Thursday, Mar. 7, 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.
- The AP’s NHL Game Previews Will Be Written by Machines: The Associated Press will begin publishing automated National Hockey League game previews as part of its expanded partnership with Sportradar and HERO Sports, a sports content automation platform. HERO Sports enables text for stories to be produced directly from Sportradar’s data library without the help from the AP’s writers. The AP already uses HERO Sports and Sportradar to create computer-generated MLB game previews and NCAA men’s basketball game previews.
- MLB Coordinates Starting Lineup Announcements in Betting Era: Major League Baseball will require its clubs to submit starting lineups and umpire assignments 15 minutes before they are made public this upcoming season, according to ESPN. The move is an effort to create a uniformed data distribution system for MLB as the league embraces state-sponsored sports betting through its data distribution deal with Sportradar and its betting partnership with MGM Resorts. In previous seasons, starting lineups were released randomly, frequently from team social media accounts or beat writers.
- Adidas to Stream Girls High School Sports on Twitter: Adidas has launched a partnership with Twitter to livestream girls high school sports on Twitter for the first time. Six soccer and volleyball contests from select U.S. high schools will stream globally on the platform starting in April as part of the @3StripeLive series. Intersport, a Chicago-based production firm, will produce the series. “It is essential that girls have access to sport—to play it, to practice it, and yes, to watch it. If girls don’t see role models through sports media, they won’t have a reason to join or stay in sport,” said Kate Ridley, SVP Brand Director for Adidas, in a news release.
- Telemundo Launches Esports Channel en Español: NBC-owned network Telemundo has launched the first Spanish-language esports streaming channel in the U.S. The channel will livestream competitions on Twitch and YouTube, beginning with coverage of the FIFA 19 Global Series on Apr. 5. Popular Latin-American gamers will also stream select gameplay from Overwatch and Fortnite. “The launch of Telemundo Deportes esports channel strengthens our leadership position in the esports space and gives us an opportunity to further connect with the Hispanic, multicultural gaming audience,” said Telemundo’s EVP Eli Velazquez, in a statement, according to Engadget.
- Shaving Company Gillette Signs Twitch Partnership: Gillette has formed a branded content partnership with Twitch to create the Gillette Gaming Alliance. The GGA features 11 Twitch streamers from 11 different countries across the U.S., South America, Europe, and Asia. The streamers will create content encouraging fans to buy Gillette products. In exchange for making a purchase, fans will be rewarded with Twitch Bits, a virtual token used to financially support steamers on the platform.