The WNBA started its regular season last week, and with it came the tipping off of a few tech partnerships for teams that stood out as innovative — not just among their league peers but throughout the industry.

Let’s cover a lot of ground in quick fashion by diving into three that touched many aspects of sports business: the Storm and data firm Kraft Analytics Group; the Liberty and muscular-imaging startup Springbok Analytics; and the Mercury and Fortress.

The partnership: The Storm became the first WNBA client to begin using KAGR’s data warehouse and analytics solution.

The reason it stands out: This is a move to set a tech foundation that will ultimately connect data sets for more personalized fan messaging and offerings.

Rohre Titcomb, the Storm’s COO, told me that one of her primary tasks since joining the franchise roughly two years ago was taking the handoff on building a more connected digital infrastructure for the organization to continue capitalizing.

The Storm, according to Titcomb, experienced significant growth last year on top of the rising popularity of the WNBA and other women’s sports in North America. KAGR stood out among the handful of companies the Storm vetted as a partner due to the consulting expertise KAGR could provide on top of the connective digital tissue that webbed the Storm’s info stores.

“They already have the relationships and know-how, from a platform standpoint, based on the strategic consulting services to build out something that really can serve ticketing partnerships, merch, our youth basketball program,” Titcomb said. “For us, we really wanted to have an approach that was going to allow us to really have all of our systems talking together and have a unified look at our fans.”

Added KAGR CEO Jessica Gelman: “I’m just really proud to be partnering with this brand, with this leadership team, that has been setting the benchmark in women’s sports for a long time.”

The partnership: The Liberty and Springbok Analytics, one of SBJ’s 10 Most Innovative Sports Tech Companies in 2023. The team is the first WNBA client for the AI-powered body-scan startup.

The reason it stands out: Liberty players will receive support from a firm with a constantly growing expertise in analyzing professional women athletes. Springbok Analytics, which takes 2D MRI scans and turns them into 3D digital twins for interactive muscular breakdowns, has steadily built a women’s athlete database to better cater to the varying body types across the total spectrum. With more data comes the capability to personalize training, injury management and recovery.

The move comes on the heels of Springbok’s season-long deployment with Unrivaled, which helped in the day-to-day care of athletes but also maintained a health monitoring regimen that kept the stars of the 3-on-3 league healthy for the WNBA season as well.

“Most of what we’ve learned about how muscles work and how they relate to performance is based on studies of men,” said Dr. Silvia Blemker, chief science officer and co-founder of Springbok Analytics, to me earlier this year. “… At the outset, we need to be able to advance the field to account for the differences in how the bodies are essentially deigned or shaped between males or females.”

The partnership: The Mercury tap fan experience company Fortress for the creation of PHX ID experience inside its ecosystem.

The reason it stands out: PHX ID is going to exist in the combined app for the Mercury, Suns and PHX Arena, which will lean on a QR code that can serve multiple purposes (scanning tickets, paying at concessions/merch stands, and house rewards). PHX ID features integrations with Ticketmaster and PayPal for Fortress, which has worked in the arena since 2023, starting with self-scanning ticketing kiosks.

Fan ID programs and loyalty platforms have all worked toward creating reward mechanisms for fans, no matter if they’re cheering from in-venue or at home. This is a unique engagement deployment that will work toward better snapshots of fans that are connected to the Mercury.

“We have a lot of new season ticket members this season, so it’s a great opportunity to show them how we continue to innovate and elevate the fan experience through new initiatives like PHX ID,” said Aaron Jerz, CFO for the Mercury and Suns. “We introduced PHX ID to fans in advance through exclusive member events leading up to the start of the season. We saw huge success with PHX ID at the Mercury home opener, and fans had the opportunity to see how seamless it made their gameday experience.”

Amazon’s Memorial Day Sale is already happening, and plenty of fitness trackers and smartwatches are on sale. This event intersects with some recent Garmin price drops, too, making it a really good time to shop for a new watch. Here are the best deals I’m seeing. 

Pixel 

Google’s Pixel Watch 2 is on sale for just $149.99, down from an original price of $249.99. This is the slightly older version, launched in 2023 and replaced two years later by the Pixel Watch 3 (which I reviewed here). The Pixel Watch 2 has most of the same features as the newer model, but only comes in one size (41 mm) and doesn’t have as big or bright a display. 

Suunto

The Suunto Core watch is on sale for $159.99, normally $219.99. It’s built for outdoor adventuring, with an altimeter, barometer, and compass built in, and can alert you when a storm is a-comin’.

Garmin

The Fenix 8, 47mm size, is on sale for $799.99, normally $999.99. The Fenix is one of Garmin’s most rugged and feature-packed watches, with maps, a flashlight, a titanium bezel, and leakproof buttons. 

On the other end of the price spectrum, the Forerunner 165 is on sale for $199.99, normally $249.99. This watch is a budget version of the 265, and a good entry-level option for runners who don’t need a lot of extras. Note that the regular 165 doesn’t come with music storage. If you want to listen to tunes without bringing your phone along, you’ll want to spring for the Forerunner 165 Music, now on sale for $249.99, normally $299.99.

The trusty Forerunner 265 is on sale for $349.99, $100 off its original price of $449.99, although that’s probably less about the Memorial Day sale and more about it being replaced with a new Forerunner 570. That said, the 265 is a truly excellent watch, still my personal favorite in the Forerunner line—although I haven’t reviewed the 570 yet, so that may change (I’m wearing a 265S as I write this).

The Venu 3 and 3S are on sale for $349.99, down from $449.99.  (S means smaller size; they’re the same watch otherwise.) This is Garmin’s most smartwatch-y watch, with voice calling and an ECG app. It’s aimed at people who want a lifestyle watch with fitness features, rather than a sports-focused watch. You can think of it as the fancier version of the Vivoactive 6, which isn’t on sale today (regular price is $299.99) but happens to be one of my favorite fitness watches.

The Instinct 3 Solar is on sale for $349.99 in both 45 mm and 50 mm sizes, down from $399.99 when it launched earlier this year. It has a rugged build, outdoor-focused features including an LED flashlight, and solar charging. It also comes in an AMOLED version that’s on sale for $399.99 and a lower-cost Instinct E that is going for $249.99 right now—all $50 off their original prices.

BOSTON, Mass. (AP) — A Massachusetts college student will plead guilty to stealing millions of students’ and teachers’ private data from two U.S. education tech companies and extorting it for ransom, the U.S. attorney’s office said.

Assumption University student Matthew Lane, 19, is accused of using stolen login credentials to access the computer network of a software and cloud storage company serving school systems in the U.S. and abroad, according to U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts Leah B. Foley.

PowerSchool was not named in the court filings, but a source familiar with the case confirmed the company’s involvement.

According to court records, Lane is then alleged to have threatened the release of 60 million students’ and 10 million teachers’ names, phone numbers, Social Security numbers, residential addresses and medical histories if the company did not pay a ransom of approximately $2.85 million in Bitcoin.

Foley said Lane’s actions “instilled fear in parents that their kids’ information had been leaked into the hands of criminals – all to put a notch in his hacking belt.”

An attorney representing Lane didn’t return a phone call from The Associated Press requesting comment on Wednesday. Lane, of Sterling, Mass., faces counts of cyber extortion conspiracy, cyber extortion and unauthorized access to protected computers and aggravated identity theft. A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled.

Lane is also accused of extorting a $200,000 ransom payment from another telecommunications company last spring by threatening to release customer data.

“Matthew Lane apparently thought he found a way to get rich quick, but this 19-year-old now stands accused of hiding behind his keyboard to gain unauthorized access to an education software provider to obtain sensitive data which was used in an attempt to extort millions of dollars,” said Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division.

(Copyright (c) 2024 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

As mentioned above, it’s Sports Business Awards night. There are 93 nominees across 14 categories for tonight’s festivities, and a slew of them have significant tech connections we cover daily here. I wanted to highlight a few of those nominees (either by categories or as standouts among their competitors) that leaned on tech to get here in the first place.

Betting on innovation: Genius Sports and Fanatics Sportsbook are battling it out for Best in Sports Betting, along with DraftKings and FanDuel.

Genius Sports was one of our 10 Most Innovative Sports Tech companies in 2023, continuing to soar through its interactive AR product called BetVision, which has deployments with the with NFL as well as soccer. Genius Sports also landed a data distribution deal with NCAA to serve as the sportsbook of choice for all its postseason competitions (including the Holy Grail that is March Madness).

Fanatics has also pushed forward with an innovative approach to transforming a user experience that spans data, memorabilia and merchandise. The company has worked to better connect those three business pillars via a data insights layer and also streamline the overall Fanatics experience by catering more to the individual user’s experience.

Breaking through with tech: Cosm, EA Sports College Football 25 and the TGL each have a compelling chance at Sports Breakthrough of the Year. Cosm was honored as one of the 10 Most Innovative Sports Tech Companies earlier this year, and they continue to expand with Atlanta and Detroit locations currently in various stages of development. The collaborative effort that created the platform powering the NIL payout for players involved in College Football 25 won Best Technology Collaboration at SBA: Tech in March. And my colleague Bret McCormick dove into the tech that makes TGL work earlier this year.

An immersive case: Noche UFC’s candidacy in Sports Event of the Year is enhanced thanks to its use of the Sphere in Las Vegas. It was the second sports-specific event to take place at the technological marvel, which also hosted the NHL Draft last summer.

Standing with a serious stack: Intuit Dome is a strong contender in Sports Facility of the Year due to the sheer effort to streamline the fan experience via tech, allowing attendees to focus more on the game. Key component of that experience is the Parallel Reality experience provided by Misapplied Sciences and the autonomous shopping experience throughout the venue by AiFi — both companies that were honored as 10 Most Innovative honorees this year with Cosm.

Clippers and Intuit Dome CTO George Hanna was also our Technology Executive of the Year.

The exec with the tech: In Executive of the Year, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman is one of the five in the mix. It’s worth noting that he was our headliner at SBJ Tech Week in March.

Catapult’s stock surged to new peaks on Wednesday, signalling a return to form for the once-hyped sports tech company — and marking a high point for chief executive Will Lopes, nearly six years into his tenure.

The company’s market cap hit $1.3 billion, a dramatic comeback for a business that, just over two years ago, was valued at a sixth of that. It’s a notable win for Lopes, who stepped into the top job in 2019 when Catapult was in the doldrums.

“When I got here, to be honest, the company was in a bit of disarray,” Lopes said to Capital Brief.

“They had no CEO for almost nine months, they had a rotating door of CFOs for almost three years. It was a pretty chaotic environment, and yet the retention of the product was actually still pretty strong.”

Arcis Golf and iFIT Announce Exclusive Content Partnership

Industry leaders combine complementary expertise to produce personalized golf-fitness workouts

Arcis Golf—a premier operator of 70 private, resort, and public golf facilities in the United States—and iFIT Inc., a global leader in connected fitness, have formed a first-of-its-kind partnership to create golf-fitness content.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250521971973/en/

iFIT

iFIT is making its debut in golf programming through an exclusive partnership with Arcis Golf, known for its premier portfolio of world-class courses and facilities. The new content will be available on the iFIT platform, which runs on mobile devices as well as iFIT-enabled machines (NordicTrack, ProForm, and Freemotion). Drawing on its global network of master trainers and fitness experts, iFIT will create golf-focused programming to integrate into its industry-leading immersive content—enabling users to train anytime, anywhere.

iFIT will introduce Arcis-branded golf fitness to its network of over 6 million users. Known for delivering personalized workouts from stunning global locations, iFIT will now feature content set at Arcis’s premier golf courses and fitness facilities equipped with Freemotion product.

“This global partnership aligns perfectly with the health-and-wellness goals that are so important to our membership,” said Blake Walker, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Arcis Golf. “The collaboration with iFIT will expand our brand awareness to new audiences as we lead in golf fitness, best-in-class instruction, and technology. We look forward to seeing the positive impact it will bring.”

Emphasizing that “the magic will be in the quality of the content,” Walker said the collaboration will combine Arcis’ golf expertise with iFIT’s content platform to create high-impact golf-fitness programming. Together, they will develop golf workouts, performance training, and on-course strategy sessions—produced at Arcis Golf clubs—while also refining iFIT’s marketing to better target golf-focused audiences.

“This partnership positions us to make an immediate and meaningful impact in the fast-growing golf fitness space by partnering with a premier golf and lifestyle brand like Arcis Golf,” said Mark Watterson, CEO of iFIT Commercial. “Their exceptional portfolio of beautiful golf courses, top-tier facilities, equipped with Freemotion equipment, and industry leadership give us a powerful foundation for long-term success.”

For additional information on Arcis Golf, access the website at www.arcisgolf.com and for iFIT, www.ifit.com.

About Arcis Golf

Arcis Golf is a premier owner and operator of 70 private, resort, and daily fee clubs in the United States. An industry leader, Arcis Golf continues to transform its portfolio of clubs into inclusive, lifestyle hubs with dynamic programming and unrivaled amenities. Golf and country clubs are elevated to levels of excellence designed to exceed the needs and expectations of families, friends, members, and guests of all ages. The company is also known for innovative management, with a best-in-class leadership team that is committed to enhancing service levels and to reinventing the modern club experience. Headquarters: 8343 Douglas Avenue, Ste. 200, Dallas, TX 75225. Phone: (214) 722-6000. Website: arcisgolf.com.

About iFIT Inc.

iFIT Inc. is a global leader in fitness technology, pioneering connected fitness to help people live longer, healthier lives. With a community of more than 6 million athletes around the world, iFIT delivers immersive, personalized workout experiences at-home, on the go, and in the gym. Powered by a comprehensive ecosystem of proprietary software, innovative hardware, and engaging content, the iFIT platform brings fitness to life through its portfolio of brands: NordicTrack, ProForm, Freemotion, and the iFIT app. From cardio and strength training to recovery, iFIT empowers athletes at every stage of their fitness journey. For more information, visit iFIT.com.

Media Contact

Karen Moraghan

Hunter Public Relations

kmoraghan@hunter-pr.com

908/963-6013

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250521971973/en/