Alexa, who won the Super Bowl?
Alexa, who won the Super Bowl?
4 minute read · Issue number 2 · February 4th, 2020
Welcome to the second edition of Sports-Tech Biz! For those living under a rock, San Fransisco gave up a 10-point lead in the last 8 minutes of the Super Bowl and gifted the “Great State of Kansas” with a Super Bowl trophy.
For the ones that missed out on the reference, here’s a snap of the deleted tweet:
One technology
5G Technology in the Super Bowl
The NFL partnered up with Verizon to install the newest network technology available in the market for a trial during the Super Bowl in Miami. Verizon spent $80M on 5G for parts of the stadium, and it turned out to be a great success.
What’s in it for the fans?
Using the 5G technology, fans can upload faster to social media, connect easier in high-traffic areas, and have access to stadium technology to improve the experience of the fan in the arena.
Looking ahead: The 5G technology began its deployment last year and it’s only available in a few countries. Compared to 4g, the newest version is smarter, faster and more efficient. In sports, the goal is to enhance the experience of the fans and the different ways they interact with social media.
The big picture: Nowadays, everyone carries their smartphone to any event. Companies and event organizers are starting to realize that there is a business opportunity in the digitalization of experiences, and we could soon be looking at changes in live streaming, sponsors, and the way people follow their teams in social networks.
+Extras: If you’d love to check out the nitty-gritty-geek numbers of the technology in the super bowl, check out this article.
One company + product
Back when tablets started to be a thing, Microsoft won the NFL, by signing a contract in 2014 worth 400 million USD to provide the tablets’ technology for each game since then.
Transforming the game: These tablets came as a substitute to the classic black-and-white printed sheets and have changed the way teams use in-game technology to improve tactics, learn from the opponents’ strategy, and to review mistakes made by the players, by providing instant replays, different angles of the plays and an interactive scheme for players and coaches. The tablets also allow the referees to review key in-game plays that could dictate the destiny of the match.
Microsoft has highly improved the applications and features of the tablet since the beginning; making it faster, more interactive, easier to maneuver, and with better insights.
Diversity: These Surface tablets are used in many different sports around the world such as rugby, Formula 1, soccer, and more. This gives Microsoft a competitive advantage in the tablets markets over the alternatives.
Reliability and familiarity: By getting coaches, referees and players used to the system, Microsoft can generate product loyalty from the game which now relies on their technology. From a business perspective, this creates an almost impenetrable barrier of entry to their competitors and it certainly increases their chances of closing more similar deals = $$$.
One Start-up
Founded in 2015, STRIVR is a virtual reality technology that captures video of training and practice repetitions, allowing the athletes to run and see every part of a play, anytime, anywhere. The technology has been tested in different teams in the NFL, the NBA, college, hockey, professional skiers, and many more.
Segment: Performance enhancement
Total funding: 21 million USD (series A)
VR in sports: Virtual and augmented reality are some of the most recent trends that have been incorporated into sports. It is transforming the way players, coaches and fans experience the action of the sport from a different perspective. STRIVR uses this tech mainly for practices and repetitions, but we could expect future applications for in-game replays, the teams re-shaping their strategy, tactics, or to learn about the rival.
Watch the following video to learn how STRIVR technology works:
Stats, Numbers & Facts:
Which Super Bowl ad was your favorite? Below, you can see a chart of the Super Bowl 2020 commercials by topic, compared to 2019s (u/TheBigBo-Peep):
According to Variety, 102 million total viewers tuned in for Super Bowl LIV between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers streamed by Fox (more than last year’s 100.7 million total viewers).
A 30 second Super Bowl ad this year was priced at 5.6 million USD, which is the most expensive it has ever been!
That’s it for today! Thanks for reading!
Ronen Ainbinder
One last note:
If you haven’t checked out last week’s edition click here!
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