Wednesday, May 1, 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.
- As Digital Properties Grow, ESPN Plans End of The Magazine: ESPN announced Tuesday that it will stop publishing its print version of ESPN The Magazine in September after 21 years of circulation. “Our data shows the vast majority of readers already consume our print journalism on digital platforms, and this approach will maximize our reach and impact,” ESPN said in a statement. The news came as the network also recorded its best March for digital traffic. ESPN digital properties reached 95.4 million viewers, up 23 percent from March 2018. It ranked as the No. 1 U.S. digital sports property over the month, with consumers spending a total of 6.1 billion minutes on ESPN digital platforms.
- Turner Sports Adds House of Highlights Moment of the Year at NBA Awards: Turner Sports is adding a House of Highlights’ Moment of the Year award to its annual NBA Awards Show presentation, which airs Jun. 24 on TNT. Fans will be able to vote for the top moment through the House of Highlights Instagram page. The page will present weekly polls via its story feature to narrow down the contenders. Starting May 12, fans will determine which of the five highlights left standing will win the award. A list of the top-20 video highlights in contention is detailed on Bleacher Report.
- Leicester City Defender Christian Fuchs to Build NYC Esports Arena: Christian Fuchs announced plans to open a 1,000-seat esports arena in New York. Speaking at the SportsPro Live event in London on Tuesday, the Leicester City player revealed he’s purchased a 36-acre complex of 70 buildings to develop the venue, which would be the city’s first stadium dedicated to esports. Last June, the 33-year-old Fuchs became the first Premier League player to sponsor his own esports team, “No Fuchs Given,” which competes in FIFA tournaments.
- Streaming Service Deltatre Extends Deal With Blackbird Video Editing Platform: Software developer Forbidden Technologies will continue to provide its cloud video editing platform Blackbird to streaming technology company Deltatre for an additional year. Deltatre uses Blackbird to edit and distribute short-form game highlights across Deltatre-powered sports services. Deltatre provides its streaming technology to organizations such as FIFA, the EPL, the NFL, the IOC, UEFA, BT Sport, and Discovery. IMG Media also uses Blackbird to create and edit highlights for live sports.
- Mountain Dew to Allocate 40 Percent of Marketing Budget to Esports: PepsiCo-owned soda brand Mountain Dew plans to use 40 percent of its marketing dollars this year to reach gamers, according to Digiday. The company will boost existing sponsorships with esports leagues and teams such as Team OpTic, Counter Logic Gaming, Immortals, Team Dignitas, and SK Gaming, while also increasing its spending on Twitch co-branded partnerships and Facebook ads that target esports fans.