AI x Amazon x NFL: WHAT!?

August 25, 2023

Morning everyone! Welcome back to another weekend edition of The Sports Road! Bringing you the very best sports and technology have to offer, times are changing. Want to know more? That’s EXACTLY why we’re here… Enjoy!

Here's what we got for ya today:

  • The NFL’s Newest AI!

  • The Basketball World Cup: The Future is NOW

  • Football’s Next Big Thing…

  • Sport’s Biggest Merger EVER

Most Valuable Sports Teams:

Let's get into it!

The NFL Did WHAT!?

Look, it’s been a while since we spoke about the NFL. And with the season still yet to start, it makes sense. Naturally, most people would just assume that there would be no news, right?

Well, they’d be wrong 😅Behind the scenes, it’s actually looking like the biggest sports league in the United States have been cooking up a STORM!

So, what should we expect? To answer that, we need to start with Amazon. Yep, everyone’s favourite trillion dollar company 🤣

Taking a dip into the sports world recently, Amazon has actually taken huge steps in transforming the industry’s broadcasting and entertainment scene.

In introducing series’ such as ‘All or Nothing’ and multiple team-specific films, the company’s goal was – and still remains – clear: Engage fans unlike anyone else in the business.

And, to tell the truth – it was successful…

So successful, in fact, that they couldn’t stop there… Foraying into live sports, it’s fair to say that Amazon has taken fans by surprise with their intelligent use of Augmented Reality (AR) and graphical overlays to represent real-time stats.

It’s their newest announcement that interests us, though. That’s right, announcing this week the arrival of AI into their NFL broadcasting, Amazon may have just changed the way fans interact with the game forever…  

Whether or not to go for it on the fourth down has long remained one of American Football’s biggest gambles. Dividing fans, players, and coaches alike, there seems to actually be an answer to the age old question.

How? Using AI, of course. And you’ll be the first ones to know.

Planning on using the technology to implement a system whereby fans will be shown exactly how close a team should be before ‘going for it’.

Using their advanced algorithms, Amazon plans to impose two digital lines for the viewer to see. With one displaying a first down and the other demonstrating how close a team needs to be before they should go for a fourth down attempt.

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The World Cup is BACK!

That’s right. It’s Basketball World Cup day, ladies and gentlemen!

Get ready guys, this one could be bigger than ever! With some of the world’s biggest stars competing, it looks like organisers are trying to capture fans’ attention more than ever before…

I mean, really… From Luka Doncic, to other NBA talents, FIBA has gone big, and it doesn't look like they’re gonna stop there.

Being a tournament which showcases and nurtures Basketball’s global fan base, it’s only right that they use technology to follow suit.

FIBA, welcome to the world of Blockchain technology!

Teaming up with Venly, a Blockchain technology provider, FIBA are set to release a number of digital collectibles and experiences.

Minted on the Polygon NFT platform, these are the four known collectibles being released:

  • Fan’s Frenzy: Acting as the most accessible out of the four, Fan’s Frenzy offers holders a form of keepsake for the tournament. Touted as “perfect for basketball fans and collectors”, this piece is sure to serve as a great memory.

  • National Pride: Holding a unique design for every nation competing in the tournament, the 32 collectibles serve to outline the respective cultures of each team.

  • Ultimate Courtside: Bringing fans face-to-face with some of the greatest and most pivotal moments in Basketball history, this collectible is limited to only 1,500 pieces.

  • Golden Glory: Acting as a compliment to the ‘National Pride’ collectible, this unique NFT offers a one-of-a-kind nod to the victorious country.

“We are very pleased to be able to work alongside Venly to offer fans these digital collectibles. Having these collectible digital assets emphasises how FIBA is embracing innovation and technology. Not only will they bring opportunities for fans globally to access new products, but will also help further grow the interest around the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023, which tips off on August 25.”

Frank Leenders, Media and Marketing Services Director General of FIBA

The Future of Grassroots Football

Whether you like it or not, Football is changing.

With huge sums of money seemingly dictating transfers, broadcasting, popularity, and – quite literally – every facet of the beautiful game, many share a similar view.

Claiming that the game is slowly losing its integrity, these people seem to oppose the dealings of Football’s top clubs and are finding themselves connecting more with the Grassroots scene.

You know the type…

Well, following teams in the lower divisions may become just that bit simpler. How, you ask? Technology!

Raising over $1 million this week, Utrecht-based startup Mingle Sport is looking to change Grassroots Football forever!

Launching their app in the summer of 2022, the company has gone from strength to strength. Promising to help amateur and semi-professional teams get their names out in more public spheres, the potential was huge.

Going on to be used by thousands of teams across Europe, the app quickly went global. Now available for use in North America, Mexico, Australia, and New Zealand, the next change could be absolutely massive.

Planning to use the investment money to delve into the wonderful world of AI, Mingle Sport is looking to give clubs who use their platform further autonomy.

With features set to offer unique data, stats, and the option to automatically create highlights, this is what the founders had to say:

“We want teams and clubs to really own their content and data. So they can create value from it. We’re doing some very interesting experiments with clubs around various pricing mechanisms and will start to introduce premium products in 2024.”

Nicky Rog and Freek Bijl, Co-Founder’s of Mingle Sport

We Need to Talk About: Padel

Yep, another newsletter, and now another racket-based sport you may have never heard of. Trust us though, this is pretty crazy.

Before we get into it, some context. So, the Qatari Sports Investment group (QSI). Heard the name before? Exactly, they’re the same people who currently own PSG.

Chaired by Nasser Al-Khalaifi, the group has controlled Premier Padel – one of the sports major tournaments – since last February.

As we were, you may be thinking that investing in Padel is – to put it bluntly – pretty random…

Being a former Tennis professional and avid Padel fan, Al-Khalaifi saw something we didn’t…

In fact, the sport is worth an estimate of $2 billion globally! Factor in the fact that over 25 million players currently enjoy the game, you have a recipe for success.

Immediately signing 110 of the best female players in the world, the acquisition of Premier Padel has apparently led to the sports consideration in the Olympics and huge increase in the number of worldwide courts!

Despite being one of the biggest Padel organisations in the world, that wasn’t enough. With the most popular tournament still being the World Padel Tour, QSI had their work cut out. Until now…

This week’s announcement WILL change the sport forever!

Completing the takeover of the World Padel Tour, QSI will merge both competitions and create the biggest Padel spectacle EVER.

Expecting the $2 billion value to triple over the next few years, times are truly changing.

Get ready everyone. This could be one of the biggest sport mergers of all time…

“QSI is proud to be at the heart of driving the development of Padel professionally all around the world, always placing the players at the centre of our mission to grow the sport everywhere.”

Nasser Al-Khalaifi, QSI Chairman

Quick Bites

Meme of the day

Quote of the day

"I saw Klopp said I will not be in the business [of football if they spend £100m] and then they offered £100m and he says, oh I made a mistake, and something changed."

Mauricio Pochettino on whether Lukaku will play for Chelsea again

Picture of the day

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Chat to ya on Monday

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