” said Magic Gaming esports partnership development manager Gabriel Causse, in a press release.