Tuesday, Aug. 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.
- The Los Angeles Rams launched a free-to-play prediction game during the team’s first preseason game last Saturday. “Rams Pick’em” offers non-cash prizes such as game-day experiences and memorabilia to fans 18 and older who correctly predict what happens during the game. The prediction game will run during the three remaining preseason games and can be accessed via the Rams’ mobile app or online. It is powered by Tally, which also created a prediction game for the NHL’s St. Louis Blues and was founded by Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson.
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- The NBA is considering moving up the deadline for team’s to announce starting lineups before games. The move would have a substantial effect on daily fantasy sports and betting industries. Currently, NBA teams must release starting lineups 10 minutes before tip-off, but the league is considering moving the time up between 30 to 60 minutes, according to The Action Network. Before the start of the 2019 MLB season, Major League Baseball also updated its policy to make teams submit lineups earlier to accommodate the new betting landscape.
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- Toronto-based health-tech startup Curv Health has closed a $1.5 million seed round, according to BetaKit. The raise will be used to expand Curv Health’s artificial intelligence platform, which extracts a user’s physical health and performance metrics through video taken on a mobile device, and then uses the data to provide preventative and rehabilitative care for the individual. The app’s clients reportedly include NBA teams and more than 500 colleges. “We’re hyper-focused on augmenting health providers with scalable tools that offer musculoskeletal insights on musculoskeletal health, and over time, we’ll make crude metrics like Body Mass Index (BMI) obsolete,” said Curv Health CEO and co-founder Shea Balish.
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- Atlanta Falcons preseason games will be live-streamed on the team’s newly designed mobile app, available for iOS and Android devices. The new app will also deliver news, player interviews, podcasts, and video highlights as well as future free-to-play games. The team also released a second newly designed app for Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which will provide interactive stadium maps and access to a user’s Ticketmaster account.
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- Former NBA superstar Kevin Garnett has invested in a new esports company called Triumph Esports. The investment comes from Garnett’s event management and production company, Big Ticket Sports LLC. Triumph fields competitive teams in games such as Overwatch, Apex Legends and Teamfight Tactics. The company also has an event organization arm called Rivalcade, which produces competitive esports tournaments and branded content. Rivalcade will now bring esports to the Hoop It Up 3-on-3 basketball tour, which is owned by Garnett’s company.
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