Thursday, May 2, 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.
- NBC Sports to Produce Mobile and Online Betting Show for Kentucky Derby: NBC Sports is adding an online betting show for this weekend’s Kentucky Derby. NBC Sports Bet: Derby Special will appear on the NBC Sports website and mobile app. It will stream at 5 p.m. ET on Saturday as a digital compliment to NBC’s TV coverage, according to the New York Post. NBC Sports has launched betting-themed broadcasts for Washington Wizards and Philadelphia 76ers games over the last year, and also released the NBC Sports Predictor app with free games centered on EPL and PGA Tour broadcasts.
- Fortnite Developer Epic Games Buys Rocket League Owner Psyonix: Epic Games is acquiring Psyonix, the video game developer behind Rocket League. All Psyonix employees will join Epic as part of the deal, which is expected to finalize by early June. Rocket League is a soccer-like game where players drive rocket-powered cars. The game will continue to be available on Steam and is expected to eventually be available through the Epic Games store. “[We expect to] leverage our new relationship to grow the game in ways we couldn’t do on our own before,” Psyonix said in a statement.
- SyncThink and QuesGen Systems Announce Data Partnership: Neurotechnology company SyncThink announced a data sharing partnership with clinical research organization QuesGen Systems. The deal means SyncThink student-athlete brain health data can be made available to universities conducting traumatic brain injury studies via QuesGen’s data platform. SyncThink’s eye-tracking technology is used by collegiate programs such as the Pac-12 Conference, the University of Texas, and Georgia Tech to monitor athletes after head injury.
- Foot Locker to Stock Champion Esports Branded Apparel: Foot Locker will begin selling esports apparel from sportswear brand Champion. The new collection will include jerseys, T-shirts, and sweatshirts designed to represent five esports teams, including Optic Gaming, Counter Logic Gaming, Dignitas, Spacestation Gaming, and Renegades. The full clothing lineup will be available in select stores and online starting today. Foot Locker’s family of brands includes Foot Locker, Champs Sports, Eastbay, and Footaction.