Thursday, Aug. 22, 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.
- Retired NFL star Rob Gronkowski has launched an obstacle course race series called Stadium Blitz. Contestants will wear an RFID chip wristband that tracks their timing and awards points. Racers as young as seven years old are welcomed and challenges include bear crawling up stadium steps, leaping over hurdle walls, swinging from rings, and throwing a football through targets. Stadium Blitz will debut at New Era Field, home of the Buffalo Bills, on Oct. 12 followed by Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay on Oct. 26.
- The official app for this year’s US Open Tennis Championships will include new features developed in partnership with IBM. Those will include AI-powered video highlights picked out by using noise levels to identify exciting moments, and US Open Now, a new live-streamed show that aims to capture off-the-court scenes. Fans can also now use the IBM Watson-powered “Ask The Open” chatbot to buy tickets, discover food options and nearby restrooms, and find out when specific matches are scheduled.
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- Ryerson University and Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment are accepting applications for the second cohort of their incubator program. Sports tech startups selected to the Future of Sport Lab receive guidance from leading academics, investors, and advisors in Canada. MLSE owns the Toronto Raptors, Toronto F.C. and the Toronto Maple Leafs. “FSL has enabled us to move faster and develop meaningful business connections in the Canadian Sports Market. Spalk is a much stronger business for having participated in the program,” said Ben Reynolds, whose virtual broadcasting platform Spalk participated in last year’s inaugural program.
- Cavs Legion of the NBA 2K League has partnered with Kent State University to strengthen the school’s esports program. Kent State’s esports team will now have access to the new Cavs Legion esports practice facility. Cavs Legion will work with Kent State to produce creative content and assist players in finding job opportunities within esports. Last year, Kent State awarded scholarships to 24 varsity esports athletes. “Bridging the gap between the collegiate and professional level of esports is an important next step in our growth, and we couldn’t be more excited to have Kent State Esports by our side to help us do this,” said Jonathan Sumers, Cavaliers and Cavs Legion senior director of esports, in a press release.
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