NEW YORK—Warner Bros. Discovery today unveiled its plans to separate the company into two publicly traded companies—one focused on its streaming services and the second on its cable business, confirming plans it announced last December. The “Streaming & Studios” company will consist of Warner Bros. Television, Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, DC Studios, HBO and […]
NEW YORK—Warner Bros. Discovery today unveiled its plans to separate the company into two publicly traded companies—one focused on its streaming services and the second on its cable business, confirming plans it announced last December.
The “Streaming & Studios” company will consist of Warner Bros. Television, Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, DC Studios, HBO and HBO Max, as well as their film and television libraries. Global Networks will include entertainment, sports and news television brands worldwide, including CNN, TNT Sports in the U.S., and Discovery, top free-to-air channels across Europe, and digital products such as Discovery+ streaming service and Bleacher Report (B/R).
Fitness Tracker Market on Track for Strong Growth, Estimated
Fitness Tracker Market Stay ahead with our updated market reports featuring the latest on tariffs, trade flows, and supply chain transformations. What Is the Expected CAGR for the Fitness Tracker Market Through 2025?
The scale of the fitness tracker market has seen substantial enlargement in the previous years. Projected expansion is from $58.1 billion in […]
Stay ahead with our updated market reports featuring the latest on tariffs, trade flows, and supply chain transformations.
What Is the Expected CAGR for the Fitness Tracker Market Through 2025?
The scale of the fitness tracker market has seen substantial enlargement in the previous years. Projected expansion is from $58.1 billion in 2024 to $70.22 billion in 2025, displaying a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 20.8%. The significant growth trajectory during the historical period is tied to heightened cognizance about health and wellness, transformation towards a focus on preventive healthcare and wellness, demand for weight management solutions, health insurance considerations, corporate health culture, as well as existing trends in sports and athletics.
What’s the Projected Size of the Global Fitness Tracker Market by 2029?
There is a predicted swift expansion for the fitness tracker market in the coming years, with an estimated value of $138.64 billion in 2029 and a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 18.5%. This significant growth during the forecast period is attributed to several aspects such as sleep and wellness tracking, fitness for the senior and elderly population, trackers for children’s fitness, integration of ecosystems, and mental health monitoring. The forecast period will also witness certain pivotal trends like the use of wearable ECG and health trackers, remote health observation, the utilization of AI and data analytics, customization and personalization, and a focus on fashion and design.
Top Growth Drivers in the Fitness Tracker Industry: What’s Accelerating the Market?
The rise in health-related complications is likely to fuel the expansion of the fitness tracker market. A health disorder generally implies a condition that has recognizable physical causes and evident signs of pathology. Consistent physical activity promoted by using a fitness tracker can significantly help in staving off various ailments. For example, as per reports by the World Health Organization, a United Nations’ specialized agency based in Switzerland, there were 41 million deaths globally in September 2022. This accounted for 74% of the total annual fatalities due to non-communicable or chronic diseases. The data included 17.9 million deaths from cardiovascular diseases, 9.3 million from cancer, 4.1 million from chronic respiratory diseases, and 2 million from diabetes. Consequently, the surge in health disorders is propelling the growth of the fitness tracker market.
What Trends Will Shape the Fitness Tracker Market Through 2029 and Beyond?
Advancements in technology is a prevailing trend in the fitness tracker market. Many leading companies are embracing these technological advancements to maintain their market dominance. For instance, in August 2024, Sonde Health, a U.S. company that focuses on health technology, specifically voice-enabled symptom detection and monitoring for long-term and mental health disorders, introduced a voice-controlled cognitive fitness tracker. This tracker analyses vocal characteristics such as speech patterns and tone to gauge cognitive function and mental health statuses. Offering real-time feedback and exercises that are customized to individual necessities, these trackers strive to increase cognitive performance and boost mental health in the long-run. This technology offers significant benefits, especially for users wishing to sustain or improve their cognitive skills.
What Are the Main Segments in the Fitness Tracker Market?
The fitness tracker market covered in this report is segmented –
1) By Device Type: Smart Watches, Fitness Band, Smart Glasses, Smart Clothing, Other Device Types
Which Top Companies are Driving Growth in the Fitness Tracker Market?
Major companies operating in the fitness tracker market include Fitbit Inc., Apple Inc., Garmin Ltd., Google LLC, Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd., NIKE Inc., Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Xiaomi Inc., Adidas Inc., Jawbone, Polar Electro Oy, Beienda International Co. Limited, Ambiotex GmbH, Hexoskin, Fossil Group Inc., TomTom N.V., Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd., TomTom International BV, Misfit Inc., Moov Inc., Lumo Bodytech Inc., Atlas Wearables Inc., Basis Science Inc., Bragi GmbH, Casio Computer Co. Ltd., Catapult Sports Pty Ltd., Coros Wearables Inc., Epson America Inc., Jaybird LLC, LG Electronics Inc., LifeBEAM Technologies Ltd., Motorola Mobility LLC, Pebble Technology Corp., Razer Inc., Sony Corporation, Timex Group USA Inc., Under Armour Inc.
Which Regions Will Dominate the Fitness Tracker Market Through 2029?
North America was the largest region in the fitness tracker market in 2024. Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in the fitness tracker market report include Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East and Africa.
With over 15,000+ reports from 27 industries covering 60+ geographies, The Business Research Company has built a reputation for offering comprehensive, data-rich research and insights. Our flagship product, the Global Market Model delivers comprehensive and updated forecasts to support informed decision-making.
Sports tech leaders display business-minded problem solving, ever-growing impact
When Bill Schlough became the San Francisco Giants’ chief information officer in 1999, he looked around for peers. There were none. He determined that he was the first CIO in sports at the team or league level, occupying a foreign position in the landscape. It’s a fact he shares modestly even now, hoping to not […]
When Bill Schlough became the San Francisco Giants’ chief information officer in 1999, he looked around for peers. There were none.
He determined that he was the first CIO in sports at the team or league level, occupying a foreign position in the landscape. It’s a fact he shares modestly even now, hoping to not aggrandize but simply highlight the rarity. “Here in Silicon Valley, where technology reigns supreme, the consultants that they brought in said, ‘You’re building a new ballpark, you need a CIO,’” he said. “The leaders were like, ‘What’s a CIO?’”
Schlough has spent 27 seasons with the organization, reporting to the CFO during his first few seasons before getting a direct line to the CEO over the last two-plus decades. While Schlough’s role was initially outside of the norm, it did help in trailblazing the growth of tech’s presence in the boardroom — be that by CIO, chief technology officer, chief innovation officer, senior vice president of technology or similar — that’s taking hold today.
Tech leaders have kicked through the server-room doors en route to the C-suite, occupying seats with growing impact on team and league bottom lines. They’re looked to as the go-to problem solver in an industry full of emerging brain teasers and ever-hastened deadlines. They’re handed some of the most difficult problems: making the fan experience more frictionless; boosting cybersecurity in a data-intensive world; and determining just what to do with artificial intelligence, to name a few of many.
“Here in Silicon Valley, where technology reigns supreme, the consultants that they brought in said, ‘You’re building a new ballpark, you need a CIO,’” he said. “The leaders were like ‘What’s a CIO?’”
— Bill Schlough, CIO, San Francisco Giants
It’s a job description that continues growing and looks different from one gig to another, but one that also grows in impact across all verticals. Sports Business Journal spoke to 22 lead tech executives from a range of teams, leagues and governing bodies. Their collective insights demonstrated how drastically their responsibilities have changed, the profound nature of their potential impact and the solutions they’re chasing for forward-leaning issues.
“A few years ago, CTOs, CIOs — whatever you want to call us — we were behind the scenes. We were basically viewed as we did infrastructures,” said NHL CTO Peter DelGiacco, who has led tech at the league since 1996. “That’s what the job was way back then. Not so much now. Now, it’s a much more exciting time. There are two things that we do that make my day, actually. We co-architect business strategy. We align technical road maps and revenue targets for fan experiences and market priorities.”
It’s what MLS CTO John Nicastro describes as “marrying technology as an enabler but also as an innovator.” NBA CTO Krishna Bhagavathula offers his own hypothesis about a three-phased evolution of tech leadership. A decade ago, the predominant requirement was as a service provider offering IT support. Over time, CTOs were offered a seat at the table as a business partner — involved, but not proactive.
“The ultimate nirvana, in my book,” he said, “is what I call ‘trusted adviser,’ and I differentiate between business partner and trusted adviser the following way: As a trusted adviser, business units come to you, not just for tech problems, but for advice or brainstorming on anything. As a business partner, you have a seat at the table. As a trusted adviser, you have the option to make the table.”
Technology is now interwoven across so many business units that the dynamic Bhagavathula speaks of has become table stakes for success.
SailGP CTO Warren Jones said when he was hired in 2017, founders Larry Ellison and Russell Coutts gave him a “blank sheet of paper,” so he built the league’s entire data and broadcast infrastructure in the cloud. That infrastructure now underpins insights that improve performance and the award-winning LiveLine augmented reality graphics package that helps educate new fans of the sport.
The infrastructure SailGP CTO Warren Jones built now powers the sport’s LiveLine graphics during its races around the world. Sail GP
Monumental Sports & Entertainment CTO Charlie Myers said that when he was hired, Ted and Zach Leonsis similarly told him to make the multiproperty ownership group and media company into a technology company. Myers’ purview now touches the entire enterprise, including venue infrastructure, broadcast, data systems and cybersecurity — all of which will figure into MSE’s ongoing $800 million transformation of Capital One Arena, and represent a remit that is not atypical for the modern sports tech head. (Note: SBJ and Monumental are partners on a monthly television show, “SBJ: Inside the Industry,” that airs on the Monumental Sports Network.)
“I am an agent of change,” Myers said of his role. “And I am going to thrust myself and my team into conversations to help drive that.”
The job of a sports tech leader is a big one, and with big jobs come big opportunities.
Artificial intelligence, of course, is a hot topic. Sports tech leaders see the opportunity to use AI to streamline internal processes and accelerate fan personalization, but many preached a cautious, practical approach to implementation. Multiple executives, including USTA CTO Paul Maya, have established AI working groups within their organizations to investigate use-cases and manage training and implementation with cross-departmental support, particularly from legal.
Charlie Myers’ position at Monumental now touches everything from venue infrastructure to broadcast to cybersecurity. Larry French
“We started with some very specific training and then continued to add prompt training and others to get more folks into that,” Maya said. “We’re seeing adoption within our legal space, technology space, in our customer care using bots and agents — and seeing real change in how we do business.”
Perhaps no organization, for sure at the team level, has figured out AI deployment as effectively as the Portland Trail Blazers. Christa Stout, chief strategy and innovation officer, received a nudge to figure out how generative AI could affect the entire franchise. That started a dive into every department that’s spanned a year-plus, progressing from fact-finding to impactful deployments of technology: custom GPTs that can comb budget codes in seconds, provide branding guidelines and even filter fan feedback for quick customer service response.
Problem solving, especially when affecting the entire workforce, requires a foundation of trust. Stout builds that by leaning on vulnerability and curiosity to produce buy-in. “I don’t know the best solution to a problem until I get more people involved,” Stout said. “I don’t even know what the problem is until I talk to the people closest to it.”
External expertise is sought, too. MLB Chief Operations and Strategy Officer Chris Marinak, the league’s de facto tech lead, pointed to partners Google Cloud, Adobe and Apple. A huge priority for MLB is harnessing AI to personalize the fan experience at home and at the ballpark.
“We have a lot of resources — engineers and smart people that are doing great work — but at the end of the day, the scale that we can generate in baseball is less than the scale that some of the world’s best technology companies can deliver, just given the scope of their businesses, the size of their operations,” Marinak said.
Saving employee time isn’t the only potential bottom-line benefit, as CTOs are playing an active role in driving revenue. Oscar Fernandez, New York Mets senior vice president of technology, pointed to a recent digital transformation with Samsung at Citi Field. By installing not only a larger video board but also ribbon LEDs, the club is now offering sponsors a more compelling package with synchronized messaging.
“It changed the way we did the business side, and how we did ‘digital domination,’” Fernandez said. “Instead of selling static signs, we’re selling a whole experience where you own the moment.”
The tech installation of a Citi Field’s video board
and LED ribbon boards changed how the Mets sold that inventory on the business side. Samsung / New York Mets
There is also a broad impetus to modernize data systems. One of the biggest items on ATP Tour CTO Christopher Dix’s plate, for example, is the upcoming launch of a comprehensive identity management solution, which he says will help the tour know its fans better and thus connect with them more directly.
“It’s not about giving everybody the same information,” Dix said. “It’s giving you the right information at the right time, and making sure that tennis is relevant and relatable to your experience.”
John Martin, vice president and CTO at NASCAR, meanwhile, highlighted an initiative that might affect how his sport is viewed. He said that precise car location is communicated by as many as five systems during a given race, and that tracking info creates compelling possibilities. “That data is just so rich, if I can use that term,” Martin said. “We’ve got a lot of AR/VR applications that people may not be able to even fathom just yet.”
More leagues are also formalizing research and development through accelerators and pilots, which can lead to equity stakes in startups and jointly created products. There’s NBA Launchpad and Investments, MLS Innovation Lab and Emerging Ventures and the NFL Innovation Hub.
Scott Harniman, UFL senior vice president of technology, said one goal of the league’s FAST (Football Advancement through Sports Technology) program is to investigate: “Can we create our own IP out of this? Are there rev-share opportunities with some of these partners?”
UFC technology head Alon Cohen, whose title is senior vice president of research and development, added that his league’s R&D arm views it as important that their work “not be seen as doing something innovative, but to be doing something innovative in the service of the business.” The computer vision-derived metrics UFC uses on its broadcasts, for instance, took nearly a decade to trial and develop, but Cohen sees no need to crow on that.
“Where [a statistic] came from doesn’t actually matter to you [as a fan], in the same way that we don’t think about the yellow line in football or the strike zone in baseball,” he said. “You don’t sit around going, ‘Man, it’s so cool that they do that.’ It just becomes part of the furniture of the sport.”
There is, however, a balance to be struck between diving full-bore into innovation and ensuring one’s organization is equipped to do so safely and effectively.
“They’re kind of opposing ends of the world,” said Sasha Puric, Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment CTO. “One is growth. ‘Hey, let’s go forward with new ideas and trying new things.’ And the other is, ‘Whoa, hold back. We really have to be focused on security and all the audits we have to go through and everything else.’
“That’s the yin and the yang. The two shoulders. The devil and the angel.”
David Michael has served in top tech roles for the former XFL and the Madison Square Garden Company. Now, as the CIO for LA28, he’s riding a three-year on-ramp to one of the largest events in the sporting world. Not surprisingly, the protection of data and infrastructure is the predominant concern for Michael in planning an international event with 40-plus venues and an expected 15 million fans.
“Top of my list of worries is cybersecurity, by far and away,” Michael said. “And the challenge of being in the sports industry is that you have a spotlight on you — and we have a very big spotlight on us — and so that attracts all sorts of people.”
“I am an agent of change. And I am going to thrust myself and my team into conversations to help drive that.”
— Charlie Myers, CTO, Monumental Sports & Entertainment
Michael is not alone, as cybersecurity serves as a steady drumbeat of anxiety for tech leaders when considering their day-to-day lives. Multiple leaders cited cybersecurity standards developed by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology as guiding their strategy. Some lean on partners for critical response systems, such as Monumental with Verizon, or private networks, such as SailGP with Oracle.
But the consistent theme was the importance of staff training and education. Even the most airtight cybersecurity framework, from a systems standpoint, is not immune to employee error, particularly as phishing campaigns become more scalable, realistic and multimodal.
“Everybody thinks it’s malware. It’s the people that are the risk,” said Myers, adding that Monumental conducts internal ethical hacking sessions through a third party every year to test their cyberawareness. “I worry about a wire transfer or something like that through a high-level exec. … Those are the pieces where I get concerned with people having fatigue about keeping their guard up.”
Tech leaders also mentioned keeping up with the pace of innovation and fan expectations, fan accessibility and the health of their respective sports properties as key issues that keep them up at night. It’s a list as long as the sports CTO/CIO’s list of responsibilities, putting them under an ever-growing magnifying glass of attention.
“The world knows when I have a bad day,” said Kimberly Rometo, Hawks/State Farm Arena chief technology and innovations officer. “And I’m very fortunate I don’t have bad days very often. But that was something I just didn’t expect at all.”
When Michael Conley first stepped into the Cleveland Cavaliers’ CIO role in 2017, an industry colleague asked if he knew what the abbreviation actually stood for. The answer? “Career is over,” the person deadpanned, because there is no way to meet the expectations of the job.
“I scratched my head a little bit,” Conley said. “Now I realize, you’re wearing many hats and trying to do many things, which is really, really good.”
While it’s a joke about potential workload, it can also be a tongue-in-cheek acknowledgement about the possibilities of ascending past the tech label and into higher organizational roles. Conley highlighted the start of a shift in that aspect of the job, too, saying that he sees the CTO role becoming more transferable to COO responsibilities because “the entire operation now is running on a foundation of complex technology.”
It’s not just an aspirational thought either, as teams and leagues have looked to their tech leaders for more responsibilities. Schlough once served a year as the interim president of the Class A San Jose Giants, working 10 more as chairman of the team’s board. On top of her strategy and innovation role, Stout oversees the Blazers’ G League affiliate, the Rip City Remix. LPGA Chief Legal and Technology Officer Liz Moore is leading the organization as interim commissioner until Craig Kessler takes over full time on July 15.
In addition to her strategy and innovation role with the Trail Blazers, Christa Stout also oversees the team’s G League club. Marc Bryan-Brown
Schlough contends that the team level still has work to do regarding tech’s seat at the top table. Since he started, he’s kept a running list of MLB counterparts, and approximately a third of the teams have a C-suite-level tech representative. “Many teams don’t feel that technology warrants a C-level role,” said Schlough.
It’s a sentiment that Kari Escobedo, former Seattle Mariners senior vice president and CIO who is now serving as a tech adviser (fractional CIO/CTO) for the Sounders and Reign, aligns with. There’s still a need for long-standing industry figures to see the real value that a tech-infused mind can bring. “There’s not enough appreciation or understanding of all of the complexities that we have to deal with from a lot of our business partners,” Escobedo said. “Especially ones that have maybe been in their roles a long time, and maybe not in multiple organizations, to really recognize that the impact can be huge if allowed to be just another business group, not a support firm.”
The purview is massive, and the margin for error at times nonexistent — it has to work — and yet tech can’t be a roadblock to corporate progress.
Soon after joining the NBA in 2017, Bhagavathula crystallized the role. “It’s a one-sentence mission statement,” he said, “but I think it captures everything that I strive to do within the organization: It’s to drive innovation through tech to empower our colleagues, delight our fans and safeguard the brand.”
Key Trends, Market Share, Growth Drivers, And Forecast For 2025-2034
Sports Global Market Report 2025 The Business Research Company’s Sports Global Market Report 2025 – Market Size, Trends, And Global Forecast 2025-2034 The Business Research Company’s Latest Report Explores Market Driver, Trends, Regional Insights – Market Sizing & Forecasts Through 2034” — The Business Research Company LONDON, GREATER LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM, June 23, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ […]
The Business Research Company’s Sports Global Market Report 2025 – Market Size, Trends, And Global Forecast 2025-2034
The Business Research Company’s Latest Report Explores Market Driver, Trends, Regional Insights – Market Sizing & Forecasts Through 2034”
— The Business Research Company
LONDON, GREATER LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM, June 23, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ — The sports market report describes and explains the sports market and covers 2019-2024, termed the historic period, and 2024-2029, 2034F termed the forecast period. The report evaluates the market across each region and for the major economies within each region.
The global sports market reached a value of nearly $515.47178 billion in 2024, having grown at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.08% since 2019. The market is expected to grow from $515.47178 billion in 2024 to $680.79985 billion in 2029 at a rate of 5.72%. The market is then expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.59% from 2029 and reach $893.77119 billion in 2034.
What strategies are being adopted by key players in the sports market? The key players in the market are adopting extensive strategies in the sports market such as: Focus on fan engagement through digital channels. strategic sponsorships to boost visibility. performance tech for athlete development.
Get The Complete Scope Of The Report https://www.thebusinessresearchcompany.com/report/sports-global-market-report
To take advantage of opportunities, The Business Research Company suggests that sports companies enhance offerings: Strategic partnerships to enhance offerings and reach. Development of next-gen performance trackers for athletes. AI-powered assistants to improve training and fan interaction. Strategic investments to expand market presence. Use of digital analytics to personalize fan engagement. Adoption of AI, ML, AR & VR to boost experience and performance. Mobile ticketing solutions for seamless ticket purchases.
What Is Sports Market Overview? The sports market refers to the ecosystem of activities, services and products related to organized physical competition and recreational athletic engagement. This market includes both professional and amateur sports and spans a wide range of organized competitions, leagues, teams, clubs and events.
Sports are sold through several mechanisms such as ticket sales for live attendance, subscription fees for access to sports networks or streaming services, merchandising of team and event-branded goods and corporate sponsorships. Events and organizations are supported through a network of logistics providers, coaching and medical personnel, media production teams, marketing professionals and infrastructure maintenance services.
Ready to Dive into Something Exciting? Get Your Free Exclusive Sample of Our Research Report https://www.thebusinessresearchcompany.com/sample_request?id=3589&type=smp
Who Are The Major Companies Operating In The Global Sports Market? The top ten competitors in the market made up to 2.83% of the total market in 2023. Liberty Media Corporation was the largest competitor with a 0.66% share of the market, followed by: Life Time Group Hldgs Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp Maruhan Real Madrid C.F Dallas Cowboys Manchester City FC Futbol Club Barcelona Golden State Warriors Los Angeles Rams
We Offer Customized Report, Click Here https://www.thebusinessresearchcompany.com/Customise?id=3589&type=smp
Learn More About The Business Research Company The Business Research Company (www.thebusinessresearchcompany.com) is a leading market intelligence firm renowned for its expertise in company, market, and consumer research. We have published over 15,000 reports across 27 industries and 60+ geographies. Our research is powered by 1,500,000 datasets, extensive secondary research, and exclusive insights from interviews with industry leaders.
We provide continuous and custom research services, offering a range of specialized packages tailored to your needs, including Market Entry Research Package, Competitor Tracking Package, Supplier & Distributor Package and much more.
Contact Us: The Business Research Company Europe: +44 207 1930 708 Asia: +91 88972 63534 Americas: +1 315 623 0293 Email: info@tbrc.info
Follow Us On: LinkedIn: https://in.linkedin.com/company/the-business-research-company Twitter: https://twitter.com/tbrc_info YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC24_fI0rV8cR5DxlCpgmyFQ
Oliver Guirdham The Business Research Company +44 20 7193 0708 info@tbrc.info Visit us on social media: LinkedIn Facebook X
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability
for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this
article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
Ativion and NASEF team up on secure K–12 esports access
Ativion has signed a partnership agreement with the Network of Academic and Scholastic Esports Federations (NASEF) to improve access to scholastic esports in K–12 schools. The collaboration will focus on technical integration and training programs designed to help schools join esports leagues while maintaining secure digital environments. The initiative centers on Ativion’s StudentKeeper platform, which […]
Ativion has signed a partnership agreement with the Network of Academic and Scholastic Esports Federations (NASEF) to improve access to scholastic esports in K–12 schools. The collaboration will focus on technical integration and training programs designed to help schools join esports leagues while maintaining secure digital environments.
The initiative centers on Ativion’s StudentKeeper platform, which combines content filtering, classroom management, and digital safety tools. Through the agreement, NASEF will support Ativion in enhancing StudentKeeper to better serve schools managing esports participation on existing networks and devices.
Simplifying secure access to games
Ativion, formerly known as Impero Solutions, provides cybersecurity, remote access, and EdTech tools used in more than 700 U.S. school districts. Its flagship platform, StudentKeeper, is built on ContentKeeper technology and is currently deployed to protect over 10 million students worldwide.
The partnership is intended to help school IT teams streamline access to gaming environments that support learning outcomes, without compromising student privacy or network integrity.
“We are pleased to join with NASEF to make it easier and safer for schools and leagues to offer scholastic esports programs,” says Tobias Hartmann, CEO of Ativion. “Scholastic esports is an all-inclusive sports program available to every student, and it offers many benefits, academically and socially. We look forward to working closely with NASEF to make StudentKeeper a conduit for schools to grow their scholastic esports programs.”
Supporting school esports growth through StudentKeeper
NASEF is a nonprofit that supports global academic esports programs and provides educators with frameworks for integrating competitive gaming into school activities. The organization operates under the Worldwide Scholastic Esports Foundation and works with over 130 international federations.
The new partnership includes co-led promotional efforts and educator training, with a focus on expanding awareness of esports as a learning and engagement tool.
“School leaders and educators are eager to adopt scholastic esports because of its proven positive impacts on student attendance, grades, test scores, and morale. Of course, it is important that they can access key gaming and information sites without compromising the security of the network. NASEF and Ativion are working together to make that safe access a simpler process,” says Claire LaBeaux, Chief Advancement Officer for NASEF.
DevLand AI launches EdTech platform to support teachers and students with modernized learning — EdTech Innovation Hub
Devland Academy aims to replace “outdated EdTech” with an AI-powered, gamified platform which it says will increase engagement and teach real-world skills such as AI, robotics and finance. “We’re seeing record-level spending in education, but it’s not making it to the classroom,” explains Michael Kessler, CEO at DevLand AI. “We’re not facing a funding problem […]
Devland Academy aims to replace “outdated EdTech” with an AI-powered, gamified platform which it says will increase engagement and teach real-world skills such as AI, robotics and finance.
“We’re seeing record-level spending in education, but it’s not making it to the classroom,” explains Michael Kessler, CEO at DevLand AI. “We’re not facing a funding problem – we’re facing a priorities problem.”
DevLand AI says the new system aims to “enhance teacher agency, not replace it” as it offers lesson-building co-pilots and smart student tracking. It says the system is in full alignment with the Department of Education’s “human-in-the-loop AI systems”.
“We’re giving teachers the power, the tools, and the platform. It’s time to put the soul back in the classroom,” Kessler adds.
DevLand Academy is already available in pilot markets with plans to expand into charter and public school districts in 2025. The company also plans to launch a paid education contributor program and after-school and homeschool partnerships.
“We welcome partnerships, but we’re not waiting for permission,” Kessler says. “We’re already doing what legislators have struggled to do – empower teachers and engage students.”
The Inside Scoop for Club World Cup 25’ and World Cup 26’ Newest Tech with FIFA’s Johannes Holzmüller
The FIFA Club World Cup 2025 kicked off here in the United States beginning June 14 and runs through July 13. Our own FOX Sports Radio host, reporter and producer Kelsey Nicole Nelson sat down with FIFA’s Director of Innovation Johannes Holzmüller to break down the debut of the technological advances FIFA is using to […]
The FIFA Club World Cup 2025 kicked off here in the United States beginning June 14 and runs through July 13. Our own FOX Sports Radio host, reporter and producer Kelsey Nicole Nelson sat down with FIFA’s Director of Innovation Johannes Holzmüller to break down the debut of the technological advances FIFA is using to take the Club World and World Cup to new heights.
Holzmüller, who’s been with FIFA since 2008 and typically works out of Switzerland, was on the ground in Miami, Florida to lead the technological transformation of international soccer. In his role as Director of Innovation, he oversees the entire innovation pipeline — from identifying football stakeholders’ needs to developing and implementing new game-enhancing technologies.
Among the biggest innovations for FIFA Club World Cup 2025 is the use of referee body cameras, a first for the tournament and potential next step of first-person visuals in competitive sports. Holzmüller shared that these cameras will allow fans to “see the game through the eyes of an official,” offering a new level of engagement. Notably, the footage will be shared with the tournament’s exclusive global broadcaster DAZN, and even stadium fans will be able to view the referees’ perspectives live on the jumbotrons.
“This will be amazing to see live,” said Holzmüller. “All the spectators have the same information as the referee. It will really be awesome.”
The conversation shifted to another groundbreaking area — artificial intelligence and real-time player tracking. This year, each stadium will house 16 optimal-tracking cameras, capturing 30 data points per player, 50 times per second.
Additionally, game balls are now equipped with IMU sensors, providing precise data on ball movement.
All this feeds into FIFA’s recent partnership with Hawker Innovations, enabling the automatic generation of key match statistics — like passes completed and ball possession—through AI algorithms. “Everything which was collected manually can now be done automatically,” Holzmüller noted.
The FIFA Club World Cup 2025 is serving as a real-time test lab for these tools, all in preparation for even more expansive implementation at the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Coordinating the tournament across 12 stadiums in the U.S. is no small feat. Holzmüller explained that his team has stationed one innovation expert in each stadium, all feeding into a central operations hub at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
“It looks a little bit like a Formula One box,” he said. “People sitting in front of monitors, checking and monitoring all the data. We are watching everything that could impact the game.”
Holzmüller made it clear during a conversation on the use of advanced technology and AI that. the goal of innovation isn’t to replace humans but to support them. He cited the infamous 2010 World Cup incident involving Frank Lampard’s disallowed goal as the catalyst that sparked FIFA’s journey into tech-enhanced officiating.
“We’re not saying we want to replace anyone. We just want to support the referees,” he said.
That philosophy is evident in the rollout of semi-automated offside technology, which uses real-time player and ball data to send alerts to assistant referees within milliseconds.
Compared to other countries, Holzmüller said the U.S. stands out for its already tech-rich stadiums. This presented both advantages and challenges, like finding space to install FIFA’s own cameras among the existing infrastructure. But he welcomed the challenge, calling it an “exciting opportunity” to integrate FIFA’s systems with top-tier American technology.
Finally, Holzmüller emphasized that the innovations deployed in theFIFA Club World Cup 2025 will serve as the blueprint for the FIFA World Cup 2026 and even the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
“All the learnings and feedback, of course, we then bring to the next tournaments where we try to improve,” he said.
From AI-generated data to referee POV cameras and centralized tech hubs, FIFA is embracing a bold new era. And if Holzmüller has his way, the 2025 Club World Cup won’t just crown the world’s best club — it’ll define the future of football itself.
I am a writer for Listen In With KNN as an editorial and digital intern. I currently attend Long Island University Post as a Junior on the path of getting my bachelor’s in journalism. I love the art of storytelling and sports research, hopefully you can see my passion in my articles as well.
: @csutrackfieldxc/IG)
