League of Legends’ new subscription streaming service, Pro View. (Courtesy of Riot Games)
Thursday, June 6, 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
- League of Legends Launches Subscription Streaming Service: Riot Games recently debuted League of Legends Pro View, a premium streaming feed that allows users greater control of the viewing experience. Subscribers can choose up to four individual player points-of-view and/or the main event feed to watch simultaneously, and can synchronize their timelines with friends to give a better social experience of watching together. Pro View became available with the June 1 start of the Summer Split schedule. Revenue from Pro View will go towards regional leagues and teams for help continued growth of the sport.
- Portuguese Powerhouse Benfica Now Accepts Cryptocurrency: S.L. Benfica, which recently won a record 37th Primeira Liga championship, is the first major European soccer club to accept cryptocurrency. A partnership with UTrust allows the use of Bitcoin, Ethereum, or UTrust’s own token (UTK) for purchases of tickets and merchandise. “We recognize that many of our supporters are now digital users first so we want to be ahead of the curve when it comes to adopting novel technologies and giving our supporters the best online experience,” said Domingos Soares de Oliveira, S.L. Benfica CEO, in a statement.
- Team GB Softball Taps Blast Motion for Training: In preparation for qualification for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Great Britain’s national governing body for softball has begun using Blast Motion bat sensors and the company’s motion capture app, Vision, to provide swing metrics and results data. Players won’t arrive in camp until a week prior to the European Women’s Championships, which begin on June 30. “The Blast technology has helped because it gives me the ability to see training first hand no matter where our players are in the world,” said hitting coach Linda Derk, according to the British Softball Federation website. “I can give instant feedback and the players can implement that into their training immediately.” USA Softball announced its own partnership with Blast last month.
- Montreal Canadiens Ownership Group Partners With Ticketmaster: Groupe CH, which owns the NHL’s Canadiens and concert promoter Evenko, has designated Ticketmaster its primary and resale ticketing partner with full integration of the ticketing technology into the Canadiens’ mobile app. The team, Centre Bell arena, and several other entertainment venues and festivals will utilize Ticketmaster Presence, a fan identity platform that aims to help personalize experiences for attendees. Ticketmaster will also help reduce the use of fraudulent tickets.
