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Tackling Tech: What the NFL Learned from Super Bowl Week Technologies
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- Published on 09 February 2017
Fans were treated to a historic overtime-decided Super Bowl last Sunday. And the league's tech and marketing gurus got an up close look in Houston at innovation that could move the game forward on and off the field.
Next-gen tackling robots got sizable attention from a league facing continuing head injury issues, heavily hyped 360 degree player views made but a few cameos, and Fox broadcasting game highlight packs in near real-time in virtual reality seems ripe for further review.
Tackling Tech: Despite Challenge, Intel's 360 Player View Ready for Super Bowl
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- Published on 02 February 2017
An advanced computing and camera system that could take NFL game viewing next level will be working the game Sunday providing 360 degree replays of plays and player views. The hope is that these clips could someday become a staple for all pro football games.
Over a decade in the making, well past proof of concept and used in Super Bowl 50, 360 tech-infused video camera system faces a big obstacle to mainstream use: each (re) play generates a terabyte of data, meaning the unique clips can take up to several minute to create before they can be aired.
Tackling Tech: Awash in Fan Data, the NFL Seeks Analytics to Drive Decisions
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- Published on 26 January 2017
Analytics in sports continue to face challenges in acceptance with game strategy. But it's beginning to look like the far taller task is applying them to rivers of fan data generated by everything from fan cams to season ticket waiting lists.
Analytics can help sports leagues, clubs, marketing teams and spinoffs build better business entities that provide an improved overall experience and monetize fans. The stark reality, however, is that teams are fighting an uphill battle on this front.
Tackling Tech: How the NFL, NBA & More Use Social Media to Expand Brands Overseas
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- Published on 19 January 2017
Where once expansion meant building stadiums, adding teams and landing broadcast TV contracts, the NFL, NBA, and others have turned to social media to reach fan followings in foreign countries.
The NFL teamed with Twitter to live stream 10 games this season worldwide for free (after testing the approach with Yahoo for one game a year earlier.
And when it sought to stream games in the burgeoning Chinese market in which Twitter is blocked, they turned to social media service Weibo.
Tackling Tech: Tom Brady, Smart Clothes and the Pursuit of Peak Performance
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- Published on 13 January 2017
The Under Armour -TB12 launch of sleep recovery pajamas could serve as a wakeup call for athletes and trainers looking to find ways beyond limited wristbands to acquire and analyze biometric data for improved performance.
Connected wear is part of the emergence of a category of apparel called smart clothing that has been used for more than a few years by NFL scouts, some players, and training firms to get an inside look at what makes athletes tick, on and off the playing field.
Tackling Tech: A Blackout Survival Guide for NFL Fans
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- Published on 05 January 2017
I raised my glass to toast the New Year, and a moment later, the TV channel showing the Times Square celebration went dark.
Happy New Year? Not with continuing channel blackouts that have driven viewer and fan frustration to epic levels again. Consumers are stuck in the middle, feeling like an afterthought by large corporations battling over mega-bucks.