Thursday, Aug. 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.
- Satisfi Labs has expanded its partnership with the Minnesota Vikings to add Apple Business Chat communication for the team’s training camp, which runs through Aug. 12. Fans with Apple devices will be able to access Apple Business Chat by scanning a QR code, which will launch a conversation with the Vikings in the messages app. The automated chat can answer questions related to locations and times for player autograph sessions, fan giveaways and concessions updates. Satisfi Labs originally launched its virtual assistant in 2017 at U.S. Bank Stadium, home of the Vikings. The company’s CEO, Don White, says that “some fans treat the bot like a human,” and that team’s are using Satisfi’s data to better understand the demands of their consumers.
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- Retired NFL players Steve Smith, Sr. and Jonathan Stewart have partnered with cbdMD, consumer cannabidiol brand based in Charlotte, N.C. Both Smith, a former wide receiver, and Stewart, a former running back, played the majority of their careers with the Carolina Panthers. cdbMD manufactures and sells THC-free CBD oil products. “After the constant contact and injuries my body endured throughout my career in the NFL, cbdMD has been able to help me live a better quality of life during retirement,” Stewart said in a press release.
- ESPN+ is reportedly close to finalizing a deal to add Bundesliga to its soccer portfolio, according to the New York Post. The deal wouldn’t start until the 2020-21 season because Fox Sports currently holds the German soccer league’s broadcast rights. ESPN’s streaming service offers a wide range of soccer content including live matches from Italy’s Serie A, England’s FA Cup, MLS, USL League One, and Australia’s A-League. The Post reports that by the time the Bundesliga is added to ESPN+, Disney is expected to bundle the service alongside Hulu and the upcoming Disney+ streaming platform.
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- Australia’s National Basketball League announced that its entire 126-game season will stream for free via SBS On Demand during the 2019-20 season. The NBL’s new two-year broadcast agreement will also air 59 games on ESPN Australia this upcoming season and broadcast 67 live games on SBS Viceland, a free-to-air TV channel in Australia. “The agreement means the number of games broadcast on free-to-air television will almost double, making our national league accessible to more Australians,” NBL Owner and Executive Chairman Larry Kestelman said in a press release.
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- Toronto-based sports media company theScore has signed a 20-year deal with Penn National Gaming to enter the mobile sports betting market in 11 U.S. states where Penn National operates a casino or racetrack. theScore can now launch its online and mobile sports betting app in Louisiana, Mississippi, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, Ohio, Texas, Michigan, Massachusetts, Maine, and Kansas if/when online sports betting is approved in those states. Penn National will receive an equity stake in theScore as part of the deal. Sports betting technology platform Bet.Works will be used to operate theScore’s mobile sportsbook, which is planned to debut in New Jersey this year.
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