The Sports Tech Allstars Podcast

SportsTechX
  • 5.0 (6)
  • Sports
  • Updated Biweekly

Showcasing outstanding startups and initiatives in the global Sports Tech ecosystem, including accelerator & incubator programs, innovation hubs and major events. Are you looking for trends, new technologies or cooperation & investment opportunities? Here's where you can find them. The podcast is hosted by SportsTechX, a leading source for data & insights about Sports Tech. For further info, such as reports, market overviews or a global SportsTech database, go to www.sportstechx.com.

  1. The Bloomberg Terminal for Sports Bettors - Evan Kirkham, Outlier #262

    6d ago

    The Bloomberg Terminal for Sports Bettors - Evan Kirkham, Outlier #262

    In this episode of the Sports Tech AllStars Podcast, we present Evan Kirkham, CEO and Co-Founder of Outlier. The conversation explores how Outlier is building a data-driven sports betting platform that charges bettors directly rather than taking affiliate fees from sportsbooks, why that single decision shapes everything about the product, and where the $11 million Series A company is heading next - including a data acquisition and a new live betting product. Takeaways Outlier charges bettors a subscription fee instead of taking affiliate money from sportsbooks - a deliberate choice that keeps the product fully aligned with the user Taking affiliate fees from sportsbooks creates an incentive to funnel users rather than serve them - Outlier refuses to make that trade-off The platform is essentially a Bloomberg Terminal for sports bettors, taking users from insight to analysis to bet execution in one seamless flow 65% to 70% of Outlier's traffic is NBA, with prop bets driving 95 percent of overall usage The US skipped the betting shop era entirely - everyone came to digital sports betting at the same time, which is why adoption has been so fast The financialization of sports betting is the defining US trend - bettors will increasingly move in and out of positions like traders, with limit orders and automated execution The market is bifurcating between serious data-driven bettors and casual fans who just want entertainment - most products are still trying to serve both at once UK bettors have ingrained behaviors tied to legacy sportsbooks - breaking those habits is the core challenge of international expansion Outlier is acquiring a data technology provider and launching a net new live in-game betting product To learn more, visit: https://www.outlier.bet Get in touch with Evan Kirkham at: linkedin.com/in/evan-kirkham-581b1220  Hosted by ⁠Rohn Malhotra⁠ from ⁠SportsTechX⁠ - Leading source of Investment and Innovation insights in sports.  As promised, here's your small surprise: Unlock your 30-day growth plan (worth €49) on the SportsTechX Intelligence Hub for free! Simply verify your company details and you get access to 1,500+ investors, programmes, initiatives and events in the sportstech ecosystem. Here's how to get set up and if you'd like a walkthrough of the platform, feel free to book a call here. More from SportsTechX: Explore the SportsTechX Intelligence Hub, an interactive database of over 8,000 sports tech companies, 8,000+ deals, 1,000+ investors, programs and events - HERE Download the latest Global Sports Tech Ecosystem Report - HERE Sign Up for the Sports Tech Weekly Newsletter for more news, features & insights on Sports Tech - HERE  Stay Connected and follow for more: LinkedIn YouTube Spotify Apple Podcast Chapters 00:00 Introduction 02:59 What Outlier Is and Why It Calls Itself a Bloomberg Terminal for Sports 03:28 Is Outlier for Casual Bettors or Serious Ones? 04:08 The Match.com Model - Building a Suite of Data Products 05:14 The Origin Story 05:51 Game Lines vs Prop Bets 08:40 Why Outlier Charges Subscribers Instead of Taking Sportsbook Affiliate Fees 10:13 Subscription as the Core Business Model  12:10 Why Affiliate Models Serve the Sportsbook, Not the Bettor 13:18 100,000 Monthly Active Users and the NBA Dominance 13:48 Expanding Into Soccer and International Markets  16:00 Why the US Adopted Sports Betting So Fast Compared to Europe 17:57 The Learned Behavior Problem in UK Betting Markets 19:47 The Stale UK Market and the Opportunity for a Fresh Product 21:13 The Financialization of Sports Betting 23:20 The Bifurcation of Sports Betting: Serious vs Fun 24:11 Prediction Markets, Cultural Betting and Responsible Gambling in Europe 25:03 Betting as a Shared Entertainment Experience 26:38 Why Sportsbooks Are Missing the Fun Segment Entirely 27:12 What Is Next: Series A, CMO Hire, Data Acquisition and Live Betting Product 29:18 Favourite Sporting Moment

    31 min
  2. Bridging the Gap Between Sports Industry and Smart Capital - Juan Fuentes Fernandez, GSIC & EBAN Sports #261

    May 27

    Bridging the Gap Between Sports Industry and Smart Capital - Juan Fuentes Fernandez, GSIC & EBAN Sports #261

    In this episode of the Sports Tech AllStars Podcast, we present Juan Fuentes Fernandez, Director at GSIC Valencia and Co-Chair of EBAN Sports, the sports vertical at the European Business Angel Network. The conversation explores why European sports tech investment remains fragmented, why industry insiders and experienced investors rarely occupy the same room, and what Juan is building across two organisations to close that gap from a testing lab in Valencia certifying pre-market technologies to a pan-European angel network connecting deal flow across borders. Takeaways Sports tech has two separate worlds - industry insiders who understand the market and experienced investors who have done exits GSIC Valencia is a testing lab that certifies sports technologies across up to 60 metrics in cooperation with 58 Valencian sports federations The GSIC certification carries real commercial value - it helps startups raise capital and sell to sports organisations that already trust the brand Most business angels invest locally by default - EBAN Sports exists to break down the regulatory and knowledge barriers that prevent cross-border early-stage investment in Europe There are not yet enough sports tech unicorn exits to attract experienced investors organically - EBAN Sports is accelerating that by bringing seasoned angels into the space Athletes are an underutilised capital source - GSIC is developing bootcamps to help athletes become investors and entrepreneurs Juan's investment thesis centres on B2C emerging sports like CrossFit and running, founders with an international mindset, and companies with product-market fit that need help expanding globally A founder who gets on a plane to raise money in foreign markets is already demonstrating the mentality needed to scale internationally To learn more about GSIC: https://sport-gsic.com/  To learn more about EBAN Sports: http://www.eban.org  Get in touch with Juan Fuentes Fernandez at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juanfuentesfernandez Hosted by ⁠Rohn Malhotra⁠ from ⁠SportsTechX⁠ - Leading source of Investment and Innovation insights in sports.  As promised, here's your small surprise: Unlock your 30-day growth plan (worth €49) on the SportsTechX Intelligence Hub for free! Simply verify your company details and you get access to 1,500+ investors, programmes, initiatives and events in the sportstech ecosystem. Here's how to get set up and if you'd like a walkthrough of the platform, feel free to book a call here. More from SportsTechX: Explore the SportsTechX Intelligence Hub, an interactive database of over 8,000 sports tech companies, 8,000+ deals, 1,000+ investors, programs and events - HERE Download the latest Global Sports Tech Ecosystem Report - HERE Sign Up for the Sports Tech Weekly Newsletter for more news, features & insights on Sports Tech - HERE  Stay Connected and follow for more: LinkedIn YouTube Spotify Apple Podcast Chapters 00:00 Introduction 02:31 Who Is Juan Fuentes Fernandez - Executive, Investor, Ecosystem Builder 04:02 What GSIC Valencia Is and Why It Was Launched 05:51 GSIC's Three Chapters  06:33 How the GSIC Testing Lab Works and What Certification Means 07:27 Who Can Apply  09:39 How Much Does GSIC Certification Cost and What Is the Process 10:49 Upcoming GSIC Initiatives 11:57 What EBAN Sports Is and Why Juan Co-Founded It 12:45 The Fragmentation Problem in European Sports Tech Investment 17:34 Two Worlds That Don't Meet: Industry Insiders vs Experienced Investors 18:20 Why Sports Tech Needs Both to Grow 20:20 A Year of EBAN Sports  21:07 How Investors and Startups Can Join EBAN Sports 23:04 What Is Coming Up on the EBAN Sports Event Calendar 23:54 Juan's Personal Investment Thesis  26:00 Nine Portfolio Companies and What Juan Looks for in Founders 27:33 How to Connect With Juan on LinkedIn 28:09 Favourite Sporting Moment

    31 min
  3. Why the NFL Chose Wearables Over Cameras and What Changed - Josh Helmrich, NFL #260

    May 20

    Why the NFL Chose Wearables Over Cameras and What Changed - Josh Helmrich, NFL #260

    In this episode of the Sports Tech AllStars Podcast, we present Josh Helmrich, Senior Director of Media Strategy, Business Development and Next Gen Stats at the NFL. The conversation explores how the NFL went from zero player tracking data to a platform that powers broadcast graphics, officiating decisions, coaching strategy, health and safety research and the Madden video game - and what the next evolution of that platform looks like now that optical tracking has entered the picture. Takeaways Next Gen Stats started as a working project name that nobody gave much thought The NFL chose wearable ultra-wideband tracking over optical at the start because of the unique occlusion challenges in American football  In the first game of tracking, the NFL collected more data than in the entire history of the league combined Marrying optical and wearable tracking together is the real unlock  The Big Data Bowl identified a winning rushing yards model from a Japanese team that had never watched American football and did not speak English Ball tracking at the bottom of a pile-up remains an unsolved problem  The NFL now has 29 data points per player at 10 frames per second  Innovation partners do not need to wait for the NFL to come to them  The Big Data Bowl has become a talent pipeline, placing graduates directly into NFL clubs and the league office To learn more, visit: https://nextgenstats.nfl.com Get in touch with Josh Helmrich at: linkedin.com/in/josh-helmrich-07a93510  Hosted by ⁠Rohn Malhotra⁠ from ⁠SportsTechX⁠ - Leading source of Investment and Innovation insights in sports.  As promised, here's your small surprise: Unlock your 30-day growth plan (worth €49) on the SportsTechX Intelligence Hub for free! Simply verify your company details and you get access to 1,500+ investors, programmes, initiatives and events in the sportstech ecosystem. Here's how to get set up and if you'd like a walkthrough of the platform, feel free to book a call here. More from SportsTechX: Explore the SportsTechX Intelligence Hub, an interactive database of over 8,000 sports tech companies, 8,000+ deals, 1,000+ investors, programs and events - HERE Download the latest Global Sports Tech Ecosystem Report - HERE Sign Up for the Sports Tech Weekly Newsletter for more news, features & insights on Sports Tech - HERE  Stay Connected and follow for more: LinkedIn YouTube Spotify Apple Podcast Chapters 00:00 Introduction 02:11 Sports Innovation Düsseldorf and the NFL in Europe 03:17 How the NFL Is Building an International Fan Base 05:18 The Origin of Next Gen Stats  06:02 Why the NFL Chose Wearable Tracking Over Optical 08:17 The Evolution of Sensors 10:34 Why Optical Tracking Took 10 Years to Arrive in the NFL 12:27 Ball Tracking in Football vs Other Sports 13:17 Was There a Plan or Did the Use Cases Reveal Themselves? 14:27 Enabling Coaches, Officials and Health Teams to Find Their Own Use Cases 15:49 AWS, the Big Data Bowl and Opening Up NFL Data 16:33 What the Big Data Bowl Actually Is and Why It Works 18:24 The Japanese Team That Won Without Ever Watching American Football 20:31 How the Big Data Bowl Became a Talent Pipeline for NFL Clubs 21:45 How the NFL Evaluates and Partners With New Technology Providers 22:56 The Unsolved Problem: Ball Tracking at the Bottom of a Pile-Up 24:09 What Kind of Technology the NFL Is Actively Looking For 25:09 What the Next 12–18 Months Look Like for Next Gen Stats 26:23 A Call to Action for International Sports Tech Innovators 27:42 Favourite Sporting Moment

    31 min
  4. Why Indiana Is America's Most Underrated Sports Tech Hub - Jeff Hintz, SportsTech HQ #259

    May 13

    Why Indiana Is America's Most Underrated Sports Tech Hub - Jeff Hintz, SportsTech HQ #259

    In this episode of the Sports Tech AllStars Podcast, we present Jeffrey Hintz, VP of Innovation at Indiana Sports Corp and Executive Director at SportsTech HQ. The conversation explores why Indianapolis - home to the NFL Combine, NCAA headquarters, IndyCar, the new Cadillac F1 team, and 50 plus sports tech companies - is one of the most overlooked sports tech ecosystems in the world, and how Jeff is building the infrastructure to put it firmly on the global map. Takeaways Indiana is home to the NFL Combine, NCAA, IndyCar, USA Football, USA Track and Field, USA Gymnastics, the Cadillac F1 team and the National High School Sports Federation  The Indiana Sports Corp was the first sports commission ever founded in the US, established in 1979, and has since inspired over 350 similar organisations globally Sports Tech HQ is not an accelerator or co-working space  Infrastructure that connects startups to pro teams, governing bodies, universities and investors Indiana offers a genuine competitive advantage for sports tech companies: denser access to decision-makers and faster traction than larger, noisier markets Consolidation in athlete performance tech is accelerating - the trend is toward one platform that manages and measures everything Youth sports globally is still largely run on spreadsheets and payment apps - the disruption opportunity remains wide open The over-monetisation of fans is an emerging tension in US sport, mirroring conversations already happening in European football Local fans create the atmosphere and the product - losing them to pricing pressure risks killing the golden goose Fan-owned models like the German 50+1 rule preserve exactly what makes sport worth watching in the first place To learn more, visit: https://sthq.org/ Get in touch with Jeffrey Hintz at: linkedin.com/in/jeffrey-hintz Hosted by ⁠Rohn Malhotra⁠ from ⁠SportsTechX⁠ - Leading source of Investment and Innovation insights in sports.  As promised, here's your small surprise: Unlock your 30-day growth plan (worth €49) on the SportsTechX Intelligence Hub for free! Simply verify your company details and you get access to 1,500+ investors, programmes, initiatives and events in the sportstech ecosystem. Here's how to get set up and if you'd like a walkthrough of the platform, feel free to book a call here. More from SportsTechX: Explore the SportsTechX Intelligence Hub, an interactive database of over 8,000 sports tech companies, 8,000+ deals, 1,000+ investors, programs and events - HERE Download the latest Global Sports Tech Ecosystem Report - HERE Sign Up for the Sports Tech Weekly Newsletter for more news, features & insights on Sports Tech - HERE  Stay Connected and follow for more: LinkedIn YouTube Spotify Apple Podcast Chapters 00:00 Introduction  02:53 The 2016 Ryder Cup  05:14 What It Takes to Run a Four-Year Event in Six Days  06:50 From PGA Tour to Indiana Sports Corp  08:24 Why Indiana Is a Sports Tech Hub Most People Don't Know About  09:27 The NCAA, IndyCar, Cadillac F1 and the Density of Indiana's Sports Ecosystem  10:23 What SportsTech HQ Actually Does  11:35 Indiana as a Landing Pad for International Sports Tech Companies  12:26 Highlights: Six Techstars Cohorts, 66 Companies and Growing  14:26 Indiana Is the Middle Coast  And That's a Competitive Advantage  17:33 Trends in Sports Tech: Consolidation, Youth Sports and AI-Driven Decisions  19:21 The Fan Economy, NIL and the Always-On Club Brand  22:12 Youth Sports Still Runs on Spreadsheets  23:14 Are Fans Being Over-Monetised?  25:47 Sports Betting, Distraction and the Warning Signs in the US  26:10 The 50+1 Rule, Fan Ownership and the Golden Goose Problem  29:20 FC Union Berlin, International Fans and Why the Model Matters  31:09 How Tech Can Help Clubs Balance Local and Global Fandom  32:33 What the Next 12–18 Months Look Like for SportsTech HQ  34:26 Peak Sports Tech Vegas, the Final Four Summit and Mark Cuban  37:41 Favourite Sporting Moment

    40 min
  5. The Human Readiness Platform Winning Championships - Andrew Powell, Ethos #258

    May 6

    The Human Readiness Platform Winning Championships - Andrew Powell, Ethos #258

    In this episode of the Sports Tech AllStars Podcast, we present Andrew Powell, CEO and Co-Founder of Ethos. The conversation explores how two college roommates built a human readiness platform out of a dorm room at UNC, why the mental side of sport remains the most underinvested edge in elite performance, and how the same technology that helped the Seattle Seahawks win a Super Bowl is now training US Air Force fighter pilots. Takeaways The mental side of sport is still the most underserved performance lever Ethos started as Duolingo for sports playbooks and has evolved into a full human readiness platform serving the NFL, NCAA, US military and enterprise clients Coaches spend 95% of their time finding insights and only 5% ensuring players actually understand them - Ethos flips that ratio Michigan credited Ethos insights with a game-changing interception in the national championship game The translation from NFL playbook training to fighter pilot combat tactics was more direct than expected  The majority of Ethos revenue now comes from the US Department of Defense, with sports and commercial clients each representing around 20% AI agent workflows for coaching staffs are the next frontier  NIL and the professionalization of college sports are creating new commercial opportunities that the industry is still structuring around More data and better tools do not homogenise sport  To learn more, visit: https://www.ethossystems.com/company Get in touch with Andrew Powell at: linkedin.com/in/andrew-powell-15180731  Hosted by ⁠Rohn Malhotra⁠ from ⁠SportsTechX⁠ - Leading source of Investment and Innovation insights in sports.  As promised, here's your small surprise: Unlock your 30-day growth plan (worth €49) on the SportsTechX Intelligence Hub for free! Simply verify your company details and you get access to 1,500+ investors, programmes, initiatives and events in the sportstech ecosystem. Here's how to get set up and if you'd like a walkthrough of the platform, feel free to book a call here. More from SportsTechX: Explore the SportsTechX Intelligence Hub, an interactive database of over 8,000 sports tech companies, 8,000+ deals, 1,000+ investors, programs and events - HERE Download the latest Global Sports Tech Ecosystem Report - HERE Sign Up for the Sports Tech Weekly Newsletter for more news, features & insights on Sports Tech - HERE  Stay Connected and follow for more: LinkedIn YouTube Spotify Apple Podcast Chapters 00:00 Introduction  02:28 The Dorm Room Origin Story of Ethos  04:16 Why Athletes Are Drowning in Data But Starving for Clarity  05:09 The Learning Science Behind the Platform  06:45 How Coach Insight Data Changes Everything  08:37 Why Mental Readiness Is the Last Untapped Edge in Elite Sport  09:12 Working With the Seattle Seahawks on Their Super Bowl Run  11:55 Cognitive Development, Memory and the Underplayed Mental Game  12:45 From NCAA Basketball to NFL - The Sports Portfolio  14:49 Human Readiness Beyond Sport - The Rebrand From Learn to Win to Ethos  15:45 How NFL Playbook Training Translates to Fighter Pilot Combat Tactics  20:02 What Makes Ethos Different From Corporate Learning Management Platforms  21:23 Revenue Split: Military, Sports and Commercial  22:24 AI Agents for Coaching Staffs 25:06 Does More Data Make Sport Less Exciting? 27:39 Formula One, Adrian Newey and Why Better Baselines Create More Innovation  28:27 What the Next 12–18 Months Look Like for Ethos  29:55 Favourite Sporting Moment

    32 min
  6. The First All-Female Led Club in German Football - Lisa Währer, FC Viktoria Berlin #257

    Apr 29

    The First All-Female Led Club in German Football - Lisa Währer, FC Viktoria Berlin #257

    In this episode of the Sports Tech AllStars Podcast, we present Lisa Währer, Co-Founder and Managing Director of FC Viktoria Berlin. The conversation explores how six women with a startup mindset took over one of Germany's oldest football clubs and are building something that looks nothing like traditional German football - from bold branding and digital ticketing to securing the first European investment from Monarch Collective, the fund behind Angel City FC. Takeaways FC Viktoria Berlin is Germany's first fully female-led football club, operating across both men's and women's sides The startup mindset is not a marketing angle - several of the six co-founders come directly from the startup and angel investing world Women's football creates a fundamentally different matchday atmosphere - more inclusive, more family-friendly, and commercially distinct from the men's game Berlin had no dominant sports team and no professional women's football presence Monarch Collective's first European investment signals growing institutional confidence in women's football as an asset class The gender data gap in football is real  Multi-club ownership models make particular sense in women's football where knowledge transfer and shared infrastructure accelerate professionalization Germany's 50+1 rule continues to deter investors who can find more control  The next 12 months are about scaling revenue, building toward profitability, and preparing for first division football To learn more, visit: http://www.fcviktoria.com Get in touch with Lisa Währer at: linkedin.com/in/lisa-währer-58a36058  Hosted by ⁠Rohn Malhotra⁠ from ⁠SportsTechX⁠ - Leading source of Investment and Innovation insights in sports.  As promised, here's your small surprise: Unlock your 30-day growth plan (worth €49) on the SportsTechX Intelligence Hub for free! Simply verify your company details and you get access to 1,500+ investors, programmes, initiatives and events in the sportstech ecosystem. Here's how to get set up and if you'd like a walkthrough of the platform, feel free to book a call here. More from SportsTechX: Explore the SportsTechX Intelligence Hub, an interactive database of over 8,000 sports tech companies, 8,000+ deals, 1,000+ investors, programs and events - HERE Download the latest Global Sports Tech Ecosystem Report - HERE Sign Up for the Sports Tech Weekly Newsletter for more news, features & insights on Sports Tech - HERE  Stay Connected and follow for more: LinkedIn YouTube Spotify Apple Podcast Chapters 00:00 Introduction  02:30 What Makes FC Viktoria Berlin Different  04:38 The Matchday Atmosphere and Why Women's Football Feels Different  06:01 Why Berlin Was the Right City for This Project  08:06 Berlin's Fragmented Sports Market and the Opportunity It Created  09:14 The Startup DNA Behind FC Viktoria's Six Founders  11:26 What the FC Viktoria Brand Actually Stands For  13:33 Tech and Innovation at the Club - From Digital Ticketing to Player Data  16:10 The Gender Data Gap in Women's Football  16:47 Working With Kinexon to Bridge the Data Gap  17:30 Multi-Club Ownership, Monarch Collective and the Investment Landscape  18:39 Where Women's Football Investment Is Heading in Germany and Europe  21:36 Why Women's Football Is a Better Early-Stage Investment Than Men's  22:31 What the Next 12–18 Months Look Like for FC Viktoria  24:33 Why This Is One of the Most Exciting Stories in Women's Sport  25:25 Favourite Sporting Moment

    29 min
  7. Why Sports Scheduling Is Harder Than You Think - John Stewart, FastBreak AI #255

    Apr 15

    Why Sports Scheduling Is Harder Than You Think - John Stewart, FastBreak AI #255

    In this episode of the Sports Tech AllStars Podcast, we present John Stewart, CEO and Co-Founder of FastBreak AI. The conversation explores how a routing and scheduling engine built for field sales became the dominant infrastructure behind professional sports scheduling globally, and how FastBreak AI is now leveraging that same technology to transform the $70 billion youth sports market in the United States. Takeaways Professional sports scheduling is one of the most complex combinatorial math problems in existence FastBreak AI is the dominant player in pro sports scheduling globally The company entered at the top of the market intentionally Youth sports in the US is a $70 billion market ripe for consolidation, with private equity now arriving in force Facial scan comparison to sexual predator databases is coming to youth sports ticketing Continuous background checks are replacing point-in-time checks for coaches and volunteers working with children AI-driven voice prompts may become the default user interface for consumer sports tech applications within the next two years Affordability in youth sports is an emerging crisis that technology and smarter operator economics can help solve Smart capital - not just more capital - is what changes the trajectory of the sports tech industry To learn more, visit: https://www.fastbreakai.com Get in touch with John Stewart at: linkedin.com/in/john-stewart-3528a38 Hosted by Rohn Malhotra from SportsTechX - Leading source of Investment and Innovation insights in sports. As promised, here's your small surprise: Unlock your 30-day growth plan (worth €49) on the SportsTechX Intelligence Hub for free! Simply verify your company details and you get access to 1,500+ investors, programmes, initiatives and events in the sportstech ecosystem. Here's how to get set up and if you'd like a walkthrough of the platform, feel free to book a call here. More from SportsTechX: Explore the SportsTechX Intelligence Hub, an interactive database of over 8,000 sports tech companies, 8,000+ deals, 1,000+ investors, programs and events - HERE Download the latest Global Sports Tech Ecosystem Report - HERE Sign Up for the Sports Tech Weekly Newsletter for more news, features & insights on Sports Tech - HERE  Stay Connected and follow for more: LinkedIn YouTube Spotify Apple Podcast Chapters 00:00 Introduction 01:47 The Origin Story of FastBreak AI 04:24 How Scheduling Went From One Consultant to a Global Platform 06:42 Why Sports Scheduling Is One of the World's Hardest Math Problems 09:59 The NBA, Media Rights and Why Complexity Only Grows 11:15 Market Dominance 13:06 How European Soccer Adds Another Layer of Scheduling Complexity 14:10 Lessons From Selling a Company to Salesforce and Entering Sports Tech 15:10 Youth Sports Is Fragmented 17:09 Land and Expand 19:12 What's Next 22:08 The Wallet, Rewards and Payment Infrastructure Play 22:13 Big Trends for 2026 25:17 The Capital Flooding Into Sports Tech Right Now 27:05 Favourite Sporting Moment

    29 min
  8. Inside German Football's Innovation Engine - Hendrik Weber, DFL #254

    Apr 8

    Inside German Football's Innovation Engine - Hendrik Weber, DFL #254

    In this episode of the Sports Tech AllStars Podcast, we present Hendrik Weber, SVP of Sports Innovation at the DFL (Deutsche Fußball Liga). The conversation explores how German football built the data infrastructure behind one of the world's most-watched leagues, how 3D markerless tracking is reshaping the broadcast product, and how the DFL thinks about its role in fostering sports tech innovation - from startup access to market consolidation dynamics. Takeaways Centralised tech provision to all clubs lifts the competitive baseline across the entire league - not just the top 3D markerless tracking is at a genuine inflection point, with EA Sports' acquisition of TRACAB signalling where broadcast storytelling goes next Market consolidation in performance tech is natural, but monopoly dynamics create pricing risk - the DFL actively works to keep new entrants coming in Invitation-only event formats change the depth of conversation and the quality of knowledge exchange The betting and fantasy gaming segment is the next area to watch for a consolidation wave The DFL sees performance and media as interconnected - stronger on-pitch product drives commercial upside Sports Innovation in Düsseldorf has become a must-attend event because it combines live sport, real technology demos, and genuine cross-sport exchange To learn more about the DFL, visit: https://www.dfl.de Get in touch with Hendrik Weber at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hendrik-weber-dfl Hosted by ⁠Rohn Malhotra⁠ from ⁠SportsTechX⁠ - Leading source of Investment and Innovation insights in sports.  As promised, here's your small surprise: Unlock your 30-day growth plan (worth €49) on the SportsTechX Intelligence Hub for free! Simply verify your company details and you get access to 1,500+ investors, programmes, initiatives and events in the sportstech ecosystem. Here's how to get set up and if you'd like a walkthrough of the platform, feel free to book a call here. More from SportsTechX: Explore the SportsTechX Intelligence Hub, an interactive database of over 8,000 sports tech companies, 8,000+ deals, 1,000+ investors, programs and events - HERE Download the latest Global Sports Tech Ecosystem Report - HERE Sign Up for the Sports Tech Weekly Newsletter for more news, features & insights on Sports Tech - HERE  Stay Connected and follow for more: LinkedIn YouTube Spotify Apple Podcast Chapters 00:00 Introduction  01:38 What Sports Innovation Is and Why the DFL Builds It  04:30 The Innovation Games Format 06:30 3D Markerless Tracking and the EA Sports / TRACAB Integration  10:00 The DFL's Two Mandates  13:50 Centralised Club Tech and the Sky Germany Virtual Broadcast POC  17:30 Market Consolidation in Performance Tech  20:45 Where the Next Consolidation Wave Hits 22:00 Hendrik's Career  26:00 What's Next: Operationalising Event Learnings and the Project Pipeline  27:30 Favourite Sporting Moment

    29 min
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Showcasing outstanding startups and initiatives in the global Sports Tech ecosystem, including accelerator & incubator programs, innovation hubs and major events. Are you looking for trends, new technologies or cooperation & investment opportunities? Here's where you can find them. The podcast is hosted by SportsTechX, a leading source for data & insights about Sports Tech. For further info, such as reports, market overviews or a global SportsTech database, go to www.sportstechx.com.

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