👀New Viewpoints in Sports: From Player POV Technology to Youth Sports Innovation.

Hey

Welcome to the 12th edition of The Sports Stack! This week, we're exploring how technology is creating entirely new perspectives in the sports world. We’ll explore Genius Sport’s innovative performance studio upgrade and briefly discuss how AI is being used to profile elite footballers. There’s a feature on Youth Inc., an experienced founding team with a strong mission to support families, coaches, and young athletes in navigating the complexities of youth sports.

👋 Next week, I’ll be at Sports Pro in London - if you’re planning to be there, drop a reply to this email and let me know! 

This week’s chapters:

• Product Spotlight - Through the Player's Eyes: How Genius Sports' ProView3D is creating a POV analysis tool. 

• Youth Inc. Reimagines Sports Media for Young Athletes. 

• Deal Flow: Tech Acquisitions and Investments are ramping up. 

• Quick Hits: This Week’s Stories & Updates.

💡 Product Spotlight - Through the Player's Eyes: How Genius Sports' ProView3D is creating a POV analysis tool. 

This week, we’re focusing on Genius Sports' recent feature launch, ProView3D. I had the chance to speak with Genius Sports and view an early feature demo. 

Who are Genius Sports?

Genius Sports has built its reputation by partnering with major leagues and teams worldwide, including the Premier League, UEFA, and LFP. Rather than just collecting stats, they have developed technology that transforms how sports organisations understand and use their data. Their efforts span hundreds of partnerships globally, providing the technological foundation that helps build a new era of data-driven sports analysis and decision-making.

If you’re a Premier League fan, you’ll know that semi-automated offside started a few weeks ago, and Genius is providing the technology for that. A much-needed improvement to the current VAR decision-making process! 

What is ProView3D?

Within their existing Performance Studio, which is divided into Insight, Creator, and Fitness, they’ve now added ProView3D. Their vision for ProView3D is, ‘Review any match action from any on-field perspective.’ 

The complete end-to-end experience in the Performance Studio enables teams to do the following. 

• Insight: Video analysis tool; lets analysts and coaches filter every single match action and sync it to video. 

• Creator: Allows the selected playlists to update with every game’s clips based on the previous filters and markings. 

• Fitness: Live fitness tracking product. League-wide benchmarks against the rest of the league, team and individual players. 

In the video, you’ll see: 

• Gvardiol’s first-person perspective on the buildup to his goal against Wolves 

• The camera angle shifts to the left, offering a high vantage point. 

• The ability to switch to Gvardiol’s first-person perspective of his goal. 

Here’s the real version for comparison and reference. 👇️ 

How the magic happens: From 10,000 data points to virtual reality.

• ProView3D uses Genius’ Dragon tracking cameras, which are installed in all Premier League stadiums and are integrated with GeniusIQ.

• GeniusIQ enables the tracking cameras to understand the game's actions. Creating a mesh of every single player, capturing 10K data points per player per game

• GeniusIQ then translates thousands of data points into the language of football to help power the ProView3D experience. 

• The crazy part about all of this is that even with all this data, when an analyst selects the highlight clip, it takes only up to 2 seconds to create the ProView3D. 

• Unlike standalone tools that face integration challenges, ProView3D has immediate access to all the contextual data and analysis already flowing through the Genius ecosystem.

Genius Sports’ tracking technology is installed at all Premier League grounds, thanks to their league-wide tracking deal. This unique advantage of having their Dragon camera technology at all Premier League grounds has enabled them to create a distinct edge, providing access to angles and views unmatched by any other provider. 

How might it change coaching, and what other use cases could it create?

• Enhanced Player Development: Coaches can now objectively assess decision-making by seeing exactly what players saw during key moments. 

• Tactical Advantages: Teams can use these player perspectives to better prepare for opponents' set pieces and patterns of play by literally seeing the game through the eyes of key opposition players in previous matches.

• Potential for Media Innovation: This technology has clear applications for broadcast enhancements, enabling viewers to experience crucial moments from the player's perspective, much like F1 has successfully implemented driver-view cameras. 

• Future Fan Engagement: Clubs could create premium content experiences, allowing fans to relive key moments through their favourite players' eyes, adding a new dimension to match analysis and highlight packages.

Looking ahead, ProView3D represents the beginning of another shift in how we experience sports. Whilst currently limited to the football clubs with Dragon camera infrastructure, the real tipping point will come when this technology lowers the barriers beyond elite teams. The organisations that figure out how to scale capabilities like this whilst maintaining accuracy will unlock entirely new revenue streams through premium content experiences.

Would you like access to an exclusive review of Caitlin Clark’s record-breaking rookie season in the WNBA? 👇️ 

🧒 Youth Inc. Reimagines Sports Media for Young Athletes. 

Despite the presence of 30 million young athletes in America, Youth Inc. believes that no dedicated platform has effectively addressed the unique challenges of youth sports. 

Youth Inc., co-founded by NFL analyst Greg Olsen, is positioning itself as the first digital media network focused exclusively on youth sports content and commerce. Following a $4.5 million seed round in 2024, the company is expanding beyond its podcast to build a comprehensive technology platform serving the youth sports ecosystem.

Their mission is to support families, coaches, and young athletes in navigating the complexities of youth sports, offering resources that promote mental fitness, skill development, and positive coaching practices.​

The Market Opportunity.

When researching Youth Inc. I came across a report from Aspen Institute's Sports & Society Program, which recently released "A Theory of Change for Sport in America.”

Their US-based research highlights:

• The average child quits sports by age 11. 

• Youth and school sports form the foundation for community health.

• Access barriers, including cost and transportation, limit participation. 

• The US national goal (63x30) aims to have 63% of youth playing sports by 2030.

Reading the full report outlines why what Youth Inc. aims to do is extremely important, and although this is very much US-focused, this narrative can be repeated across the globe.

What makes Youth Inc. interesting?

• Founded by Greg Olsen, along with Ryan Baise and Tim Murphy, Youth Inc. benefits from leadership with deep experience in sports, media and commerce.

• They explore important topics such as mental fitness, best coaching practices, and the impact of social media on young athletes, offering valuable insights for stakeholders in youth sports. 

• By leveraging technology, they aim to make the equipment and apparel purchasing process more accessible and efficient for families and teams.

• The proof is in the pudding, as evidenced by The Youth Inc. podcast, which has demonstrated a strong market appetite by generating over 400,000 downloads in its first year. 

What’s next?

As Youth Inc. enhances its content offerings, it is also set to launch a robust technology platform in early 2025, designed to support young athletes and their families further. The platform will offer a range of products and services tailored specifically for youth sports families and coaches.

The current youth generation’s parents have grown up as digital natives themselves, creating a demand for solutions that reflect how they manage the rest of their lives. Therefore, it makes sense for Youth Inc. to build digital products that address these needs.

I have reached out to Youth Inc. for more details, but their most recent job posting for Head of Growth on LinkedIn offers some insight into what they might be building.

It’s important that Youth Inc. strike a balance between the need for genuine change and problem-solving, without becoming an engine for profitability, especially with their new commerce platform. It’s clear from their content that they are purpose-led and driving real awareness of important topics in youth sports, and I hope they continue to be that way.

Check out their content below: 

🤑 Deal Flow: Tech Acquisitions and Investments are ramping up. 

According to Capstone Partners, the Sports Technology market has experienced an uptick in dealmaking, with 26 transactions announced or completed YTD, a 30% increase compared to the prior year period. 

Strava, the leading fitness community app, is acquiring Runna, a UK-based platform specialising in running training plans and coaching. My girlfriend and I have been using Runna for a few weeks, and it’s a genuine masterpiece in gamification and product UX - you could even go as far as to say it’s making running fun.….

Here's the strategic significance:

• Booming Running Market: The acquisition taps into the fastest-growing sport on Strava, with nearly 1 billion runs recorded in 2024 and 43% of users planning to participate in races or events in 2025.

• Complementary Technologies: This move combines Strava's massive community of over 150 million users with Runna's highly rated personalised training capabilities, creating a more comprehensive running ecosystem.

• App Independence Strategy: Strava plans to keep the apps separate while investing in Runna's team and accelerating its development, maintaining the specialised experience while leveraging the broader community.

• API Ecosystem Commitment: The deal strengthens Strava's position as an open platform by maintaining its support for over 100 training app partners within its API developer community.

• Gen Z Focus: As younger users increasingly turn to running for community and connection, this acquisition positions Strava to serve the growing Gen Z demographic better.

WSC Sports, the AI-powered sports content automation provider, has acquired Infront Lab's Engines 365 platform in a strategic move that strengthens its digital fan engagement offerings. Here's what matters:

• Expanded Technology Stack: WSC adds two key products - StreamEngine (a white-label OTT platform) and ContentEngine (a social media publishing system), creating an end-to-end solution for sports organisations.

• First-Party Data Focus: This acquisition directly addresses the growing priority of sports organisations to own their fan relationships and data, a trend we've covered extensively in previous editions.

• Technology Integration: By combining WSC's AI-driven highlights automation with Infront's streaming capabilities, rights holders can create even more efficiencies within their content teams while increasing output = a win-win.

• Industry Consolidation: This deal represents the ongoing trend of sports tech consolidation that we highlighted recently, with established players expanding their capabilities through strategic acquisitions rather than partnerships.

ALT Sports Data, the emerging sports data and engagement specialist, has raised a $5M seed round to fuel its expansion. Key highlights:

• Strategic Investment: The oversubscribed round was co-led by Relay Ventures and Eberg Capital, with participation from Motley Fool Ventures and Scrum Ventures.

• Rights Portfolio Growth: The company has secured exclusive global partnerships with Formula 1 and X Games, building on its portfolio of 25+ premier sports properties.

• Engagement Ecosystem: Beyond just providing data, ALT Sports Data is creating an integrated platform connecting emerging sports, sportsbooks, and fans through its NXTbets content platform.

Luka Modric has reportedly acquired a 5% minority stake in Swansea City Football Club, according to BBC Sport. The ‘Modric bump’ was in full effect on Friday following the announcement, with Swansea recording their second-largest attendance of the season, only behind the Welsh derby against Cardiff City. Almost 19,000 fans attended their Good Friday game, compared to an average crowd of 14,000 for other home games this season. 

🗞️ Quick Hits: This Week’s Stories & Updates.

🔬 The Guardian recently published a super interesting article about AI’s impact on profiling elite players. 

• Brighton is now using AI to analyse players' psychological profiles. Former Norwegian defender Yaw Amankwah's company tracks subtle body language cues to evaluate emotional control and leadership qualities, creating a database of over 100,000 observations. "When you take your eyes off the ball, it's a treasure trove of information," Amankwah explains.

• Max Pelka implemented this technology at Bayern Munich under Nagelsmann, providing one-page psychological summaries that influenced team selection. Now at Brighton, Pelka continues to use these methods to create competitive advantages through a better understanding of players' mental attributes.

🏎️ ​​Infosys and Formula E launch AI-powered Stats Centre: The updated platform turns race data into engaging experiences for fans, offering interactive stat cards, AI-generated analysis spanning 10 seasons of racing, and an AI assistant for personalised queries. Built on Infosys Topaz with Google Cloud integration, it coincides with the launch of the GEN3 Evo car, which accelerates from 0 to 60mph in a blistering 1.82 seconds, 30% faster than current F1 cars. 

⚽️ MLS renews TikTok Deal per SBJ.

🤑 Investors are eyeing Portugal: An emerging M&A market on the rise, according to Off The Pitch.

🏎️ Max Verstappen is linked to a $300 million Aston Martin offer ahead of the Miami GP. The offer will be funded by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, which owns about 20.5% of Aston Martin’s Formula One team. 

Thanks for reading,
Mark