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The OneTeam Collective is the sports industry’s first athlete-driven business accelerator for innovative companies seeking to incorporate sports strategies to drive growth. Launched in December of 2016, the organization consists of the NFLPA, BlackRock, Harvard Innovation Lab, Intel Capital, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, CSM LeadDog, Madrona Venture Group and Sports Innovation Lab.

Since then, OneTeam Collective has invested in companies featuring blockchain, wearables, voice recognition, digital media, augmented reality, artificial intelligence, health and wellness, active gaming and live video streaming. Many of these industries were highlighted in our column last week, when we discussed some of the hot technology that has NFL players buzzing.

Today, we examine the latest strategic investment by OneTeam Collective, which includes a partnership with ByteCubed Labs, an advanced technology product development startup that combines data analytics, artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented/mixed reality to change the way fans interact with sports.

Just seven months old, ByteCubed Labs made waves with its initial launch of PRE-GAME PREP, the world’s first holographic training platform for football, attracting clients from both college and NFL teams.

The joint venture between OneTeam Collective and ByteCubed Labs will focus on bridging the gap between players and fans, utilizing content and data-driven products, as they plan to create distribution channels and engagement models for new forms of fan-player interaction, as well as transforming athletic training across all elements of game-day preparation.

One of their featured products under development includes a mixed reality and fan interaction platform powered by artificial intelligence (AI), which they claim will be a first in sports. Fans will get a glimpse of similar technology this weekend in a PPV broadcast dubbed, “40 Yards of Gold,” which plans to crown the NFL’s fastest man. Athletes will appear to run over futuristic platforms thanks to projection-mapping technology.

“Developing cutting-edge, player-driven fan experiences is what really excites us about this collaboration,” NFLPA President Eric Winston was quoted in the press release. “ByteCubed Lab’s approach to content through the use of mixed reality and artificial intelligence could be a game changer as it relates to fan engagement.”

As social media continues to evolve, the way we watch sporting events continues to change, and the way we view an NFL game could look completely different from today’s viewing experience, thanks to technology.

This could mean a viewing experience would include:

• An arena filled with cheering Disney characters rather than fans
• The end zone catching fire as a rusher crosses the goal line
• A receiver’s uniform to change color, along with the cornerback defending him, to spotlight the pending catch
• A Steelers home game against the Bengals that looks like it’s being played in Paul Brown Stadium
• The odds of converting on a third-down play printed on the field depending on where it’s thrown, or the direction of the rush
• A quarterback that appears to throw a Big Mac to a hungry tight end, rather than a football

The possibilities are endless, and not always pretty.

For those interested in learning more about how augmented and virtual realities work, the history of the technology behind it and what lies ahead in the future, here is a recommended article.

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Stay on top of hot topics and latest trends in Sports Tech with Ric Serritella of the NFL Draft Bible…

We’ve all heard the term “locker room talk,” but what exactly do players discuss amongst themselves when hanging in the locker room? One topic that has become prominent amongst players is entrepreneurship.

When a player is chosen in the NFL Draft, not only is he rewarded with a lucrative professional contract, but he’s also suddenly inundated with an abundance of business opportunities; the same is true when he signs a mega-dollars deal in free agency. A smart investment can reap a handsome return on investment (ROI), but a poor business decision could be costly and, as we’ve seen far too often, can even bankrupt athletes.

Several weeks ago, we highlighted some of the premier sports tech events occurring this summer, including the 49ers/SportTechie NEXT at Levi’s Stadium earlier this month. The event highlighted several interesting topics, including the attitude a player has towards his involvement with a product. Athletes no longer just want to slap their names on items. Instead, they want to be influencers, want to be part of the ‘creative’ process, want to have a say in how the message is delivered, and/or want to be rewarded with a piece of ownership.

Much of the locker room chatter these days revolves around what to invest in, how the process of investing works, and who to trust. So what are some of the hot topic industries that have players’ buzzing? One popular topic is CBD products such as water and supplements. Others are curious to see how the legalized sports gambling landscape shakes out, while some have invested in blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies.

Having stock in some of these businesses could be risky and deemed controversial by ‘The Shield.’ Hence, players must be well-informed and educated in order to make the right decisions. With so much new technology emerging, it can be difficult to decipher the difference between the next big, lucrative opportunity or an overhyped, new technology that fails to deliver.

Casey Schwab knows a little about that topic. The 49ers/SportTechie NEXT event featured Schwab, who serves as Vice President of Business and Legal Affairs at NFL Players Inc., among its panelists. Schwab told a story of the time when the licensing arm of the NFLPA was offered a business proposition: forego its traditional player licensing fees in exchange for capital in Bitstrips, the parent company of the Bitmoji app. The NFLPA declined and, two years later, in March of 2016, Bitstrips was acquired by Snap for $115 million.

Some of the most successful athletes (Derek Jeter, LeBron James, etc.) made or make more money from their business ventures than from the teams that employ them. They have provided a model for what every pro player should aspire to be.

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Each week, Sports Tech with Ric Serritella, features innovative technology being used in the world of American football.

The pro football season is a little less than 100 days away. Still, if you’re a rabid fan of the NFL, there may be a way to get your fix before camps start.

The event goes by the name 40 Yards of Gold, and the competitors intend to declare the “King of Speed” in the NFL by fusing entertainment and technology. They will do so utilizing what Quince Imaging calls, “projection mapping.” For the first time in history, fans will get to witness the new technology, which will create illusions on the field that make the participants appear to be running on futuristic platforms.

Projection mapping, also known as video mapping and spatial augmented reality, is an experience that needs to be seen to be fully understood. That’s why we dug up this video to help provide a visual. Professional sports are not a new arena for Quince, which is considered to be an industry leader in projection mapping and has also worked with Major League Baseball.

A couple of weeks ago, Saints wide out Ted Ginn declared that he’s “willing to race anyone for “$10,000 or better.” Now he’ll get a chance to put his money where his mouth is, with a twist. While no details of background images have been announced, projection mapping technology could make it appear that Ginn is running in outer space, on the moon, or on top of Mount Everest. It certainly will add to the entertainment value of the event, which will be held June 29 in Miami at a venue to be determined.

In addition to Ginn, the tournament will also feature NFL players Alvin Kamara (Saints), Kevin Byard (Titans), Corey Coleman (Giants), Robby Anderson (Jets), Mark Ingram (Ravens), Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (Redskins), Trae Waynes (Vikings) and many more. Seeds will be determined by fan voting. Anyone interested in casting a ballot can do so here.

There will also be separate tournaments for youth, high school and college athletes. These respective races will be dubbed the ‘Gods of Speed’ competitions.

Additional website features will include highlights, interviews, articles, original content and much more, offering fans an inside look at the fastest players in the sport. For good measure, the event is also expected to have live music performances and fan features.

While many have clamored for the NFL to bring back the QB Challenge, this might be the next best thing. No word yet on if the 40 Yards of Gold event will be televised. Stay tuned! For more information on registration and tickets, click here.

Did you see which NFL players are investing in bitcoin? Check it out here. Plus, a list of sports tech events coming up this summer! Succeed in Football is part of the Inside The League network, which provides inside information to those who work in the football industry. Learn more here. And to register for the weekly Friday Wrap, a rundown on the football industry, click here.

Check back weekly for the latest ‘Sports Tech’ with Ric Serritella of NFL Draft Bible as we explore the impact of technology in sports and how it applies to the gridiron!

If the headline sounds intriguing, it is. Maybe it sounds preposterous. Could bitcoin really cross over into pro sports? According to one crypto insider, at least one NFL player has already attempted to be paid in bitcoin.

For those of you not familiar with the term, bitcoin is a form of crypto currency (electronic cash) free of government regulations and it operates independently of any banks. Bitcoin can be sent from peer to peer and is stored in a digital wallet. Transactions occur through blockchain technology, which makes it nearly impossible to hack. As of today, one bitcoin equals $7,659.71.

You can see why folks are “bullish” on the potential for bitcoin. Quarterback Matt Barkley was denied his request both in 2017 (49ers) and 2018 (Bengals). But what if a marquee free agent demanded to be paid in bitcoin? The extent that NFL teams are willing to go in order to land franchise players would certainly make for an intriguing story. Los Angeles Chargers offensive lineman Russell Okung apparently wants to be paid in bitcoin too and would like to see that headline scroll across the bottom of ESPN.

Bitcoin isn’t new; it’s been around since 2009, a decade in the making. So why hasn’t bitcoin caught on yet? The value of the currency is volatile, which does incur high risk, such as this fraudulent investment by former NFL running back Darren McFadden, which cost him $237 million. More recently, former Minnesota Vikings stakeholder Reginald Fowler, who was originally named as one of the Alliance of American Football league’s bigger investors,was tied to this $850M crypto mystery. Cases like these certainly highlight the volatility in bitcoin and make it easy to see why the currency has yet to reach mainstream status.

Still, crypto believers will be paying close attention to others who have gone ‘all in’ on bitcoin such as San Francisco 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman, who began accepting bitcoin in exchange for merchandise on his website in 2014. Sherman contends that crypto currency is a hot topic in NFL locker rooms.

While there will be plenty of those on opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of how they view bitcoin, one must wonder how long is it until a mega superstar hits the open market and demands from his agent, “Show me the bitcoin!”

The summer is about to begin and we have the must-attend technology events that are sure to heat up, check out our list here. Remember, check out our premium site InsideTheLeague.com for the latest in NFL scout hiring and firing, agent insider news and industry-related updates.

Here at Succeed In Football, our focus is on helping you advance in the sports industry by keeping you up to date with the latest tech trends and news. Today, we highlight a few upcoming sports tech events around the country that offer up a tremendous amount of cutting-edge value.

49ers/SportTechie NEXT at Levi Stadium — Bay Area, CA  (June 6-7): The San Francisco 49ers and SportTechie are teaming up to present an excellent sports business, technology and analytics conference. The conference brings together executives and thought leaders to discuss and present the most important trends and events shaping the industry. The Horizon Summit provides a platform for leagues, teams, corporate partners, vendors, innovators and investors to come together to share ideas, experiences and outlooks. By encouraging learning across key themes and trends, they ensure you will remain at the forefront of your industry and be prepared for what is approaching on the horizon. Tickets are expected to sell out, but you can reserve a spot here.

LiveWorx19 in Boston (June 10-13): This four-day event features keynote speakers from various industries but football tech junkies will be interested to know that Michelle McKenna, the Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer of the NFL, will be speaking June 12. McKenna, who oversees the organization’s technology strategy and shared service delivery, will discuss how she is “quarterbacking” a digital revolution for the NFL with an “augmented workforce.” McKenna will also introduce a new set of technological capabilities that integrate with human skills and expertise on how to enable workers to become “human+” in order to help organizations thrive. Over 2,000 companies, 9,500-plus attendees and 500-plus speakers are scheduled to appear at LiveWorx. For more information on this event, visit here.

Sports Techie & NFLPA – Accelerating Change: Sports Tech & Innovation in Washington, D.C. (July 16): During MLB All-Star Week in Washington, D.C., the NFL Players Association and SportTechie present an exclusive, invitation-only event that brings together sports industry executives and thought leaders for an evening of discussion on sports technology and innovation. Spots are limited to this invite-only event. For more information on how to register, visit the website.

Sports Video Group (SVG) OTT Forum in New York City (July 25): Over-the-top distribution and direct-to-consumer live-streaming packages are poised to dramatically change the world of live sports video. While the entire media ecosystem is approaching this new era of consumer behavior, the sports media industry faces its own unique set of challenges and opportunities. SVG will have its second-annual SVG Sports OTT Forum to be held July 25 at NYIT in New York City. To register for this event, click here.

Remember, there are numerous ways to advance your career in the sports industry, which include adapting to new technology, learning innovative strategies and expanding your network. The aforementioned events will help you achieve all of those.

And don’t forget! If you aspire to work in football and are looking for an edge, subscribe to our premium insider content at Inside the League at $30/mo, or sign up for our free weekly look at what’s happening in the college and pro football industry, the Friday Wrap, here. You can read last week’s edition here.

Each week Ric Serritella provides a glimpse into the latest trends and topics in sports technology, with a look at how they are impacting the football industry. 

Want to work in football, but you’re having trouble breaking into the biz? Maybe you’re a video game aficionado? Well, the E-sports Generation has arrived and may have a place for you.

The eSports business is one of the fastest-growing industries in the world, and it has now officially penetrated the NFL market due to the popularity of Madden Football.

In a recent press release, EA Sports announced that Madden NFL 19 Bowl smashed all previous viewing records, generating 2.5 million views (an 850% increase from last year) on its video stream, hosted by Twitch. In addition, 805,000 people tuned in to watch the one-hour special championship game broadcast on ESPN2. Combined, the two broadcasts averaged 208,000 viewers per minute during the final hour. These are staggering numbers.

The Madden NFL 19 Bowl winner, Drini Gjoka, has now earned nearly $200,000 in career winnings from playing Madden. Not bad for a day job. With the recent boom in interest, you can be sure that new content, sponsors and jobs are on the way. However, this is just the beginning for the eSports platform, which is still in its infancy and has yet to even begin to scratch the surface of its revenue potential.

In other Madden-related news, EA wasted little time capitalizing on the mania by announcing its weekly Madden 20 live-stream and blog. Career mode now features the “Face of the Franchise: QB1 Career Campaign.”

It sounds like a Madden lifer’s dream come true as users create themselves as a quarterback (including face editing) and begin their career at the college ranks. They then go on to choose a school and try to lead a team to a national championship. Once college wraps up, it’s time for the draft process as the user-generated quarterbacks then compete in the combine. How well a player performs dictates draft status.

It’s a long way from our recollection of the original Madden Football, as the brand has become much larger than anyone could’ve possibly imagined.

Kyler Has New Teammate in LeBron: In other video news to emerge from draft week, it was announced that No.1 overall selection Kyler Murray of the Arizona Cardinals has inked a two-year partnership with Uninterrupted, the media production owned by LeBron James. The deal includes Murray providing access for videos to be posted on social media and a feature-length documentary.

“As thrilling as it is to be beginning my career as a NFL player, I also want to be an example early on for all athletes and show that our value extends beyond the field of play,” Murray said in a statement. “Uninterrupted is changing the culture for athletes in our society by empowering them to be more than an athlete.” You can learn more about the project here.

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From high-fives to excited chatter to intense silence, the atmosphere inside war rooms around the league varies from team-to-team over NFL Draft weekend. As fans satisfy their passion with fantasy football, interactive leagues and innovative stadiums, there’s one fence left to scale: access to the decision-makers as they make the decisions.

Slowly, even that wall is coming down. Due to the evolution of video cameras, smart phones and live-stream technology, television broadcasts are able to capture unique sports moments like we’ve never seen before, and the curious fan can now relive some of the draft’s biggest moments. Here are some of the cooler portals to insider-level draft coverage floating around the internet.

• With The Next Pick: This five-part docu-series takes you on the road with the Indianapolis Colts leading up to the draft. However, the most riveting part is Episode 5, which features the team’s braintrust making its three second-round selections. Fans watch as the team’s staff members realize Stanford linebacker Bobby Okereke is still on the board, and their excitement as they prepare to select him. Getting a chance to see NFL executives react this way is rare and refreshing. You can watch it here. Also, in case you missed it, the Colts were recently presented the 2018 Inside The League Best Draft Award.
• Different team, different view: On the opposite end of the spectrum are the New England Patriots, who were clearly all business inside their war room. This clip posted by the team on YouTube provides a glimpse into how the Patriots operate. There was little excitement amongst the staff as head coach Bill Belichick placed the call to Michigan edge rusher Chase Winovich letting him know that the team would take him in the third round. You can almost envision Belichick after the call as he icily moved on to the next pick. It’s an interesting contrast with the Colts.
• A View of the Big Blue: The Giants once again provided fans with an inside look at the draft process as they provided on-camera access to key decision-makers at the Senior Bowl, NFL Combine and inside team headquarters for the draft. You can now re-live the moments that may ring in a new era at the Meadowlands here.

For more insight on the business of football, including key trends in the agent and scouting industry as well as ways to break into the football business, visit Inside the League.

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Though it’s draft weekend, there’s plenty of football business being conducted in places other than Nashville. Here’s a look at what’s going on in the modern game, courtesy of the Football Tech guy, Ric Serritella of NFL Draft Bible.

Bills buff up their facility: Buffalo signed nearly 20 free agents during the offseason, including one of the top centers in the league in Mitch Morse, one of the top deep threats on the market in WO John Brown, and a possible future Hall of Famer in running back Frank Gore. Why such an uptick?

One reason the team believes it has been able to attract top free agents is its sparkling new, state-of-the-art, training facility, which spans 41,000 square feet. It’s more than double the size of their old practice facility (18,000 square feet).

“Buffalo (expletives) on Dallas,” tweeted newly signed free agent WO Cole Beasley on his Twitter account, which has since been deleted. “Facilities for recovery and training are top notch!”

If you’re wondering what makes the facility so special, you probably guessed it: technology. Individualized player care is viewed as an important factor by many players when signing with a new team. After conducting expanded research on the best methods, Buffalo has enhanced its sports science and medical department, which team officials believe is tops in the league.

Designed by Populous, a worldwide architectural design company, the building includes luxurious features such as sleep pods, float tanks, a yoga studio, and massage rooms, according to bdcnetwork.com.

“I think it’s a game-changer for us,” General Manager Brandon Beane told The Buffalo News. “This is the one thing that we didn’t have that was top-level, and we went from probably below-average to the best — I think clearly the best.”

As more teams look to recruit big-name free agents who hit the market, look for many to follow suit by upgrading their training facilities.

Seahawks simplify CenturyLink sales: From training facilities to in-game stadium experiences, the Seattle Seahawks have been at the forefront of biometric technology. When NFL attendance dipped from 17.8 million in 2016 to 17.2 million in 2017, Seattle wanted to create ways to enhance the game-day experience for fans and make attending a game a much smoother process.

With the emergence of bigger and better flat-screen TVs, the popularity of social media and the increase of access to games streamed online, it has become increasingly challenging to give fans reason to come out to the stadium. Last season, the Seahawks became the first NFL franchise to employ biometric solutions.

The technology allows for an easier, faster check-in process getting through the gates when arriving to the stadium due to their ability to authenticate tickets. Lines at the beer concessions have sped up, as they can quickly verify a person’s age and get fans back to their seat faster so they don’t miss much of the game action. While CenturyLink Field was the first venue to adopt such technology, other stadiums have already followed suit, and in a few years, this will likely be standard procedure in venues across America.

For more news and current events across the football landscape, be sure to join Inside The League, the premier online destination for NFL agent and football insider information!

As NFL evaluation progresses and all 32 teams leave no stone unturned, one team that has seen an increased reliance on technology and analytics is the Redskins, who have incorporated new technology that provides info for the overall scouting process.

At one time, ESPN rated the Redskins as dead last in the NFL in effectiveness and buy-in regarding the team’s use of statistical analysis. “The Redskins were named by source after source as the NFL team with the least interest in using analytics in football operations,” wrote ESPN’s Kevin Seifert. Slowly, however, Washington is ramping up its use of modern techniques.

Redskins Director of Football Strategy Jeff Scott told the team’s website that the scouting staff isn’t “picking anything based on numbers.” Instead, the ‘Skins remain dedicated to trusting their scouts’ eyes rather than a mathematician’s electronic rubric.

“I would never want to make a decision based on numbers,” Scott said. “But to have another tool in your toolbox is always beneficial, and the earlier we can get that going, the better off we are.”

Two companies at the forefront of this movement are XOS Digital and Pro Football Focus (PFF). Both enable teams to sort video cutups on players based on down and distance or certain situations such as third-down pass plays for a quarterback. Less than a decade ago, scouts had to watch entire games to find these exact situations. Today, PFF charts every play for every player. The modern NFL team saves countless hours using these services.

“The numbers just give you some basis,” Scott said in the team’s report. “If I can get certain things or tendencies or pick up on certain things, we can even get that to the coaches and they can incorporate that into their game plans.”

Mike Stoeber is Jacksonville’s Director of Football Systems. Prior to working for the Jags, Stoeber was the Senior Field Support Representative at XOS DigitalOne. He’s very familiar with the NFL’s efforts to catalog every movement of every player on every snap. This past season, the NFL tracked more than 54,000 plays and recorded every tenth of a second for every player movement thanks to RF chips that feature GPS tracking technology.

These RF chips allow teams to track how often a linebacker blitzes on certain down and distance situations, or which wide receiver is likely to be targeted based on specific formations. This data is only shared by the 32 NFL teams, and players do not have access to the information being recorded and stored. Meanwhile, these innovative methods in college and pro scouting are slowly trickling down to college personnel departments.

As the NFL begins to scratch the surface of new technology, data-driven analytics will continue to take up more space in scouting binders around the league. This is good news if you aspire to work in football. Though old-school methods and analytics go hand and hand, you can be sure that more and more teams will be hiring in their analytics department.

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Among topics we regularly discuss in this space are technology issues as they interface with the changing NFL as well as labor issues as they relate to the next collective bargaining agreement (CBA) negotiation. However, today’s edition of Sports Tech is the first time we’ve addressed the intersection of the two subjects.

Last week, we discussed the value of wearable tracking technology that emerged from the Alliance of American Football (AAF) league. We have since learned that the technology was owned by Legendary Field Exhibitions, which is operated by AAF co-founder Charlie Ebersol.

However, when MGM Resorts International became a major investor, the firm included a provision that would give MGM full ownership rights to the technology, as per this Action Network report. In addition to the technology, MGM also owns rights to the technology’s intellectual property, including trademarks, copyrights, patents, software and firmware.

This is a pretty big deal for a number of reasons. MGM is currently paying tens of millions of dollars to partner with the NBA, NHL and MLB. These deals also include access to data streams. According to Bloomberg, MGM customers will be able to bet on data-driven prop bets such as which NHL player skates the fastest during a game or rip the hardest slap shot as soon as next year. The technology acquired from the AAF deal could open a whole new world of in-game sports betting, including prop bets with odds based on data and analytics.

The rise of wearable technology and data applies to the NFL, as well, but there’s a twist. There is currently no agreement in place between the owners and players related to how this information is allowed to be recorded, stored, shared and used. When the last CBA deal was negotiated in 2011, this type of technology was still in its infancy, and hence, there were no rules or regulations in place. However, in 2018, all 32 NFL teams had access to in-game chip data technology, which provided a snapshot of every player’s location 12 times per second. NFL teams are allowed access to this chip data for use during contract negotiations. However, players do not, unless specifically granted by individual teams.

More importantly, players want to know where this data is being stored, who has access to it, how it may be used and what kind of safeguards are in place to protect this information. Does the NFL truly own this data? The league currently has business partnerships with data-driven technology companies such as Amazon, Sportradar AG and Zebra Technologies.

With access to such data, the NFL could also be in violation of privacy laws, not to mention data protection laws which vary from state to state. Wearable and chip data technology has created a booming new business, but where the legal line will be drawn remains to be seen.

Presumably, the NFLPA will want assurance that legal ramifications are covered, and will ask for ownership of the respective players’ results from new technology, or at least a fee for licensing the data. This could be a major focal point — perhaps even the major focal point — during the upcoming CBA negotiations. Will the Players Association be ready for such “techy” topics? Time will tell.

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