On Tuesday it was announced the PGA Tour is investing in the tech future of the game via a new partnership with Comcast NBCUniversal SportsTech, a technology accelerator aimed at finding, fueling and fast-tracking new tech to improve sports and how fans enjoy them.
The 12-week accelerator program, run in partnership with Boomtown Accelerators, has eight core categories: Media and entertainment, fan/player engagement, athlete/player performance, team and coach success, venue and event innovation, fantasy sports and betting, esports and the business of Sports. The network of partnerships features NBC Sports, Sky Sports, Golf Channel and Comcast Spectacor alongside NASCAR, three U.S. Olympic sports organizations, and now the Tour and WWE.
“We’re thrilled to welcome PGA Tour and WWE, two iconic global sports and entertainment brands, into our Comcast NBCUniversal SportsTech partner consortium to engage with these entrepreneurs as they seek to change the way consumers experience sports,” said Jenna Kurath, Vice President, Startup Partnerships at Comcast and head of Comcast NBCUniversal SportsTech via a release.
The PGA Tour and WWE will serve as advisors for the accelerator’s second round of startups in Feb. 2022.
“Technology and innovation are incredibly important to the PGA Tour,” added Lance Stover, PGA Tour Senior Vice President, New Ventures. “Consider the challenges of showcasing over 140 players competing on 18 holes and hundreds of acres. By embracing emerging technologies like those uncovered through the Comcast NBCUniversal SportsTech Accelerator, we aim to deliver an unparalleled, fan-first experience whether you’re attending a tournament or watching on your favorite screen.”
So what could fans expect from this partnership? Take a look how nVenue’s real-time play-by-play predictive AI analytics technology was utilized during an MLB broadcast this year:
Pitch & Predict will show the percentage chance of an outcome during an at-bat pic.twitter.com/yPyHXUZywc
— A’s on NBCS (@NBCSAthletics) September 8, 2021
Golf fans are some of the most vocal on social media when it comes to how their sport is broadcasted. This most-recent partnership, as well as the deal in March struck with Amazon, are just two ways in which the Tour has committed to improve the coverage of its product.
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