Sony’s partnership with the NFL, set to debut its advanced coach headsets for the 2025 season, is more than a sports tech deal—it’s a masterclass in strategic cross-industry collaboration. By merging cutting-edge audio engineering with the NFL’s demand for reliability under extreme conditions, Sony has positioned itself as a leader in both B2B tech partnerships and consumer electronics. This move underscores its underappreciated potential to drive recurring revenue and brand equity, while setting a template for the convergence of sports analytics and IoT. Investors should take note.

The Technology Edge: From Sidelines to Living Rooms

The headsets exemplify Sony’s prowess in noise cancellation and durability. Engineered to withstand stadium noise exceeding 100 decibels—tested against real crowd recordings—and extreme weather, these devices use proprietary algorithms and microphone technology derived from its WH-1000XM6 series. This is no accident: the same tech that silences a roaring crowd could soon enhance Sony’s consumer headphones, creating a feedback loop where B2B innovations elevate consumer products.

The ripple effects are already visible. The headsets’ waterproofing, drop resistance, and ergonomic design are direct upgrades from consumer models, suggesting Sony is using professional markets to stress-test and refine its audio tech. Meanwhile, the integration of Verizon’s 5G-powered private wireless networks highlights Sony’s pivot toward IoT-enabled ecosystems—critical for future growth in connected devices.

NFL Sponsorship: A Goldmine of Brand Equity

Sony’s $150 million annual sponsorship isn’t just about logo visibility on headsets. It’s a multi-year play to embed its brand into the NFL’s DNA, leveraging the league’s global audience of 100 million+ fans. The partnership also includes Hawk-Eye line-calling technology and broadcast tools, creating synergies between sports tech and imaging. This exposure drives consumer awareness and loyalty, indirectly boosting sales of products like the WH-1000XM6 headphones, which now have a “proven in the NFL” halo effect.

B2B Partnerships: The Untold Revenue Stream

Sony’s NFL deal isn’t an isolated stunt. It’s part of a broader strategy to diversify beyond volatile consumer electronics markets. By locking in recurring revenue through B2B contracts—like its $1 billion+ imaging partnership with the NFL—Sony mitigates risk while capitalizing on the $34 billion sports tech market. The NFL headsets’ durability standards, for instance, could spill into industrial or automotive audio partnerships, widening Sony’s moat against rivals like Bose or Jabra.

The Long Game: IoT and Sports Analytics

The real prize is the sports analytics and IoT space. Hawk-Eye’s virtual line measurement system, which reduces review times by 60%, is just the start. Sony’s data integration with Beyond Sports and AWS’s NFL Next Gen Stats hints at a future where real-time player tracking and fan engagement tools become cash cows. Imagine Sony licensing its stadium-grade noise cancellation to smart home devices or its Hawk-Eye algorithms to autonomous vehicles—both plausible extensions of its core tech.

Investment Thesis: Buy Sony’s Undervalued Tech Play

Sony trades at 14x forward earnings, a discount to Apple (17x) or Alphabet (23x), despite its diversified revenue streams and high-margin B2B partnerships. Analysts may underweight its sports tech bets, but the NFL deal’s $150M+ annual value and IoT opportunities suggest upside. Investors should also watch for cross-pollination wins: if Sony’s noise-canceling tech boosts consumer headphone sales, or if Hawk-Eye expands to soccer or baseball, the stock could surge.

Conclusion: A Leader in the Game of Tech Evolution

Sony’s NFL partnership is a testament to its ability to transform niche innovations into mass-market advantages. By anchoring itself in high-stakes B2B collaborations, it’s building a resilient revenue model and brand equity that few competitors can match. For investors, this isn’t just about sports—it’s about betting on a company that’s rewriting the rules of tech integration. With Sony’s stock undervalued and its innovation pipeline humming, now is the time to position for the next phase of its rise.

SEATTLE, WA / ACCESS Newswire / July 14, 2025 / The leading innovator in AI-powered sports analytics, is proud to announce a groundbreaking partnership with Strictly Basketball, one of the most influential digital media brands in basketball. This collaboration is set to transform the way players, parents, and fans engage with sports content through cutting-edge AI technology.

“We are thrilled to partner with Strictly Basketball,” said Kevin Keranen, CEO of “Their ability to captivate millions of basketball fans aligns perfectly with our mission to empower athletes with innovative AI tools. Together, we are setting a new standard for content creation and engagement in the basketball world.”

Strictly Basketball, founded by Joe Doerrer and Nolan Newberg in 2020, has grown into one of the most engaged sports media platforms, boasting over 5 million highly active followers across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. With a proven track record of producing viral content, Strictly has garnered over 1.67 billion views in the past year alone.

“Strictly Basketball is excited to collaborate with Athlete.ai to redefine digital sports content,” said Joe Doerrer, Co-Founder of Strictly Basketball. “An AI-driven platform is a game-changer in sports technology, and we are eager to bring this innovation to our audience.”

As part of the partnership, Strictly Basketball will work together to create AI-enhanced content that highlights athlete performances, engages fans, and provides new opportunities for players to showcase their skills. By leveraging advanced analytics and Strictly’s wide-reaching media presence, the collaboration aims to bring the latest in sports technology to a broader audience.

Strictly Basketball’s influence within the sports content space, combined with cutting-edge technology, will revolutionize how athletes showcase their talent, engage with their supporters, and maximize their recruitment potential.

About Athlete.ai

Athlete.ai is a premier sports analytics company utilizing AI technology to enhance athlete performance, scouting, and content creation. By leveraging AI-powered highlight generation and real-time analytics, it helps athletes gain exposure and connect with opportunities.

About Strictly Basketball

Strictly Basketball is a digital sports media company specializing in high-engagement basketball content. With millions of followers and billions of views, Strictly continues to lead the way in sports storytelling and athlete exposure.

Media Contacts:
Kevin Keranen
CEO, Athlete.ai
Joe Doerrer & Nolan Newberg
Co-Founders, Strictly Basketball

SALT LAKE CITY, July 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Supplemental Health Care (SHC), a national leader in workforce solutions, is proud to announce the release of its Technology with Purpose Report 2025. This comprehensive report highlights how SHC is leveraging advanced artificial intelligence (AI) tools and customer-centric strategies to redefine healthcare workforce solutions, enhance candidate engagement, and deliver exceptional client experiences.

SHC’s release of this new report shows the company’s continued commitment to integrating cutting-edge technology with its four decades of industry knowledge. Chief Digital Officer, Simon Curtis shared that in addition to SHC’s tools and expertise, “we can ensure that exciting innovation is also supported by personal relationships and human connection, which we believe will allow us to continue delivering exceptional experiences for all of our partners across the workforce solutions landscape.”

The report highlights key milestones and achievements, showcasing SHC’s utilization of technology and AI tools as well as its internal leadership and industry expertise:

• Improvements to SHC WeConnect’s tech stack features including mobile-first, talent-facing tools and real-time client support dashboards

• 20% increase in the total candidate pool year-over-year due to enhancements in attraction platforms

• 98% rating of talent quality and 96.5% culture fit based on client feedback

• Reduction of average time-to-hire by 7 days through automated workflows and skills validation enhancements

• Improved candidate satisfaction (+23%), hire conversion (+7%), net promoter score (NPS) (+2%), and retention (+10%) metrics year-over-year

Supplemental Health Care is committed to further integrating AI into workforce solutions, enhancing self-service tools, and providing transparent job search support. With a focus on combining empathy with innovation, SHC aims to put its patients, providers, and partners at the heart of care delivery across behavioral health, education, and healthcare services.

About Supplemental Health Care

Supplemental Health Care (SHC) is a leading behavioral health, education, and healthcare workforce solutions provider that connects caring nurses, therapists, and other healthcare professionals with opportunities to fulfill their calling to better serve patients and students. SHC is proud to deliver world-class service and career options to our clinicians, a range of dynamic workforce solutions to our clients, and a supportive atmosphere to our corporate teams. For everyone that we serve, SHC is the place where caring hearts thrive.

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COLUMBUS — Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced the next step toward expanding lifesaving Next Generation 911 across the state, with Belmont and Jefferson counties among those being added to the initiative.

Following its successful implementation in 10 pilot counties, the Ohio Department of Administrative Services will expand the NG911 technology into 15 additional counties to help get critical information to first responders more quickly during emergencies.

“The most important function of government is to protect its citizens, and Next Generation 911 is a critical investment to protect the safety of Ohioans and help our local law enforcement agencies,” DeWine said. “When Ohioans are experiencing an emergency, they deserve to know that help is on the way quickly, and that’s exactly what Next Generation 911 does.”

The 10 pilot counties that are now fully implementing NG911 include Athens, Carroll, Champaign, Columbiana, Harrison, Monroe, Morgan, Union, Van Wert and Washington counties.

Counties that have now begun the onboarding process include Allen, Belmont, Fairfield, Guernsey, Hardin, Hocking, Jackson, Jefferson, Marion, Muskingum, Noble, Perry, Pickaway, Ross and Vinton.

The DeWine Administration has made continued investments into NG911, including $62 million over the last two bienniums for the infrastructure, ongoing support and onboarding of new counties.

NG911 modernizes how Ohioans interact with 911, allowing citizens to text and use smartwatches and other wearable technology to contact 911. NG911 technology also saves critical seconds when Ohioans call emergency services by reducing the number of call transfers between 911 call centers and by more precisely pinpointing the location of callers using cellphones.

Statistics from Washington County, one of the first counties in Ohio to fully implement the system, demonstrate the impact of NG911 on saving time by reducing call transfers. Since implementing NG911, call centers in the area have noted significant increases in correctly routed calls, and fewer emergency calls are being unnecessarily routed to and from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. Between Dec. 17, 2024, and June 30, 2025, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office experienced a 42.7% decrease in wireless 911 calls compared to the same time period the previous year.

“Our pilot counties have taken more than 44,000 calls to date through the new system, and the reduction in transfers is saving critical time during emergencies,” said Kathleen C. Madden, director of the Ohio Department of Administrative Services. “We look forward to assisting additional counties as part of this vitally important project that is already transforming Ohio’s emergency response capabilities.”

The Office of First Responder Communications Initiatives within DAS is managing the state’s long-term strategy for migration to NG911. The next step for the office is to ensure the Ohio State Highway Patrol and Ohio Department of Natural Resources are fully operational and integrated with the system.

“Thanks to the support of Governor DeWine and excellent work by the state’s team, tremendous progress is being made toward bringing Next Generation 911 to every community in Ohio,” said Andy Wilson, director of the Ohio Department of Public Safety. “These are essential upgrades that improve the ability of our law enforcement community to respond quickly and accurately to emergencies, and we are incredibly pleased to partner with DAS to add Next Generation 911 to our tool chest at the Patrol.”

Ohio’s remaining counties that have yet to migrate to the system have five years to do so and are encouraged to contact the 911 Program Office to begin the process.

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Whoop just launched its most advanced wearable yet: the Whoop MG, a sleek, medical-grade device designed to deliver unprecedented insight into your cardiovascular health, recovery, and performance. Tailored for serious athletes and weekend warriors alike, the MG isn’t just an upgrade—it’s a leap forward in wearable fitness tech.

At first glance, the Whoop MG looks similar to previous models: minimalist design, fabric band, and no screen. But under the hood, it’s a powerhouse. The MG introduces novel health features, including on-demand electrocardiogram (ECG) functionality and cuff-calibrated blood pressure insights—giving users the ability to monitor heart health and estimate blood pressure trends in real-time from the comfort of their home. This makes it the first Whoop to meet medical-grade standards while still serving the performance and recovery data athletes have come to rely on from this brand.

Beyond the headline features, Whoop MG also boasts an upgraded sensor suite, a staggeringly impressive 14-day battery life, and faster data processing—meaning more accurate sleep, strain, and HRV tracking. It also integrates newer features like stress monitoring, hormonal insights, and Healthspan (Whoop’s unique take on biological age).

The MG is only available as part of Whoop’s new premium membership tier, Whoop Life, which unlocks all of these advanced metrics and health tools.  But it comes with a price—$359 per year, to be exact.

Whoop MG at-a-Glance

Weight: 0.96 ounces (similar weight to the Whoop 4.0)

Battery life: 14 days

$359/year at Whoop

Pros

• Delivers medical-grade, clinically accurate ECG readings and blood pressure insights
• 14 days of battery life (or 30 days when paired with the new Wireless PowerPack)
• Healthspan features such as aging and pace of aging
• Hormonal insights can help women gain a deeper understanding of how their menstrual cycle phase impacts metrics like HRV, sleep, RHR, and strain
• Advanced insights with the Whoop Coach Daily Outlook feature combines a wealth of daily data to offer specific, customized advice

Cons

• Price—$359 a year, versus the Whoop Peak ($239) and Whoop One ($199)
• Unless you’re looking for medical-grade information on a regular basis, earlier models will likely deliver all the data you need
• If you have a low heart rate (considered below 50 bpm, which is not uncommon in endurance athletes) then the Whoop MG is unable to check for Atrial fibrillation (AFib)
• You’ll need a blood pressure cuff for initial blood pressure calibration

Whoop MG Versus Whoop 4.0

The Whoop MG represents a major leap forward from the Whoop 4.0, with significant upgrades across hardware, health tracking, and battery life. While both devices share core features like strain, recovery, HRV, and sleep tracking, the MG introduces a slew of innovations designed to deliver deeper health insights and greater user convenience. If you enjoyed nerding out with data from the Whoop 4.0, then the data provided by the Whoop MG will take your nerding out status to epic new heights. Buyer beware.

The Whoop MG (which is nearly identical to the new Whoop 5.0 but with an ECG clasp) is 7 percent smaller than the Whoop 4.0, offering a sleeker and more comfortable fit, which is important for a device you’re wearing 24/7. It features a 60 percent faster processor that’s 10 times more power-efficient, resulting in faster syncing and improved accuracy. It also more than triples battery life, stretching from four to five days with the 4.0 to up to 14 days on the MG, or 30 days when paired with the new Wireless PowerPack. An interesting aside: I took the Whoop MG on a five-day trip, completely forgot to take a charger, but never needed it—so extended battery life is impressive here.

The on-demand ECG functionality is the Whoop MG’s main party piece. You simply place your thumb and index finger on the sensor indents on the clasp and hold for 30 seconds while a reading is taken. A detailed report follows about a minute later, which can be sent to healthcare professionals. While it can detect AFib, it’s unable to if you, like me, have a low resting heart rate like me (considered below 50 bpm, which isn’t unusual in endurance athletes).

Blood pressure estimates, which are still in beta, are the other key new feature with the MG, although you will need a blood pressure cuff to calibrate this feature. Once you’ve entered three readings using a cuff, the MG can deliver daily readings using heart rate, HRV, and blood flow patterns.

In addition to improved recovery and performance coaching, the MG introduces enhanced hormonal insights and a new Healthspan feature (including Whoop Age and Pace of Aging), providing users a clearer picture of long-term health. However, you do need to have 21 days of data before the Healthspan features are accessible, so we’ll update this article with that information in the coming week.

It’s also important to note for 4.0 users that MG bands are not compatible with 4.0 straps due to the redesigned clasp, and Whoop has moved to a three-tier membership model (One, Peak, and Life), with ECG and blood pressure features only available on the Life tier.

In short, the MG builds on everything the Whoop 4.0 offers—while dramatically expanding its utility for those seeking deeper, more actionable health and longevity data.

Whoop MG vs. Whoop 4.0 Side-by-Side Comparison

Whoop MG First Impressions

After this first two-week period wearing the MG, I’m impressed with the depth and detail of the data it delivers. Anyone who’s seriously interested in what’s happening inside their body, with both the short- and long-term in mind, will likely feel the same. As someone who doesn’t love sleeping with a device on my wrist (I’m a years-long Oura ring wearer), I like the fact it’s a sleeker device that spews out data noticeably faster than the 4.0 (within minutes of waking up you’ll have a wealth of info about your sleep, recovery, and data to help make informed decisions about the day ahead).

The battery life is another major win, and anyone who loathes charging devices (or simply forgets) will love how hassle-free and easy the MG’s long battery life makes day-to-day wearing.

While the ECG readings and blood pressure insights are the obvious major upgrades on the MG, they haven’t wowed me in quite the way I’d hoped they might. That said, if you’re someone who wants to have easy, daily access to heart health info, then the MG will likely be a very tempting purchase. For me, while I love the faster processing speeds and in-depth coaching insights the MG provides, I’m not seeing the value of the cardiovascular features, especially as my lower heart rate prevents AFib detection. That’s a limitation well worth knowing before spending almost $400 a year.

The updates I do like: Improved HRV and sleep tracking plus, the AI-driven coaching insights and daily outlook features, which succinctly deliver all of your meaningful data with recommendations for training and recovery for the day ahead. While runners should always listen to their bodies and make informed decisions on how they feel, sometimes that can be tricky and having a few detailed metrics on hand can make it easier.

Other wins: the female-specific insights around hormonal changes have been expanded in the MG, providing clearer connections between cycle phases and physiological shifts like recovery, sleep, and heart rate variability. At long last, women can rely on data provided by a wearable like the MG.

The biggest downside is undoubtedly the price. At $359 for a year, this is one of the most expensive wearables out there. And unless you really want ECG and blood pressure data, the 4.0 or the 5.0—or other recovery-focused devices—might still serve you just fine. You’ll also need to swap out your old straps, as the MG uses a new clasp.

Bottom line: the MG offers the most detailed health and recovery tracking I’ve seen in a wearable. But it’s probably best suited for data-driven athletes or those with a vested interest in cardiovascular and/or long-term health metrics. If you’re looking for a simple sleep and recovery tracking device, wearing this will be like taking a Ferrari for a spin around a grocery store.

Who Is the Whoop MG For?

The Whoop MG is best suited for athletes, biohackers, and health-focused folks who want deeper, more advanced insights into their performance and long-term well-being. It’s particularly valuable for endurance athletes and runners already using metrics like HRV, resting heart rate, and recovery scores—now with the added ability to monitor cardiovascular health, blood pressure, and ECG on demand.

Women looking to better understand how their menstrual cycle affects recovery, sleep, and performance will appreciate the enhanced Hormonal Insights, while the new Healthspan tools offer rare access to metrics like biological age and pace of aging—something few wearables currently provide.

That said, the MG is not for casual users. At its price point, and with its heavy data focus, it’s ideal for people who are serious about their training, proactive about their health, and interested in tracking how their body is functioning on a day-to-day—and decade-to-decade—basis. If you’re someone who checks your recovery before deciding how hard to train, or you want medical-grade metrics without booking a doctor’s appointment, the MG is one of the most comprehensive wearables available.

Seb Murray sidelined, Callum Ilott fights hard, and Louis Foster strengthens Rookie of the Year lead ahead of Toronto street circuit showdown.

A Media Snippet accompanying this announcement is available in this link.

NEWTON, Iowa, July 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — SEGG Media Corporation (NASDAQ: SEGG, LTRYW) (“SEGG Media” or the “Company”), a leading technology company transforming the global intersection of sports, entertainment and gaming today announced the results from a weekend of intensity, growth, and high-impact visibility for SEGG’s flagship brands, Sports.com and Lottery.com, at Iowa Speedway. As the Sukup INDYCAR race weekend concluded, all eyes now turn to Toronto – where SEGG Media is poised to continue its upward trajectory on one of the most iconic street circuits in North America.

Andretti Global’s Louis Foster underlined his credentials as IndyCar’s top rookie, maintaining his lead in the Rookie of the Year standings. The 21-year-old qualified 12th and 16th for the weekend’s two races, continuing his season average of 12.5 in a 27-car field despite weather disruptions that cut short practice.

In Race 1, Foster showed speed and composure, pushing through the field and coming alive after a mid-race aero balance change. “It was good to get a good result on an oval, it matched roughly what we did at the Indy 500,” said Foster. “We were there on pace, on merit. The pit stops were phenomenal by the team, and I think we could’ve finished top 10 with a more comfortable balance.”

Race 2 brought another clean drive and valuable points as Foster worked forward again and managed race strategy perfectly. “Not many drivers stayed consistent across both races, so I’m happy that we did,” he said. “We fought hard for the positions we earned.” His oval average now stands at an impressive 13.33.

In the NTT INDYCAR Series, Callum Ilott showed strong form in both qualifying and race pace before a late-race incident ended his charge prematurely. Despite a penalty and contact, Ilott’s recovery drive from deep in the pack highlighted the resilience of both driver and team.

PREMA Racing delivered a breakthrough result as Robert Shwartzman stormed to a career-best P9 finish – the team’s highest placement of the 2025 campaign so far. After battling through setbacks, Shwartzman capitalized on strategy, tire management and raw pace to crack the top ten in commanding style.

Though adversity struck in the Indy NXT paddock as Seb Murray was not medically cleared to compete in Sunday’s race, the Andretti Cape driver remained on-site, proudly supporting the team from trackside and ensuring strong continued presence for Sports.com through fan engagement and broadcast exposure.

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