Smarter Sports
Awards Shortlist
Sport’s innovation economy has matured. The 2026 shortlist for The Smarter Sports Awards, formerly The Sports Technology Awards, makes that clear.
Sports. Elevated
This year’s Smarter Sports Awards shortlist brought together global technology leaders, elite teams and federations, specialist engineering firms, venture-backed scale-ups and ambitious start-ups already influencing sport at the highest level. Apple, AWS and Google appeared alongside younger companies reshaping performance, broadcast, fan engagement, equipment, data and commercial strategy across major leagues, teams and competitions.
The breadth of the shortlist reflected how far sports innovation has evolved. It is no longer defined by software, data and digital platforms alone, but by the way engineering, manufacturing, biomechanics, design, research and new ideas are being applied to make sport smarter.
The finalists were selected following more than 300 hours of assessment by an international judging panel comprising elite athletes and coaches, technology leaders, sports executives and senior brand experts.
Together, they represented the organizations, products, partnerships and ideas redefining how sport performs, operates, engages audiences and grows.
The 2026 Smarter Sports Awards Ceremony was streamed live from London on 13 May in front of an invited studio audience, with an estimated 3,000 viewers tuning in. The shortlist videos below offer a closer look at the finalists and the work recognized by this year’s judges.
2026 Shortlistees
Smarter Performance Intelligence
- Ellipse and Racecourse Media Group: RaceiQ
- FORM: HeadCoach™ 2.0
- Genletics: Metabolic Peak®
- Infosys: AI Commentary
- Stats Perform and Capgemini: TryZone IQ
- World Rugby and Prevent Biometrics: Instrumented Smart Mouthguards
Smarter Data and Analytics Technology
- Genius Sports: ProView3D
- HAND: The Talent Identity Spine for Sport
- Looper Insights: Sports Visibility Tracker for Sports Streaming
- Motion Applied: ATLAS
- Predictive Fitness: Predictive Data Intelligence
- Rapsodo: PRO 2.0 Softball
Smarter AI in Sport
- Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club: BHAFC Intelligence Ecosystem
- Fastbreak AI: Fastbreak Pro
- Genius Sports: Semi-Automated Offside Technology
- Sportradar: Basketball Foundation Model
- The Ryder Cup and Hewlett Packard Enterprise: Bringing AI to Golf's Greatest Team Contest
- Wimbledon, AELTC and IBM: Match Chat
Smarter Coaching Systems
- Blazepod: Transformative Training System
- GSI Performance: Five Fights Framework
- Personar: CoachScribe
- Predictive Fitness: True Training Intelligence
- YouCoach: App Video Analysis
Smarter Ball and Racquet Innovation
- Elite Skills Arena: App Video Analysis
- GSI Performance: Five Fights Framework
- Rapsodo: PRO 2.0 Softball
- SmashSwing: Golf Simulator
- Torpey: Kláw
- World Rugby and Prevent Biometrics: Instrumented Smart Mouthguards
Smarter Athletics and Aquatics Innovation
- Enertor: Recovery Slides
- FLYCARB: BICARRB
- FORM: HeadCoach™ 2.0
- Mizuno: Hyperwarp Pure
Smarter Female Athlete Innovation
- MAAREE: Sports Bras
- Rapsodo: PRO 2.0 Softball
- Stats Perform and Capgemini: AI‑Driven Insights
- Vodafone and Sport Science Agency: Vodafone PLAYER.Connect
Smarter Motorsport Technology
- Motion Applied: Powering the Pinnacle of Motorsport
- onGRID: Global Motorsport Platform
- RE ZRO: Body Armour
- SciChart: Data Visualisation Solution
Smarter Venue and Infrastructure Innovation
- HOK: Avicii Arena
- MLSE: Fan Access
- OnePlan: 2026 Winter Olympic Games
- Rhenac: Sustainable Turf
- SponsorCX: Operational Clarity for Game Day
- Ticketmaster Sport and Brentford FC: Pioneering SafeTix
Smarter Sports Broadcast and Production
- Bolt6: Mojo
- DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga: Bundesliga Platinum Matches
- DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga: ContentOS
- JioStar: From Stadiums to Screens
- Layercake: Media Orchestration and Automation Platform
- RED.Sport Network: Broadcast Ecosystem
Smarter Immersive Sports Experiences
- Blocksport: Digital Fan Experience Platform
- C.D. Leganés: Butarque Mystery Box
- Dizplai: Fan-first Experiences
- Piing: Games for Crowds
- Rover: Automated Sports Marketing
- Vodafone and Sport Science Agency: Vodafone PLAYER.Connect
Smarter Fan Platforms and Communities
- DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga: Bundesliga Platinum Matches
- Racecourse Media Group: #Raceday TV
- RED.Sport Network: RED+
- Beyond Sports: Reimagining Women’s Tennis
- Stats Perform and Capgemini: TryZone IQ
- Wimbledon, AELTC and IBM: Match Chat
Smarter Fan Intelligence and Personalization
- FC Bayern München: myFCBAYERN
- MLSE: Fan Access
- Monterosa: Fanatics Survivor
- Salesforce and LIV Golf: Fan Engagement with Agentforce
- SponsorCX: Fan-Facing Sponsorships
- Sports In Video Ltd: Video Engagement Platform
Smarter Strategic Partnership
- BatFast and HiTZ: Global Cricket Training
- DAZN and Google Ad Manager: Premium Sports Monetization
- DFL Deutsche Fußbll Liga and AWS: Transforming Sports at Scale
- NHL, NHLPA and LOW6: NHL Fantasy Stars
- Professional Squash Association (PSA) and PT SportSuite: Unified Digital Ecosystem
- TeamSnap and Spectrum: Youth Sports
Smarter Sports Start-Up of the Year
- FAN NFC LTD
- HAND
- onGRID
- Payment Labs
- StumpEye
- Total Sports Hub
Smarter Innovation of the Year
- Bolt6: Mojo
- EquiFit: EquiLenz
- HAND: Universal Talent Identifier
- Layercake: Media Orchestration and Automation Platform
- Salesforce and LIV Golf: Fan Engagement with Agentforce
- URUNN: Running App
- Wimbledon, AELTC and IBM: Match Chat
- World Rugby and Prevent Biometrics: Instrumented Smart Mouthguards
Explore the Shortlistees
Wimbledon, AELTC and IBM
Match Chat uses generative AI and live match data to answer fan questions in real time, providing personalized insights and enhancing the Wimbledon digital experience for global audiences.
Category
Smarter AI in Sport
Technology
Bolt6
Mojo uses an array of courtside cameras and AI to automatically enhance and produce professional-quality tennis broadcasts with minimal manual intervention.
Category
Smarter Sports Broadcast and Production
Smarter Innovation of the Year
Technology
Storytelling / Broadcast / Tennis
URUNN
URUNN delivers personalized running plans and coaching powered by AI, adapting training recommendations to each runner’s performance and goals.
Category
Smarter Innovation of the Year
Technology
Mobile App / Coaching / Running
Layercake
Layercake streamlines how sports organizations create, manage, distribute and monetise content through automated media workflows across multiple channels.
Category
Smarter Sports Broadcast and Production
Smarter Innovation of the Year
Technology
SaaS / Content Management / Distribution
