News/Sports
Meta launches $499 Oakley smart glasses with 3K video and 8-hour battery
Meta has announced a new line of smart glasses developed in partnership with Oakley, with the limited-edition Oakley Meta HSTN model priced at $499 and available for preorder starting July 11th. The collaboration marks Meta's expansion into the athletic performance market while building on the success of its Ray-Ban smart glasses, which have sold over two million pairs to date. What you should know: The Oakley Meta glasses target athletes and active users with enhanced durability and performance features. • The glasses offer IPX4 water resistance rating and double the battery life of Meta Ray-Bans, providing 8 hours of use...
read Jun 20, 2025Mark Walter built $6.1B empire spanning Lakers, AI, and Guggenheim Partners
Mark Walter, the billionaire set to take controlling interest in the Los Angeles Lakers, has built his fortune through Guggenheim Partners, a global investment firm managing over $325 billion in assets. With a net worth of $6.1 billion according to Forbes, Walter's investment empire spans sports franchises, artificial intelligence ventures, and financial services, positioning him as a major player across multiple high-growth sectors. What you should know: Walter's business portfolio extends far beyond traditional investments, encompassing cutting-edge technology and entertainment properties. He serves as CEO of Guggenheim Partners and co-founder of holding company TWG Global, which he established with film...
read Jun 18, 2025Google Cloud partners with WWT to centralize NBA player performance data
Google Cloud has partnered with World Wide Technology (WWT), a technology solutions provider, to develop an AI-powered playbook for an unnamed NBA franchise, aiming to unify previously siloed data on player performance and health. The collaboration addresses the need for better data interoperability in professional sports, enabling coaches, medics, and sports scientists to make more informed decisions about game strategy and player workloads. What you should know: The AI platform centralizes data that was previously scattered across different systems, making it easier for team staff to access comprehensive player insights. Team members including coaches, medics, and sports scientists will gain...
read Jun 13, 2025Kalshi’s NBA Finals ad costs just $2K using Google’s AI video tool
The betting platform Kalshi aired a fully AI-generated advertisement during the NBA Finals that cost just $2,000 to produce using Google's text-to-video generator Veo 3. The 15-second spot showcases the growing accessibility of AI video creation tools and signals a potential shift toward AI-generated content in mainstream advertising. What you should know: The ad was created by AI filmmaker PJ Accetturo in just 2-3 days, representing what he claims is a "95% cost reduction vs traditional ads." The advertisement features surreal scenes including an elderly man in a cowboy hat carrying a chihuahua, someone swimming in a pool of eggs,...
read Jun 12, 2025Messi’s iconic goal becomes AI-powered artwork for Christie’s auction
Digital artist Refik Anadol has transformed Lionel Messi's favorite goal into an AI-powered immersive artwork called "A Goal in Life," which will be auctioned at Christie's New York from July 8-22. The piece reimagines Messi's 2009 Champions League final header against Manchester United using millions of data points, with proceeds benefiting Latin American and Caribbean education programs through the Inter Miami CF Foundation. What you should know: Anadol created what he calls a "memory temple" that allows viewers to relive Messi's iconic moment through advanced AI visualization technology. The eight-minute AI Data Sculpture uses 17 body movement points extracted from...
read Jun 11, 2025ETH Zurich’s badminton-playing robot suggests ESPN for physical AI isn’t coming soon
Scientists at ETH Zurich have developed ANYmal, a quadruped robot that can play badminton using AI-powered perception and movement skills. The robot represents a breakthrough in combining real-time visual processing with physical agility, though its performance against human players reveals significant limitations that highlight ongoing challenges in robotics. How it works: ANYmal resembles a miniature giraffe holding a badminton racket in its teeth, built on a 50-kilogram industrial platform originally designed for oil and gas applications by ANYbotics, an ETH Zurich spinoff company. The robot uses a stereoscopic camera (which creates depth perception like human eyes) for shuttlecock tracking and...
read Jun 10, 2025Sony’s AI system replaces all human line judges at Wimbledon 2025
Sony's Hawk-Eye Innovations will replace human line judges at Wimbledon 2025, marking the first time the prestigious tennis championship will rely entirely on AI-powered electronic line calling. The move represents a significant milestone for sports automation, with Sony's subsidiary using 12 courtside cameras and artificial intelligence to track ball trajectories and make in-or-out calls across the tournament. What you should know: Wimbledon will eliminate traditional human line judges for the 2025 championship, starting June 30. Sony Group Corp.'s subsidiary Hawk-Eye Innovations will provide the electronic line calling system using AI technology to determine whether balls land in or out. The...
read Jun 5, 2025AI puts pedal to metal in Formula One race car design process
Formula One racing is witnessing a technological shift as teams increasingly embrace artificial intelligence to gain competitive advantages. Racing Bulls Formula One team, the sister team to industry leader Red Bull, has partnered with Swiss AI firm Neural Concept to revolutionize their race car design process. This collaboration represents how cutting-edge AI is transforming even the most specialized engineering fields, where milliseconds of performance improvement can dramatically impact race outcomes. The big picture: Racing Bulls is implementing Neural Concept's AI platform to accelerate and optimize their Formula One car design process through data-driven workflow. The AI platform is reportedly among...
read May 23, 2025Lionel Messi reveals his most cherished career goal and OKs an AI tribute
That is, a literal, physical career "goal." Lionel Messi's first-ever revelation of his favorite career goal marks a significant intersection of sports, art, and philanthropy. The football legend has partnered with renowned media artist Refik Anadol to transform this cherished moment into an AI-powered data sculpture that will be auctioned at Christie's to benefit global education initiatives. This collaboration represents an innovative approach to sports memorabilia that leverages digital art to create lasting social impact. The chosen goal: Messi selected his May 2009 Champions League final goal against Manchester United as his all-time favorite from his 860 career goals. The...
read May 22, 2025AI tools help the Orlando Magic basketball team build deeper fan loyalty
The Orlando Magic basketball team is transforming the fan experience through a strategic partnership with analytics firm SAS. By implementing SAS Viya's AI platform, the team aims to deliver highly personalized interactions and optimize business operations. This collaboration exemplifies how professional sports organizations are leveraging data analytics to create deeper fan connections while simultaneously improving their business models and extending their reach beyond local markets. The big picture: The Orlando Magic has partnered with analytics company SAS to revolutionize fan engagement at their home venue using advanced data analytics and AI technology. Despite exiting this season's playoffs early, the team...
read May 19, 2025NBC adopts AI-generated voice for NBA broadcasts
NBC's decision to resurrect the voice of deceased sportscaster Jim Fagan using AI for its upcoming NBA coverage marks a significant advancement in synthetic media use in mainstream broadcasting. By digitally recreating the voice of a beloved narrator who died in 2017, NBC is blending nostalgia with cutting-edge technology to enhance its basketball programming. This development highlights the growing trend of posthumous digital recreations in entertainment and raises important questions about the future relationship between AI-generated content and traditional media production. The big picture: NBC will use an AI-generated version of Jim Fagan's voice across selected NBA content beginning October...
read May 8, 2025San Antonio Spurs adopt ChatGPT Enterprise in slam dunk business move
These boots were made for talking in natural language. The San Antonio Spurs are pioneering a values-driven approach to enterprise AI adoption that has transformed their organization both on and off the court. By implementing ChatGPT Enterprise within their operations, the NBA franchise has created a model that balances technology innovation with their cultural foundations of humility, teamwork, and purpose, yielding measurable results while helping them compete effectively as a smaller market team. The big picture: The Spurs have achieved remarkable AI adoption metrics across their organization in under six months, with staff AI fluency increasing from 14% to 85%....
read May 7, 2025AI revives Jim Fagan’s voice for NBC’s NBA comeback
NBC Sports is reviving a voice from its basketball broadcasting past through AI technology, setting the stage for its NBA comeback after more than two decades. The network announced it will use an AI-generated voice of the late Jim Fagan, who died in 2017, for its NBA coverage beginning in October 2025 when NBC's new 11-year media rights deal takes effect. This nostalgic move aims to recreate the iconic sound that defined NBC's NBA coverage during the Jordan-era 1990s, while raising questions about how networks will blend tradition with technology in sports broadcasting. The big picture: NBC Sports is employing...
read Apr 6, 2025Tech novice uses ChatGPT to predict March Madness—can AI level the playing field?
ChatGPT's tournament prediction capabilities are being tested during March Madness, as a tech journalist with limited basketball knowledge harnesses AI to create a bracket. This experiment highlights how artificial intelligence tools could potentially level the playing field in sports predictions, allowing even novices to compete with experts by leveraging AI's expansive knowledge base and analytical capabilities. The knowledge gap solution: A tech journalist with minimal basketball expertise is using ChatGPT Deep Research to predict March Madness tournament outcomes despite not knowing basic basketball terminology. AI access to extensive basketball information online creates an opportunity for non-experts to compete with knowledgeable...
read Mar 20, 2025$1 million March Madness challenge pits AI predictive chops against human betting expertise
Artificial intelligence is entering the annual March Madness basketball frenzy, as a $1 million challenge pits machine predictions against human expertise in bracket selection. This high-stakes contest highlights AI's growing role in sports analytics while underscoring the persistent challenge of predicting outcomes in tournaments notorious for their unpredictability and dramatic upsets. The contest represents a fascinating intersection of cutting-edge technology and traditional sports gambling where human intuition has historically reigned supreme. The big picture: Alan Levy's platform, 4C Predictions, has launched a $1 million March Madness bracket challenge that directly compares AI-generated picks against those from professional sports bettor Sean...
read Mar 13, 2025Balancing act: How AI could make figure skating judging fairer while preserving artistic merit
Figure skating judging faces inherent challenges of human bias and technical complexity that AI systems may help overcome. Human judges must assess intricate athletic performances while accounting for both technical execution and artistic expression, creating opportunities for subjective interpretation and even political considerations. As sports increasingly embrace data-driven evaluation methods, figure skating presents a unique test case for how AI might enhance judging fairness while preserving the sport's artistic essence. The big picture: Figure skating judging combines technical scoring with subjective artistic assessment, creating an environment where AI could potentially reduce human bias and improve fairness. While sports like baseball...
read Mar 11, 2025Long shot or slam dunk? FanDuel launches AceAI, first generative AI assistant for sports betting
FanDuel's introduction of AceAI marks a significant milestone in sports betting technology, bringing the power of generative AI to the wagering experience for the first time in the industry. As sports betting continues to grow in popularity and complexity, this innovation represents a strategic move by the market leader to leverage its vast data resources to enhance user experience while simultaneously addressing responsible gambling concerns. The big picture: FanDuel has launched AceAI, the first generative AI sports betting chat experience in the gambling industry, integrated directly into their Sportsbook app. The platform serves as both an educational resource and betting...
read Feb 26, 2025AI transformations tackle sports landscape, but legal challenges emerge
In the world of professional sports, artificial intelligence has fundamentally changed how athletes are discovered, developed, and marketed, with technologies ranging from advanced analytics to biometric monitoring becoming standard tools across major leagues and teams. The Evolution of Sports Recruitment: AI has transformed the traditional scouting process into a data-driven endeavor that combines performance analysis, automated highlight creation, and predictive analytics to identify talent more effectively. Machine learning algorithms now analyze player statistics, movement patterns, and game footage to identify promising prospects AI-powered systems create comprehensive player profiles by combining performance metrics with physiological data Automated scouting reports help teams...
read Feb 25, 2025AI startups from around the globe go head-to-head in Comcast NBCUniversal Sports Tech Program
The Comcast NBCUniversal SportsTech accelerator program has entered its fifth year, selecting 10 early-stage sports technology companies from a record pool of over 1,600 applicants. This year's cohort features several AI-focused startups, reflecting the growing integration of artificial intelligence across the sports industry. Program Overview: The six-month accelerator provides selected startups with $50,000 in funding from NBCUniversal and Boomtown, with both organizations receiving equity stakes in participating companies. Each company receives mentorship from experienced business operators and opportunities to test their concepts The program includes partnerships with major sports organizations like NBC Sports, NASCAR, Premier League, and PGA Tour Companies...
read Feb 21, 2025AI running startup Ochy raises $1.7M, integrates with Adidas adiClub
Running biomechanics startup Ochy has developed an AI-powered platform that analyzes runners' gaits using smartphone cameras, making professional-level biomechanical analysis accessible to everyday athletes. The French company has recently secured new funding and formed a significant partnership with a major athletic brand. Key Investment Details: Ochy has raised USD 1.7 million in pre-seed funding to expand its AI-driven biomechanics platform and enhance its global presence. The funding round was led by Redstone's Social Impact Fund, with participation from Look AI Ventures, BPI France, Berkeley SkyDeck, and strategic investor Agile Physical Therapy The capital will support advancements in computer vision AI...
read Feb 19, 2025GoPro enhances 360 MAX camera with AI-powered editing tools
The rise of 360-degree video content creation has driven demand for more sophisticated cameras and editing tools in both consumer and professional markets. GoPro, a leader in action cameras, has responded with a comprehensive update to its 360-degree video ecosystem, combining hardware improvements with AI-powered editing capabilities. Product Evolution: GoPro's refreshed MAX 360 camera introduces significant hardware upgrades while maintaining accessibility for content creators. The new MAX 360 camera now captures 5.6K spherical video, offering higher resolution footage for more detailed content A redesigned mounting system accommodates standard ¼-20 tripod mounts, increasing compatibility with existing photography equipment The MAX Enduro...
read Feb 10, 2025Analyzing OpenAI’s Super Bowl ad — and its CEO’s grandiose blog post
OpenAI's first-ever Super Bowl advertisement marked a significant milestone in the company's public presence, costing $14 million to reach nearly 40 million U.S. households during Super Bowl LIX. This marketing push, combined with CEO Sam Altman's blog post "Three Observations," provides insight into OpenAI's vision for artificial general intelligence (AGI) and its role in human progress. The advertising strategy: The Super Bowl commercial positioned OpenAI's work within the broader context of human technological advancement, presenting ChatGPT as the gateway to what the company calls the "Intelligence Age." The advertisement traced various human innovations throughout history, culminating with ChatGPT The messaging...
read Feb 8, 20255 AI chatbots predicted Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl songs — here’s what they said
The core story: Five leading AI chatbots have generated diverse predictions for Kendrick Lamar's upcoming Super Bowl LIX halftime performance at New Orleans' Caesars Superdome, offering insights into both the potential setlist and guest appearances. Key predictions: Each AI model approached the 12-15 minute performance window with varying degrees of ambition and practicality. ChatGPT proposed a focused seven-song setlist centered on Lamar's biggest hits, suggesting SZA as a featured guest performer Gemini crafted an expansive eleven-song performance complete with detailed staging concepts and multiple artist collaborations Claude took a more conservative approach, recommending song medleys to accommodate time limitations DeepSeek...
read Feb 8, 2025You could win $1M for using Perplexity’s chatbot during the Super Bowl
A single strategically timed marketing campaign could net one lucky Perplexity AI user a million-dollar prize during this year's Super Bowl, as the AI startup opts for an alternative to traditional game-day advertising. Campaign Overview; Perplexity AI's 'Million Dollar Question' promotion offers users the chance to win $1 million by engaging with their AI chatbot during the Super Bowl. The contest runs from 3 PM PT on February 9 until approximately 7:30 PM PT, coinciding with the Kansas City-Philadelphia game Users must download the Perplexity mobile app and actively participate by asking questions Each question asked during the contest period...
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