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NGANNOU IS BACK!
Good Morning, and welcome back to The Sports Road! Hopefully your week has been good, if not, hopefully we can change that a bit. Today is – how do we put this – an *interesting* one… Ever think you’d hear of a UEFA x European Space Agency partnership? Nor did we. Enjoy!
Here's what we got for ya today:
UEFA in Space?
The Baddest Man on The Planet
AR x Sport x Google
Elon Musk: Sporting Mogul?
Most valuable public market sports teams
Let's get into it!
Out of This World
Alright, look. We’ve covered some pretty wacky partnerships over the last couple months.
I’d argue none quite like this, though. Yep, get ready – this is out of this world.
Cringey. We get it. Sorry.
This week UEFA – European Football’s governing body – announced a partnership with the European Space Agency (ESA).
Before you get any ideas – No, the Champions League final will NOT be played on Mars.
What the joining of the two will see though is some serious innovations within the sport-tech world.
In accordance with the ESA’s ‘cross-industrial’ initiative, this partnership is the first of its kind. Being the case, innovation will be initially focused on three distinct areas.
Pitch Mapping: Using the ESA’s expertise in satellite imagery, the companies will be able to join together in analysing data relating to the maintenance and development of Football pitches. Specifically, the ESA could help further the growth of UEFA’s pre-existing AI pitch detection tool.
Crowd Management: UEFA’s troubles in crowd management are well documented… Running an open-call for technology surrounding the issue, the ESA will look to help UEFA in any way they can do.
Sustainability: Combining forces to explore social and environmental technologies, the two are looking towards extending the longevity of the game in its current form.
"We are proud to support UEFA as it introduces space-based innovation to professional football competitions. ESA has a strong track record of fostering innovation and competitiveness in Europe, and this new partnership will enable professional football clubs to tap into ESA’s extensive network of expertise."
With the deal running until late 2025, the partnership could bring some of the most exciting innovations ever made in the sports-tech world.
We sure hope so!
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Guess Who's Back?!
THE WAIT IS OVER!
Ladies and gentlemen, The World’s Baddest Man is back in business…
Yep, this one is VERY big.
Signing with the Professional Fighters League (PFL), former UFC Heavyweight Champion, Francis Ngannou, has returned to the fight game.
Leaving the UFC on *not great* terms, Ngannou has always maintained that it was not simply about the money.
Well, it looks like he wasn’t just saying that. Here are four game changing conditions that have been announced:
Despite being under the PFL banner, Ngannou will be allowed to compete in one off Boxing fights: Lucky for us, that means some of the dream fights we’ve spoken about could still be on. Deontay Wilder? Tyson Fury? KSI? (Sorry. Had to)
Ngannou will gain equity roles in the company, becoming the Chairman of PFL Africa. Wanting to expand their market and sphere of influence, the PFL will boast a large-scale expansion initiative to hold events and scout talent in the continent.
Ngannou will compete in the promotion’s recently announced Super Fight Division. Having already signed such deals with Jake Paul, Kayla Harrison and Cedric Doumbe, the PFL could be really starting to push the UFC.
Ngannou will serve on the PFL’s Advisory Board to represent fighter interests. Having been a big advocate for fighters rights, Ngannou will now have the opportunity to play a direct role in their treatment. Following in the footsteps of some of sports greats, this could give the fighter a legacy beyond merely his achievements in the cage.
And the PFL aren’t just stopping there. On a mission to become the world’s biggest MMA organisation, the promotion has recently joined with SportsIcon to create their very own Metaverse experience.
Created to give fans from all over the world a chance to interact and immerse themselves within the sport, the unique experience is one of the best out there.
Want to be a part of MMA’s fastest growing organisation? Click here
Google x AR x Sport
Well, once again we are talking about a *surprising* partnership…
It’s no secret that some of the world’s biggest companies are using sport to further interact and engage with their audiences. I mean, in the last couple of weeks we’ve spoken about Apple, Netflix, and Amazon to name a few.
So with that… Welcome to the sports-tech world, Google!
Ever gone into a stadium and just failed to find where you're supposed to go? That’s all about to change…
Joining forces with AR sports platform, Quintar, Google are looking to further develop their own AR building technology – ARCore.
Combining the technology with Quintar’s Q. Reality, the two have created a product which allows for live augmented way-finding that should work to enhance sport fans’ experience at live events.
“Together we have created a core technology that brings the same capability as Google Geospatial and Google Maps down to a smaller scale with higher accuracy and much more flexibility and adaptability in real time… Google really likes what we’ve been doing in sports with the PGA TOUR and AT&T, and we decided to combine forces to make an even better, more holistic experience for fans at live events. Sports is just a starting point. The applications for this combined technology are unlimited.”
Having already trialled the technology at Golf courses around America, the technology saw some very good results.
Using Google’s Geospatial capabilities and Quintar’s live customisable data, a unique, interactive and helpful experience was made possible.
We Need to Talk About: Elon Musk & The F1
Alright, alright. Before finishing up today, we thought why not talk about another surprising combo making the rounds.
There are a couple of BIG changes coming to the F1 in the next couple of years…
From 2026’s regulation change, to the sports’ journey to becoming carbon neutral by 2030, a whole host of the games aspects will take a turn.
Whether it be for better or worse is yet to be seen, but it is definitely getting the attention of some of the tech industries biggest names.
You know where this is going…
Having been at the last few US-based Grand Prix’s, Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos were seen rubbing shoulders with mechanics and team leaders alike.
In fact, according to Christian Horner, Musk is seriously considering bringing Tesla into the races.
“It was great to see him coming to a Formula One race, and embracing the combustion engine again! I think he was very impressed with the technology, obviously an incredibly bright guy, wanted to know all about the battery and so on, and the power and the output of the car. Then he threw down the gauntlet of wanting to race us with one of his electrical vehicles…
With changes in regulation meaning that batteries will become more relevant than ever in the sport, could we see Musk and Tesla in the game soon?
Quick bites
Spurs fans look away: Chelsea strike deal with Poch!
(Youtube) Boxing: Drama as KSI knocks out Joe Fournier
MMA: Family Champs?
Meme of the day
😂 😂
Quote of the day
"You need to play with supreme confidence, or else you'll lose again, and then losing becomes a habit."
Photo of the day
VIBES ARE HIGH FOR @Malhadinho_UFC AFTER THAT WIN 🕺💯 #UFCCharlotte
— UFC (@ufc)
9:35 PM • May 13, 2023
A BIG Win
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Chat to ya on Wednesday! ☮️