Wednesday, May 8, 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.
- FIFA Considers Ad Breaks During Video Assistant Referee Reviews: FIFA is considering sponsorship deals worth up to $130 million for brands looking to advertise during unscripted match breaks caused by video assistant referee reviews. Spanish soccer league La Liga is also considering the idea, according to the Financial Times. Sports marketing advisor Tim Crow estimates that VAR was on screen for 27 minutes during last year’s World Cup. “I think [VAR] is the biggest sponsorship asset that football has ever created,” Crow said, according to the Financial Times. “Most other advertising is on the side, but VAR is in the middle of the game, part of the game.”
- Zwift Adds Giro d’Italia Prologue Course to Virtual Cycling Platform: Virtual cycling and running platform Zwift announced a partnership with RCS Sport to add the Giro d’Italia prologue course. A replica of that course will be launched on Zwift starting May 11, coinciding with the start of the 102nd edition of the Giro d’Italia. “This year, we are excited to be able to bring a new technological advancement to the race. Not only does this give fans around the world a chance to get closer to the race by experiencing a stage, but it also gives the competing riders a new way to prepare for the start of the race,” said Paolo Bellino, CEO of RCS Sport.
- Win-Win Social Gaming Platform Wins SeventySix Capital Pitchfest: Social gaming platform Win-Win took first place in SeventySix Capital’s “Ralph Sampson Pitchfest.” Win-Win was awarded the top prize of $20,000 in non-dilutive capital. The contest was held last Thursday in Houston and was aimed at startups working on ideas to bring sports and communities together. Win-Win was founded by former NFL player Michael Tauiliili-Brown, and allows users to compete in fantasy sports prediction tournaments hosted by professional athletes. Tauiliili-Brown announced the news on his LinkedIn.
- The Tennis Channel Will Broadcast NCAA National Championships: The Tennis Channel and the USTA have entered a three-year rights agreement with the NCAA to make the network the exclusive home of the NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Tennis National Championships. The deal goes into effect starting with this year’s competitions at the USTA National Campus in Orlando from May 16 to 25. The Tennis Channel will broadcast more than 50 hours of live matches during the 10-day event.
- Streaming Service BallerTV Partners With Moysle on Device Management: Amateur sports streaming service BallerTV announced a partnership with Moysle, a device management software company for Apple products. BallerTV will install Moysle’s app into 1,000 iPads that BallerTV clients use to stream live sports. “Beyond the fact that we share the same seed investor, Peak Ventures, we chose Mosyle because of the significant cost savings compared to other similar products,” BallerTV said in an emailed statement to SportTechie. BallerTV currently covers basketball, volleyball, softball, baseball, and football.
