Friday, June 26, 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
- MGM Resorts Bought Alliance of American Football’s Betting Technology for $125,000: MGM Resorts purchased the now defunct Alliance of American Football League’s betting technology for $125,000, according to The Athletic. MGM was reported to own the technology back in April, though the price of acquisition had not been revealed. The AAF reportedly spent millions of dollars to build its app, which tracked player movement in real-time and allowed users to predict play calls as they watched games. MGM invested $7 million in the AAF last September, which secured its interest in the technology.
- FuboTV Streaming Service Launches U.S. Sports Network: Sports streaming service FuboTV has launched a sports network for U.S. fans. Fubo Sports Network will initially be available to stream via FuboTV’s base subscription package on ad-supported service Xumo. Fubo’s new channel will offer live event coverage, news, and original content, including a weekly sports talk show and video podcasts. “It’s a more edgy version of a sports network,” said FuboTV CEO David Gandler according to Variety. Gandler said the new channel might include live-streaming rights for certain niche sports and hopes to reach 50 million homes by August.
- Universal Tennis Mobile App Aims to Connect Players Across the World: Universal Tennis has released a mobile app that allows players of all skill levels to get a global tennis rating, post their stats, message other players, and register for tennis events. The platform utilizes the Universal Tennis Rating system to measure and compare players. All USTA and college players already have a rating and profile on the app. “The new, free mobile app makes it even easier for players to connect within the world’s largest tennis community to find and play tennis where they want, when they want, and how they want,” said Mark Leschly, Universal Tennis chairman and CEO, in a press release.
- Opendorse Social Marketing Platform Secures $3.25 Million in Funding: Social marketing platform Opendorse has secured a $3.25 million funding round led by Serra Ventures and Flyover Capital. Sean Bratches, the managing director of commercial operations at Formula 1, and Dan Mannix, CEO of CSM North America, also participated in this investment round. Opendorse is using the funding to launch an updated user-friendly version of its social publishing platform. More than 7,000 athletes use Opendorse’s platform to share content across social media, and the brand maintains partnerships with organizations such as the PGA Tour, NFLPA, MLBPA, WNBPA, and LPGA.