Performance-tracking company Kinexon has reached a distribution deal with Tokyo-based sports technology licensing company Sporta. The partnership will see Sporta become the exclusive provider of Kinexon’s wearable devices and player-tracking tools to sports teams in Japan.
As part of the partnership, Japanese basketball team Alvark Tokyo has become the first professional Asian sports team to begin tracking players with Kinexon’s wearable devices. Alvark Tokyo plays in Japan’s B.League, the country’s top men’s professional basketball league. Alvark Tokyo won back-to-back championships in the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons. The league decided in late March to cancel the remainder of its 2019-20 season, including the playoffs, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kinexon’s ultra-wideband radio frequency sensors have become the most commonly used wearable technology in the NBA and are used by roughly 70% of teams in the league. The devices weigh less than an ounce and can be stitched into a player’s jersey. Kinexon is used to track player fatigue, movement, and monitor training loads to help prevent injury. The Munich-based company’s platform can also integrate with shot-tracking technologies.
“With player tracking playing an increasingly critical role in sports, Japanese professional teams are now recognizing that they need to implement cutting-edge technology to ensure they compete at a world-class level,” said Sporta CEO Yusuke Katoku, in a press release. “By bridging the gap between Japan and the U.S./Europe through the implementation of Kinexon, we believe it could help enhance the performance of Japanese sports teams.”
Kinexon’s data-tracking system used by more than 100 sports teams in North American and Europe. The European Handball Federation uses Kinexon to track movement by balls, players and referees during matches. Kinexon’s new SafeZone wristband is being worn by stadium workers during Bundesliga matches to ensure employees are keeping proper social distance in an effort to combat the spread of COVID-19.
