Friday, Sept. 13, 2019 — A roundup of some of the key sports technology news you need to know, including SportTechie’s own content and stories from around the web.
- Brooklyn Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie has plans to convert a portion of his NBA contract into a digital token. According to The Athletic, Dinwiddie intends to start his own company and turn his contract into a digital investment vehicle through a securitization. That means Dinwiddie would give up some future income in return for a smaller lump sum payment. In December, Dinwiddie signed a three-year, $34 million contract with the Nets. He is essentially now looking for people to invest in his contract through digital currency, an unprecedented move for an NBA player.
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- The NBA 2K League has banned a player for violating the league’s gambling rules. An NBA 2K League investigation found that Basil “24K Dropoff” Rose, who played for the Miami Heat esports affiliate, provided inside information to someone who Rose knew was involved in betting on NBA 2K League matches. In a statement, the NBA 2K League says its investigation did not find that Rose attempted to fix or improperly participate in any NBA 2K League game. A 2016 study found that a projected $12.9 billion in bets will be placed globally on esports by 2020.
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- The University of Alabama has installed location-tracking technology into its Tide Loyalty Points mobile app to see which students are leaving football games early. The app was created by FanMaker and allows students to gain loyalty points for purchasing tickets to Crimson Tide home games. Alabama debuted the app during its home-opener against New Mexico State last week, but many students were unable to open the app as Alabama’s stadium network servers became overwhelmed, according to The New York Times. “If anybody has a phone, unless you’re in airplane mode or have it off, the cellular companies know where you are,” said Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne. The Times also reports that the University of North Carolina uses location tracking technology to detect whether its football players and other athletes are attending class.
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- The Los Angeles Chargers have launched Chargers LUX, a premium membership program for suite owners available for the 2020 NFL season. Membership, which comes at no additional cost, features access to Spring Place luxury clubs, the Private Suite at LAX, and a digital lifestyle assistant powered by Velocity Black. “LUX members can simply request something by messaging in the app and are guaranteed to be speaking to someone within one minute, 24/7/365,” said Zia Yusuf, Founder and CEO of Velocity. Both the Chargers and Rams will begin playing in the new Los Angeles Stadium at Hollywood Park beginning in 2020.
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- Youth sports analytics software Ballogy has partnered with Texas Top 100 to measure the best Texas high school athletes. Ballogy’s performance tracking app includes a built-in testing program that will now be used at Texas Top 100 camps and tournaments to help coaches and scouts recruit top talent. “Together, Ballogy and Texas Top 100 can ensure every aspiring athlete has access to a truly objective athletic assessment and an opportunity for recruiting exposure,” Ballogy CEO Todd Young said in a press release. The San Antonio Spurs also use Ballogy to evaluate junior high and high school basketball players.
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