MLB is using a new platform to power its stories.Jason O. Watson/Getty Images
Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2019 — A roundup of some of the key sports technology news you need to know, including SportTechie’s own content and stories from around the web.
- Deltatre’s content management system has been powering all of Major League Baseball’s global digital properties this season. The company’s Forge CMS has replaced legacy BAMTech-built publishing platforms that MLB used before. In August 2017, the league sold its majority stake in BAMTech to Disney. Deltatre is owned by Bruin Sports Capital. “In Forge we have a new, powerful resource that allows us to be nimble and agile in a fast-paced environment, to get stories as quickly as possible from the stadium and to the fan,” said Gregg Klayman, SVP of content at MLB, in a press release.
- Game developer 2K is launching an NBA 2K20 Global Championship in partnership with the NBA, NBPA and esports organization ESL. The tournament will feature head-to-head competition during online and offline events from October through February. Regional Finals will be held in Los Angeles, Paris, and Sydney before the global finals will be held Feb. 22 at the ESL Studio in LA. The championship offers a $145,000 total prize pool and the winning player will receive $100,000. “The global scale of the tournament reflects the incredible growth of basketball around the world,” said Matthew Holt, the NBA’s SVP of consumer products and gaming partnerships, in a press release.
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- Chinese company iFlyTek has signed an exclusive deal to supply automated translation software at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics. The company will provide voice recognition and machine translation. “Such products and services will create a sound communication environment for the games. It will also help reduce repetitive work to improve efficiency,” said Yu Hong, head of technology at the Beijing 2022 Organizing Committee, according to China Daily.
- Social streaming platform SportsCastr has now launched its FanChain cryptocurrency. SportsCastr users can buy and sell FANZ tokens, a digital currency built in partnership with LATOKEN. Viewers can send broadcasters virtual gifts and tips which can then be redeemed for FANZ tokens. The NFLPA holds a minority stake in SportsCastr and San Francisco 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman streams regularly on the platform. “We hope to have it accepted at the point-of-sales at bars around the world and have it on exchanges so users can exchange FANZ for fiat currency as early next year,” SportsCastr CEO Kevin April, told SportTechie last October.
- The New York Yankees are integrating the Postmates Live delivery service at Yankee Stadium. Through the Postmates app, fans can order concessions from their seats and be alerted when their food and drinks are ready to be picked up at designated locations within the stadium. The pickup points will only be in sections 113 and 116 for the remainder of the current season before expanding to the rest of Yankee Stadium next season. Postmates first launched its in-stadium mobile ordering service at Dodgers Stadium in August.
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