UEFA: Football's Newest Tech

February 16, 2024

You know, these stories seem to get wilder every week… Welcome back to The Sports Road, ladies and gentlemen! I mean where else would you be able to hear about the newest innovations in sport and tech and Wayne Rooney’s new venture into Boxing 😅 We know… Enjoy!

Here's what we got for ya today:

  • The Champions League is Heating up…

  • WWE??

  • F1: Newest AI

  • WHAT!?!?!??!?!??!???

Most Valuable Sports Teams:

Let's get into it!

The Champions!

The Champions League is back!

That’s right. Football’s most exciting European competition is heating up and things are beginning to get interesting. Well, unless you’re a fan of Tottenham Bayern Munich… 

I mean someone had to say it 😬Spursy.

Alright, alright. We’re just messing around. BUT, live action isn’t the only thing that the tournament brought to the table this week.

That’s right. A few days ago, UEFA launched their newest game – and technology plays a BIG role in it…

Acting as one of the biggest Web3 projects the organisation has undertaken, the game combines trivia with tech to give fans the opportunity to win some crazy prizes.

This is what we know so far:

  • The trivia-based game is being completed in partnership with Mastercard, and utilises the firm’s digital platform ‘Priceless’.

  • Through this, fans collect branded digital passes and become eligible to compete in the quiz that offers rewards such as tickets to the Champions League Final!

  • Specifically, digital passes will be distributed in the form of NFT’s and holders will be given access to a wide-range of Mastercard’s digital experiences. 

  • Quizzes take place 30 minutes before each Tuesday game week, and are available in France, Spain, Germany, UK, Italy, USA, Mexico, Colombia, Brazil and Argentina 

“As a Uefa Champions League partner of 30 years, we know first-hand the unwavering passion that football fans have for the game, so we’re excited to leverage our Web 3.0 platform, pass to priceless, to put their passion and knowledge to the ultimate test.” 

Beatrice Cornacchia, Mastercard’s Executive VP of Marketing and Communications in Europe  

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WWE Did WHAT?!

The WWE has seriously been changing things up recently…

Since merging with the UFC to create the TKO group, it really feels as though the way in which the organisation is engaging with its global fan base is constantly shifting.

I mean, it was only a few weeks ago that we spoke about the organisation’s new groundbreaking deal with Netflix.

So with that, you may be asking what now!?

Well, the WWE has partnered up with (drumroll please 🥁🥁🥁) X, or Twitter!

With Elon Musk trying to turn X into “the app for everything”, it looks like sports may be a shoe in for some serious development.

And that could follow this exact model… 

Signing an agreement that is set to last at least two years, WWE will be tailoring content to be exclusively accessed through X. 

Specifically, the WWE will hold a weekly video series that will hold matches, promos, and more. 

While we are yet to know exactly who will feature on these shows, parties have already alluded to some big names being present. 

Appropriately named ‘WWE Speed’, competitors will be allowed a limit of around five minutes per match and fights, as a result, will be high-paced and filled with excitement.  

Acting as a change in the way which the WWE has operated in the past, this news (along with that of the Netflix deal) represents a new phase in the organisation. 

Potentially becoming more open to distribution partners, the WWE could be in for some big partnerships…

F1: What You Don’t See…

We cannot stress it enough. In today’s sporting landscape, data is one of the most important things out there… 

With technology becoming better and better, the general level of sports is improving every single day. What does that mean?

Well, across sport, competition is increasing – and while it may not seem like it stats that were once considered minute or unimportant are now INTEGRAL. 

Don’t believe us? Listen to what Aston Martin's Technical Director, Dan Fallows, said about the team’s most recent technological changes. 

Stating that “There’s also quite a lot of stuff under the hood which hopefully you won’t see” when asked about what to expect, you can begin to understand the importance of having access to discrete data. 

As such, the team has seemingly understood the importance of having a secure place to hold such information. 

That’s right. This week, Aston Martin extended their partnership with SentinelOne, ensuring a strong cybersecurity partner for many years ahead. 

Leveraging advanced AI systems to safeguard information and data, SentinelOne already works with over 10,000 customers. 

Showing themselves to be ever-evolving – something increasingly important when discussing cybersecurity threats – the system is incredibly sophisticated and has incurred a wide-range of success. 

“SentinelOne has been a great partner, and we are thrilled to be extending our relationship… Cybercriminals today move fast, and with SentinelOne as our Official Cybersecurity Partner, we can move faster to protect ourselves against threats. SentinelOne provides Aston Martin Aramco with a powerful platform that is a game-changer, as our team pushes the limits of performance, knowing that they are protected by the most advanced solutions.” 

Clare Lansley, Chief Information Officer for the Aston Martin F1 Team

We Need to Talk About: Wayne Rooney

The year is 2015. The world has just seen a video of Footballing legend, Wayne Rooney, being knocked out by Phil Bardsley in his kitchen.

That had to be the last time we would ever have to see him Boxing, right? 

Right?  

Wrong. 

This could actually be insane…

That’s right. We could be about to witness a 38 year-old Wazza get in the Boxing ring for the first time ever. SOMEONE PLEASE MAKE IT MAKE SENSE…

Let us explain. So, remember Misfits? You know, KSI’s influencer Boxing promotion that brought us gems like tag-team Boxing…

Well apparently, earlier this week the promotion held talks with Rooney about a potential fight.

Not being in a job currently, while we aren’t necessarily saying the news doesn’t surprise us, Rooney has always been a big Boxing fan. 

Having walked out with Ricky Hatton, constantly going to fights, and even consistently training back in his youth days, the ex-United striker was always keen to show off his Boxing ability – whether that be by getting knocked out or in his celebrations.  

Pushing the limits of what is expected in traditional Boxing spheres, Misfits would actually be the perfect place for Rooney to make his debut. 

And, hey, no one ever said Rooney was the – how should we put this – calmest Footballer 😅

Quick Bites

Meme of the day

😂😂😂😂😂😂

Quote of the day

“Being sacked by As Roma was the one thing that hurt me the most, I gave my all.”

Jose Mourinho

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Chat to ya next week! ☮️