Sports Technology Awards Launches Category Dedicated to Women’s Sports Performance

‘Best Technology for Women’s Sports Performance’ Launched for 2020

The past year has seen professional women’s sports take a huge leap forward in achieving parity with the men, especially in football and rugby. Whilst this is an exciting and positive step, it does prompt greater demands and expectations on even more women as they strive to join the growing professional elite.

Biology and biochemistry renders females more vulnerable to injury and longer periods of rehab, therefore it has never been more important to explore and promote technologies which have been specifically designed to help women athletes. Because of this the Sports Technology Awards have introduced the category of ‘Best Technology for Women’s Sports Performance’ into the 2020 process (now open for entries).

Rebecca Hopkins, CEO of The STA Group, which owns the Sports Technology Awards explained: ‘We have long been passionate advocates of all forms of equality within every aspect of our work, especially gender. Earlier this year we started hearing from the female athletes in our network that they were using – and valuing – technologies such as period trackers and innovative materials to improve breast support so we were exploring the viablility of a dedicated category for women’s tech then.’

She continued: ‘However the decisive moment for us was when Women in Football challenged us with a #Whatif pledge. Initially designed to change the landscape for women in football, we loved the idea and immediately saw an opportunity to match their challenge with our ideas – and hence this category was launched.’

Ebru Köksal, Chair of Women in Football and one of the 2020 Sports Technology Awards judges, added ‘The type of pledge that the Sports Technology Awards has given us via the #Whatif campaign is exactly the level of commitment we were hoping to achieve. This is a really important area of all sports, not just football; women athletes are relatively vulnerable to injury when compared to their male counterparts so anything which lessens risk and supports players and coaches is most welcome.’

The Sports Technology Awards are open for entries under 4^th December 2019; full details about the awards can be found at www.sportstechgroup.org or by calling the Awards office on +44 (0) 20 3198 2770.

Has Rugby Led the Sports Technology Change?

Since the last century, a common theme amongst major sports tournaments has been pre-event telegraphing of how tech-forward they will be. Ambitions of staging the most social / fan-focussed / broadcast savvy / ‘stadium fabulous’ competition have been widely made, with these ambitions being realized to varying degrees.

The Rugby World Cup has kicked off with organizers having made no such extravagant statements. Two things make this especially surprising

1. The host country. Japan has an astounding tech heritage and will be hosting an Olympics next year. Whilst there are rumours bubbling up about some exciting activation (micro-cameras on the jerseys to replay tackles, for example), using the Rugby World Cup as a test for 2020 is an opportunity too good to pass up
2. Rugby’s tech stance: both the sport and its stakeholders have, traditionally, been incredibly open to technology in all its forms – as our timeline shows.

 

Rugby’s history of tech starts as far back as 1906, with innovations continuing to the present…

1906:    Scrum cap debuts

1924:    Studded boots go on sale

1938:    First match broadcast

2001:    TMO introduced

2003:    All Blacks adopt skin-tight rugby jerseys

2011:    England install GPS tracking devices in match shirts

2012:    RefCam used in live broadcast

2013:    Saracens’ opt for artificial pitch

2015:    O2 creates Oculus Rift 360° England fan experience

Microchipped adhesive ear patches measure head impact

2016:    Aviva Stadium goes 100% renewable

2018:    Hawk-Eye’s ‘Spotter system’ reduces undiagnosed concussions

2019:    Goalpost light technology trialed at Principality Stadium

Gumshields transmit head impact data to medics

‘Load Passport’ introduced

Entries Are Open!

This week saw the launch of the 2020 Sports Technology Awards so if you created something award-worthy in 2019, here’s your chance to showcase it. You have until November to submit entries but in the meantime, why not check out the new categories for this year? We pride ourselves on being at the forefront of thinking in the sector and we hope the new categories we launched for 2020 reflect that:

1. Best Sustainable Innovation in Sports
2. Best Technology for Women’s Sports Performance
3. Education Institute of the Year
4. Best Technology for Extreme Sports
5. Most Innovative Sports Brand

By entering the ‘Oscars of Sports Technology’ you’ll ensure your work’s in contention for one of the most coveted trophies in the business of sport. Success at the Awards is an international mark of excellence for your brand, not least of all shortlistees are determined by some of the sectors leading visionaries and stars.

As well as the chance to be scrutinized by many of the best minds in sport, brands that enter also enjoy the right to feature a product video on the STA Group Tech Hub – FREE OF CHARGE. Not only does this enable you to promote your work to the global industry, but it also gives your digital collateral a valuable SEO boost.

Our commercial team is always happy to answer your questions and can be contacted on +44(0) 20 3150 2080 or email sales@sportstechgroup.org

Sports Industry taking Women as Seriously as Fans

Stars of British women’s sporting elite, including Olympic golden girls Shona McCallin and Shirley Robertson, England Netball Captain and Commonwealth Gold medal winner Ama Agbeze, and sportswomen turned reality TV stars, Heather Fisher and Laura Crane, turned out in force at the Yahoo Sports Technology Awards on Thursday evening at the Roundhouse, London.

The winners were revealed by an all-female cast which also included Aimee Fuller, Goldie Sayers, Kelly Sotherton, Steph Twell, Lizzie Cass and Donna Fraser, in a ceremony dubbed ‘the Oscars of Sports Technology’.

Ama Agbeze, England Netball Captain and Commonwealth gold medal winner, said: ‘I’m delighted to be here. The tech influencing sport today is amazing, innovative and inspirational, and pushes us further to excellence. Clearly the Sports Technology Awards attracts world-leading innovators so it’s a privilege to be presenting them with their trophies. It’s wonderful that it’s an all-female line up presenting on stage tonight – I’m certainly in great company and it makes me feel excited that we are, at last, starting to enjoy the same kudos as our male counterparts.’

Former Olympic, World and Commonwealth sprinter, Vice President  and Equality Diversity & Engagement Lead of UK Athletics, Donna Fraser, added: ‘Whilst I’m so pleased to see the sports business community embrace women’s sport – and hats off to the Sports Technology Awards making this commitment – we, as women in sport, need to take up these opportunities and promote what we do too. The women here tonight are stellar examples of this and I am proud to be here with them.’

The Sports Technology Awards is owned by the STA Group and Rebecca Hopkins, its CEO said: ‘Sport and technology are seen as very male-dominated but there are a lot of unsung, brilliant women out there. With a wonderful summer of elite sport ahead, which features both genders, we need also to recognize the year-round examples of women in the sector who deserve to be higher profile. I hope that by taking this stand tonight, we have done something to raise the debate and profiles of hard-working women in all aspects of sport and I am so grateful to all the athletes here tonight who turned up to support us.’

The winners, by category are:

• Agency of the Year: Fanview Media
• Best App: Fishbrain
• Best Digital Technology: IBM Watson and ESPN Fantasy Insights
• Best Sports Broadcast (Single or Series): Discovery and Eurosport
• Best Sports Equipment, Apparel or Wearable Technology: Solos Smart Wearable Technology
• Best Technology for Athlete Welfare: HP 1T and Charles Owen Helmet ICS
• Best Technology for Elite Performance: SBG Sports Software for RaceWatch Race Strategy
• Best Technology for Fan Engagement: Formula 1 and Goodform for F1 Fan Voice
• Best Technology for Participation: Cricket Australia Coach App
• Best Technology for Sports Betting: Trustly Group for Trustly Pay N Play®
• Best Technology for Sports Commerce: mycujoo
• Innovation of the Year: BT Sport and EE deliver 5G
• Most Innovative Sports Partnership: Intel and LaLiga
• Rights Holder / Governing Body / Team / Sponsor of the Year: The Ocean Race for Southern Ocean RAW

More information about the Awards can be found at www.sportstechgroup.org/awards/ysta/

Silicon Valley Giants Are a Serious Force in Sport Technology for US Olympians

Dr Phil Cheetham, the US Olympic Committee’s Director of Sport Technology and Innovation, will deliver the keynote address at the 2019 Yahoo Sports Technology Awards ceremony. The speech, titled ‘Silicon Valley Giants are a Serious Force in Sports Technology’, will share how the USOC has partnered with executives from leading tech brands to create an investment fund, and how this approach could be the future force shaping the sector.

Cheetham is an Olympian and leading innovator in biomechanics. His role at USOC is to develop technology to help optimize Olympic athletes’ performance and recovery and help allocate funds donated by the USOC’s Technology and Innovation Advisory Board.

As well as being the leading global celebration of tech-led innovations in sport, the Yahoo Sports Technology Awards, part of the Sports Technology Awards Group, is also a valued forum for insights and networking, and the ceremony opening address is a key part of this.

Rebecca Hopkins, CEO of the Sports Technology Awards Group explained: ‘Technology can reasonably claim to be the biggest factor changing sports over the past 10 years, now tech-giant investment looks set to be the next major influence on industry development and market disruption. Silicon Valley engagement is something of a Holy Grail for many sports executives so understanding how to harness the technical and financial power of technology’s biggest brands is fascinating. Sports leaders and visionaries will be excellently served by the insights Phil has to share.’

Cheetham added: ‘I’m a long-standing, passionate advocate of technology’s role in helping athletes, so it is exciting to take this to the next level. The executives at the top of Silicon Valley have unrivalled tech knowledge and this, combined with access to their level of funding, will be immensely beneficial for both business and sport.  I am looking forward to sharing these insights with my peers at the Awards.’

Cheetham’s address opens the Yahoo Sports Technology Awards ceremony taking place on May 2nd at 6.30pm at the Roundhouse, London. Tickets are available at https://www.universe.com/events/2019-yahoo-sports-technology-awards-tickets-SKP6JD or +44 (0)20 3150 2080.

To see the full shortlist click here

An announcement from our Media Partner, SBC

Art Manteris inducted into Sports Betting Hall of Fame

 

Art Manteris, Vice President of Race and Sports Operations at Station Casinos, will be inducted into the SBC Sports Betting Hall of Fame, as the industry prepares to celebrate his contribution to sportsbook development in Nevada.

 

With over 35 years of Nevada race and sportsbook expertise, Manteris was responsible for the development of the state’s first computer networking of race and sportsbooks in the late 1980’s, and has acted as a prominent policy contributor to a number of regulatory boards.

 

The Hall of Fame ceremony is being held on 25 April 2019 at Sky Room in Manhattan (330 West 40th Street) and is part of the closing party of the biggest dedicated sports betting conference in the US – Betting on Sports America – which is being held at the nearby Meadowlands Exposition Center in New Jersey.

 

Former NJ senator Chris Christie was confirmed as the first new member of the Sports Betting Hall of Fame last month, with Manteris the second to be announced.

 

Manteris has a very colourful history in the world of sports betting having played an integral role in developing and overseeing Station Casinos’ 16 new or remodelled sportsbooks.

 

Rasmus Sojmark, Founder and CEO of Sports Betting Community, said: “We are really pleased to be able to welcome Art Manteris to the Sports Betting Hall of Fame. So many people in the industry had good things to share about Art given his longevity and legacy in the sports betting industry. He will be recognized as a key driver of sportsbook development in the US, including on mobile, and prominent contributor to gaming regulation across the country.”

 

Manteris added: “Technological development has played a key role in furthering sports betting across the US, and I am glad I was able to play a role in that. I am delighted to be recognised by the sports betting industry for what we have built in Nevada and look forward to seeing what the future holds for the U.S. industry.”

 

The purpose of the Hall of Fame, first established by SBC in 2016, is to honour, preserve and perpetuate the names and outstanding accomplishments of personalities who have added true value to the sports betting sector.

 

The Hall of Fame’s esteemed members are Mark Blandford, Carsten Koerl, Howard Chisholm, Paris Smith, Fred Done, Vigen Badalyan, Pontus Lindwall, Fabio Schiavolin, Warwick Bartlett, Norbert Teufelberger, Constantinos Antonopoulos and Chris Christie.

Today (11th March), The Sporting Club, the international private member’s network with a system of permanent venues, was announced as the latest company to sign a Global Partnership with the Sports Technology Awards Group. The Group leads the global sports industry in championing the best tech-led innovations across international sports, part of which is offering its brand network and event guests unrivalled networking opportunities, and this latest partnership is testament to this.

The Sporting Club, the brainchild of Ian Stafford, the multiple award-winning journalist, author and broadcaster, is a business networking proposition based on its membership’s love of sport. Offering members, the use of club houses across London (Mayfair, Soho and the City), Manchester and Dublin, (with more locations to be announced abroad shortly), The Sporting Club provides additional services such as exclusive, intimate events with major names in sport, and a proactive networking mechanism. This spans personal introductions, an extensive event series, an exclusive and member-only digital portal, all of which creates business for its rapidly expanding membership.

Rebecca Hopkins, CEO of the Sports Technology Awards Group, explained the relationship: ‘Our business is fundamentally a B2B proposition, so networking is a core part of what we do. By partnering with The Sporting Club, we can create an even more valuable network for our benefactors, as well as giving them access to city-centre bases internationally. Additionally, The Sporting Club gives its members access to elite athletes across a wide range of sports, as is evidenced by the role it is playing at our next major event. This is The Yahoo Sports Technology Awards on May 2^nd in London, where Sporting Club’s network of sports legends will be on hand as category presenters.’

Ian Stafford, The Sporting Club’s, Owner and Founder, added: ‘I’ve enjoyed seeing the work of STA Group evolve over the past few years and it is an indisputable fact that technology and sport are now inextricably linked. Our membership – both business people in sports and the wider commercial world, as well as our athlete network – are fascinated by this, so we believe that our members and those who support the work of the STA Group are naturally aligned in their business thinking and interests. We look forward to opening our doors to more technology visionaries from the sports world and are excited to be a key part of the Yahoo Sports Technology Awards ceremony.’

For more information about the Sports Technology Awards Group please visit www.sportstechgroup.org and for more information about The Sporting Club, please visit https://thesportingclub.co/

Gaming, VR and Digital Coaching Amongst the Companies Leading ‘Innovation from Inception’  

Today the STA Startups, part of the Sports Technology Awards Group, in conjunction with Presenting Partner, Sportradar, the global leader in sports data intelligence, revealed its 2019 winners. In keeping with the nature of the sector, the emerging star line-up was revealed by video stream across a series of global channels, including Yahoo Sport.

Facing fierce international competition, as well as the scrutiny of a 20-strong panel of industry-leading judges, including Gfinity’s Amanda Lawson, UEFA’s Daniel Marion, the LMA’s Richard Bevan and the FEI’s Stéphane Schwander, the eventual winners were:

• Deal of the Year – Vald Performance’s Acquisition of ForceDecks
• Best Seed Funded Business – Guided Knowledge: the Next Generation of Wearables
• Best Crowdfunded Business – Incentive Games
• Series A Funded Businesses – Adrenaline Hunter
• Series B Funded Businesses – LiveLike
• Best New Concept – Danu Analytics: a Smart Injury and Performance Analysis System

Rebecca Hopkins, CEO of the Sports Technology Awards Group said ‘The Startups serve a highly exciting and dynamic part of the sports technology sector; our aim is to create valuable, third-party endorsement for young companies, which gives winners a tangible commercial edge in a competitive industry. The judges observed that this year’s entries were as diverse as they were exciting and global, and we look forward to great things from them all.’

Adam Azor, Sportradar’s Director of Product Marketing, added ‘The partnership between the Sports Technology Startups and Sportradar is one that is extremely important to us; innovation and startups go hand in hand and Sportradar has built its business on the foundation of innovation. We believe startups and their evolution are the future of our industry, so we are committed to staying closely aligned to them.’

The Winners and What They Do

• Vald Performance (Australia): Vald Performance’s human measurement systems are used to improve athlete performance and welfare
• Guided Knowledge (UK): Guided Knowledge creates wearable technologies which observe and assess a user’s performance in 3D; custom, expert advice is delivered in real-time via a mobile app
• Incentive Games (UK): Incentive Games is a B2B software developer which creates innovative, engaging, accessible games which help businesses acquire, retain and monetise customers
• Adrenaline Hunter (France): Adrenaline Hunter is the first booking platform for extreme sports and adventure travel worldwide
• Danu Analytics (Ireland): Danu Analytics has created a gait analysis system for injury and performance management
• LiveLike (United States): LiveLike’s live streaming platform is a white label product that allows broadcasters to stream regular or interactive content to end users, under their own brand, on mobile and VR

 

For more information about the Startups or the STA Group, visit sportstechgroup.org or follow @SportTechGroup on Twitter. For more information about Sportradar, visit sportradar.com

Click to learn more about the Yahoo Sports Technology Awards and Sports Technology Awards Startups.

An announcement from our Media Partner, SBC

Ascend FS, the market leader in data-driven charitable fundraising solutions and sponsorship activation in the gaming sector, has been officially named a Supporting Partner for the largest sports betting trade conference in the United States – Betting on Sports America.

Betting on Sports America is organized by SBC (Sports Betting Community), a group that for over ten years has become synonymous with sports betting.  SBC operates the three largest global sports betting industry events – Betting on Sports, Betting on Football, and Betting on Sports America.

Held on April 23-25, 2019 at the Meadowlands Exposition Center in New Jersey, the event will attract over 1,500 senior executives and more than 175 leading industry speakers, including representatives from the world of sports betting, sports, casinos, tribal gaming, regulators and lotteries.

The conference will include the SBC Sponsorship Forum, a dedicated conference track for sponsorship professionals from both sports franchises and betting & gaming operators, to foster discussion of the growth and opportunity available through betting sponsorships.

Ascend FS, and its UK subsidiary BD Sport Group, provides services to more than 150 of the world’s most iconic sports teams across every professional league in North America and the United Kingdom. It is the only company currently offering a combined suite of services that includes in-venue and online games of chance such as 50/50 raffles and lotteries, prize raffling/sweepstakes products, sponsor activation, and affiliate marketing programs on behalf of gaming brands, as well as fan data aggregation.

Daniel Lewis, Chief Executive Officer of Ascend FS, commented: “SBC is the leading provider of news and trade events for the sports betting industry. Ascend FS is proud to be a Supporting Partner of Betting on Sports America, where we plan to share our expertise in gaming activation and fundraising solutions. We expect the Betting on Sports America event to be a key platform in shaping the future of betting sponsorship in the United States.”

Jaap Kalma, Business Development Director of SBC, added: “We are excited to partner with Ascend FS, a leading provider of gaming activation and fundraising to the sports industry. We will be working closely together to bring US sports clubs and organizations to Betting on Sports America, which has become a must-attend event for anyone in US sports who is interested in the rapidly evolving betting industry.”

An article from our Media Partner, SBC

Major operators from 17 different jurisdictions are using next month’s Betting on Football conference a Stamford Bridge as the perfect opportunity to meet and discuss the future of sports betting in their sector.

The European Lotteries Association (EL) will host a meeting for members of its Sport Working Group in London on Tuesday 19 March, which is part of the wider Betting on Football Conference at Stamford Bridge on 19-22 March.

EL is the umbrella organisation of national lotteries operating games of chance for the public benefit, which brings together both state-owned and private operators, both profit and non-profit, who operate on behalf of the state.

Olli Sarekoski, Chair of EL Sports Committee, said: “We are pleased that our Sport Working Group has been planned around the Betting on Football Conference. Embracing responsible innovation in sports betting as part of the event is of great importance for the Lotteries; our Working Group members will have the chance to join 2,000 delegates at Stamford Bridge, interact with like-minded professionals and get up to date with the most interesting developments in the sports betting sector.”

The Sport Working Group holds 17 members, who will each have the chance to discuss a wide range of key topics at this #bofcon meeting, including sports integrity, sports policy and the planning and content for upcoming European Lotteries’ internal events, along with updates on the EL Sport Award.

The group includes representatives from the likes of Danske Spil (Denmark), Veikkaus (Finland), FDJ (France), Hrvatska Lutrija (Croatia), Szerencsejáték Zrt. (Hungary), Lottomatica (Italy), SAZKA (Czech Republic), Tipp3 (Austria), LOTTO Bayern (Germany), Norsk Tipping (Norway), Svenska Spel (Sweden), Loterie Nationale (Belgium), OPAP (Greece) and Sisal (Italy).

Rasmus Sojmark, CEO & Founder of SBC, commented: “European state lotteries are large, important players when it comes to sports betting in their markets, both operationally and politically, and as such provides an important perspective. They are an integral part of the Betting on Football conference, as we aim to bring together decision-makers from both European and international operators to address the recent issues and opportunities in the sports betting industry.”

Betting on Football is known as the only trade conference that brings together decision-makers from international operators to address the recent issues and opportunities in the sports betting industry, and this year focus will extend wider than football and betting based on requests from participating operators.

The six main conference tracks will discuss operator related topics within Leadership & Vision, Global Markets, Betting on Marketing, Product in Focus, Betting on Innovation and The Science of Compliance. The main conference will be complemented by Expert Forums such as PaymentExpert Forum, Digital Marketing Forum, and the Sponsorship Forum.

Stamford Bridge will once again provide the intimate setting for 2,000 senior execs and over 200 expert speakers, with world-class hospitality and plenty of business and networking opportunities between operators, key suppliers and industry stakeholders. In fact, 97.4% of those surveyed from last year’s event said they would return in 2019 and recommend the event to a colleague.

Betting on Football is the only trade conference that brings together decision-makers from international operators to address the recent issues and opportunities in the sports betting industry. Stamford Bridge provides the perfect setting for 200 expert speakers across 40 sessions, including high-level business and networking opportunities for key suppliers, top affiliates and sports clubs & organisations to meet with the operators. For more information about the event, CLICK HERE to visit the Betting on Football website.