Monday December 13, 2021

Led by co-founder and president Davyeon Ross and longtime tech entrepreneur and now CEO Bill Moses, DDSports has expanded their capabilities to engage on all levels. In late November, the company had their largest showcase, integrating real-time data into all aspects of the NABC Hall of Fame Classic in Kansas City. ShotTracker data and visuals were used by teams on the bench, in the area for fans, and on the ESPN broadcast all in real time. They also used the capabilities on the high school level for the first-time last spring, with the New Mexico high school basketball championships and continue to expand offering for a growing list of over NCAA D1 schools. Cynopsis Sports asked Ross about what this means for partners, their broadcast clients and for fans.

Ross on the biggest lesson learned during the past year: We really learned to always be nimble and flexible as we are now seeing so many additional ways in which our data can be utilized across multiple verticals and domains all related to sports. We have built a business of college basketball, but the adaptions we have in broadcast, coaching, fan engagement for all levels is really unprecedented.

On brand integration: We support brands in two main ways: First, our unique, real-time data power engaging graphics that ladder to a brand’s messaging. One fun example was a championship tournament sponsored by a gas company. We took our pace-of-play metrics (e.g., fast break points, average possession time) and quickly turned around a real-time “Turn on the Gas” graphic that ran inside the event app, within the in-arena video board, and on social. Secondly, we integrate within leading consumer tech brands to demonstrate their product benefits. Just a couple of weeks ago, at the Hall of Fame Classic in Kansas City, we executed a “Tech on the Bench” segment with ESPN highlighting the ShotTracker team app functionality within an iPad Pro. We have many more brand activation projects in the works and are excited about our potential to support high-value campaigns.

On sports gambling integration: At the professional sports level absolutely. We believe ShotTracker data will assist in storytelling, and provide more engaging and interactive gaming opportunities due to the speed and accuracy of our data. That integration into college sports still needs to clear hurdles but when it does our capabilities will be there.

On next expansion into other sports: We are excited about what we have been able to do in men’s and women’s basketball. We are currently testing a solution in football with several of our major partners and are excited about what’s to come. Football is king in this country, and college football is untapped. Our partner schools in basketball are really looking for a solution we can offer on their biggest stage every fall.

On overall business growth in the tech and data space: In the next 18 months, we would like to see ShotTracker continue to increase its proliferation in basketball but also in football. We envision adding additional collegiate conferences for basketball and also football while working with some of the professional leagues. The ability to integrate data in subsecond speed into broadcasts, coaching tools, in-arena activations has us very excited, and especially college sports continues to have a huge upside.

PROGRAMMING

NHL player participation in the Winter Olympics appears to be in jeopardy due to ongoing concerns about COVID procedures, along with other political and safety considerations, in China. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said that participating in the 2022 Winter Olympics lies with the players. “We have concerns. We’ve expressed those to the players’ association. We see that a number of players are now also expressing concerns, and we’ll have to see how this all plays out,” Bettman said Friday. He noted that a decision not to go to the Olympics would require a joint agreement with the NHLPA.

Speaking of Olympic plans, the Canadian city of Vancouver and municipality of Whistler, are teaming with Indigenous First Nations representatives with plans to explore the feasibility of making a bid to host the 2030 Winter Olympics, officials said Friday. Multiple reports say that reps each of the entities inked a memorandum of understanding to explore the feasibility of what they described as an Indigenous-led Olympics Games.

Meanwhile, USA Hockey and the United States Hockey League are bringing back the BioSteel All-American Game on January 17 with a 4p puck drop. The game will be carries on NHL Network live from USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Mich. “We’re proud to again work with our great partners at USA Hockey to put on the BioSteel All-American Game, which has been a premier event for three years now showcasing the top NHL Draft-eligible players in our great league,” said USHL President and Commissioner Bill Robertson. “Players who appear in this game represent the best of what the USHL stands for, promoting the best junior talent in the world to the highest levels of hockey.”

Tomorrow! One afternoon. Tons of speakers, trillions in potential and infinite worlds at your fingertips. Don’t you dare miss out on real lessons on the art, crypto, tech, sponsorship and entertainment of the metaverse and join us on Tuesday for “Masters of the Metaverse.” Don’t miss out and get your tickets now!

Salita Promotions added the recently launched PPV.com platform from iNDEMAND to the list of U.S. and Canadian outlets carrying the first-ever two-division undisputed world champion Claressa “GWOAT” Shields live on pay-per-view, as she takes on undefeated #1 ranked challenger Ema Kozin on Jan. 29 in Cardiff, Wales. “It’s very exciting to be partnered with iNDEMAND as one of the first events featured on their new PPV.com platform,” said Dmitriy Salita, President of Salita Promotions. “It is fitting that one of those first offerings will be a superstar of Claressa Shields’ caliber, as she makes her long-awaited U.K. debut against the talented and highly-motivated Ema Kozin. I know that Claressa is looking to make a statement in this fight and we’re thrilled to be able to deliver her matchup, plus three other exciting bouts, to her fanbase in the U.S. and Canada.”

Join us next Tuesday, December 14th, to hear from top executives who created some of the most successful platforms in this space, see case studies on activations, learn about the building blocks being leveraged to create these new worlds, and hear from brands and publishers who changed the game by engaging hungry consumers in new ways.

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UFC and Timex locked in a major global sponsorship and licensing partnership that will see Timex become an Official Licensing Partner of UFC and offer a variety of UFC-branded products, including wristwatches, health and fitness tracking-enabled watches, watch straps, clocks, and more. Timex will also become the first-ever “Official Timekeeper Partner of UFC” and “Official Watch Partner of UFC,” offering the Timex brand a range of integrations into UFC assets within live broadcasts and on UFC-owned social media channels. Most notably, Timex will become the presenting partner of UFC’s in-broadcast fight clock at all UFC Pay-Per-View events.

The NBA dropped its annual holiday campaign to promote its s slate of five games ton Christmas. The latest iteration of its “NBA Lane” campaign is titled Family Dinner on NBA Lane”, and is narrated by Anthony Anderson, with the spot bringing together Billy Crystal, Quavo, Paul Gasol, Sue Bird, Dominique Wilkins and other NBA legends, mascots and superfans with connections to all 10 teams playing on Christmas Day. The spot was created in conjunction with Translation LLC.

Athletes Unlimited and Aspiration entered a multi-year partnership, setting the stage for Athletes Unlimited to run the first U.S.-based carbon neutral professional sports leagues, beginning with the inauguration of Athletes Unlimited Basketball in January 2022, and continuing through its volleyball, lacrosse and softball leagues. The partnership – which runs through 2023 – will “ensure that the fight against climate change is built into Athletes Unlimited’s daily activity, as well as athlete and fan experiences.”

Mahindra Ag North America signed on with Stewart-Haas Racing as an anchor sponsor for its No. 14 NASCAR Cup Series team and driver Chase Briscoe beginning with the 2022 season. The multi-year partnership will feature Mahindra Tractors, a brand of Mahindra Ag North America, on Briscoe’s No. 14 Ford Mustang for the majority of the NASCAR Cup Series schedule.

DIGITAL, DATA & TECH

Genius Sports revealed a strategic partnership with the Canadian Football League and will provide the league with a wide range of technology and services that will “enable the CFL to accelerate its growth plans and engage new audiences around the world.” As part of the agreement, Genius Sports will have the exclusive rights to commercialize the CFL’s official data worldwide and video content with sportsbooks in international markets, replicating the global distribution and success of its official betting products for the EPL and NFL, among others.

The NCAA’s Mountain West Conference, in partnership with JMI Sports, teamed with WMT Digital to launch a new streaming application that offers live sports, exclusive Mountain West Network content and archived games to sports fans on their mobile phones, tablets and connected TV devices. “We’re thrilled to partner with WMT and launch the new Mountain West streaming app. This state-of-the-art app will provide Mountain West Network content to sports fans wherever they are,” said Javan Hedlund, Associate Commissioner, External Communications Strategy. “We are always looking for ways to better serve our Mountain West constituents, alumni and fans. This streaming opportunity provides a one-stop-shop for all live and on-demand MW content and allows fans to watch what they want when they want from their mobile phone, tablet or on the big screen in their living room.”

ESPORTS

Riot Games mapped out plans for the 2022 VALORANT Champions Tour with competitions in North America, South America, Europe, and Asia. Next season will feature the return of international competitions, a new tournament series during the off season, and a global Game Changers event that will showcase the best women’s teams from around the world. The 2022 season also will create a new Challengers format designed to create more competition between top teams at the regional level. Finally, Riot Games will launch a new additive tournament series that will take place between VCT seasons.

INDUSTRY & ROSTER MOVES

David Lampitt is being tapped as the first CEO of Tennis Data Innovations (TDI), a joint venture by ATP and ATP Media. Lampitt most recently served as Managing Director of Sports Content & Partnerships at Sportradar.

Never has access to information been more important. Thanks 2020!

That’s why Cynopsis is unveiling the Resource Center – an online asset for media execs looking for the latest in tech, streaming, network offerings, and tools to support their business initiatives.

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IN THE KNOW
Who was the first ACC Commissioner? (Email [email protected] with your answer and be sure to include your name, company and city).

Answer to Our Last Sports Trivia Question
Which MLB pitcher holds the record for most saves in a single season? Answer: Francisco Rodriguez with 62. Kudos:Denis Barry-CBS/NY; Michael Ritz-Lenox Advisors/NY; Synda Kollman-Charter Marketing Group/Boca Raton; Bill Robertson-USHL/Bloomington; Travis Wacker-ESPN Chicago/Good Karma Brands/Chicago; Andy Pittman-TAMU/College Station; Joe Lyons-ESPN Remote Operations/Tulsa; Greg Moloznik-GLM Media/Scottsdale; Benjamin Robinson-Media Design Group/LA; Anne Wettig-Fox Sports S&P/LA; David Westberg-SAG•AFTRA Credit Union/Burbank.