Friday, Apr. 19, 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.
- Sportscasters Andrea Kremer and Hannah Storm Win 2019 Gracie Award: Amazon Prime Video’s Andrea Kremer and Hannah Storm were picked for a 2019 Gracie Award by The Alliance for Women in Media Foundation. Kremer and Storm won the Ceiling Breakers Award for sports on-air talent. They will be honored at the 44th annual Gracie Awards on May 21 in Los Angeles. Kremer and Storm made history this past NFL season as the duo commentated Thursday Night Football games on Amazon Prime, becoming the first all-female broadcast duo to call an NFL game.
- Nets-76ers Game 4 Will Feature NBC Sports Philadelphia Betting Broadcast: NBC Sports Philadelphia will provide an alternative betting-themed telecast this Saturday for Game 4 of the Brooklyn Nets-Philadelphia 76ers NBA playoffs first-round series. The telecast will air on overflow channel NBC Sports Philadelphia+ and will feature real-time betting commentary, analysis, and on-screen graphics displaying betting data. NBC Sports Philadelphia debuted its alternate sports betting broadcast during a 76ers game earlier this month, while NBC Sports’ Washington, D.C. affiliate began producing betting-themed broadcasts in January.
- England’s PFA Goes Silent in Protest Against Abusive Social Media: The Professional Footballers Association announced that it is encouraging its players not to use any form of social media for the next 24 hours as a protest against racism. Many EPL players are supporting the campaign, which calls for social media networks and soccer organizations to better respond to racist abuse. “Throughout my career I have developed a thick skin against verbal abuse, justifying it as just ‘part of the game’ but the time has come for Twitter, Instagram and Facebook to consider regulating their channels,” said Manchester United defender Chris Smalling, in a press release from the PFA.
- Detroit Pistons Partner With Cloud Communications Platform RingCentral: The Detroit Pistons have signed a multi-year business partnership with RingCentral. The cloud communications platform will be integrated into the team’s new sports medicine and rehabilitation facility, due to be completed in August. “Our partnership with RingCentral will enable us to bring best-in-class cloud communications technology to our front office and enable us to engage our fans through multiple integrated channels,” said Chris Pittenturf, the Pistons’ SVP of information technology and analytics, in a press release.