PHILADELPHIA—Comcast has announced the 10 startups that will make up its inaugural SportsTech Accelerator program, among which are companies working on video streaming for sports broadcasts.

The SportsTech Accelerator will bring the technologies from these 10 companies to Comcast NBCUniversal and the SportsTech partner consortium, which includes NBC Sports, Sky Sports, Golf, NASCAR, U.S. Ski and Snowboard, USA Cycling, USA Swimming and Comcast Ventures. The technologies focus on eight specific areas: media and entertainment; fan/player engagement; athlete/player performance; team and coach success; venue and event innovation; fantasy sports and betting; esports; and the business of sports.

Among the startups chosen for the program are Eon Media, GlobalM and StreamRecap, which focus on video/broadcast streaming. 

Eon Media, based in Toronto, makes a full-featured suite of next-generation video-streaming software with 60-70% cost savings and zero code change, which can bring customers targeted, user-personalized experiences using advanced AI/machine-learning methods, NBCU says.

GlobalM is from Geneva, Switzerland, and provides professional streaming solutions in broadcast quality to media outlets and broadcasters featuring an advanced secure video streaming network to meet the requirements of high-quality, low-latency live or file-based video delivery over the internet.

The Los Angeles-based StreamRecap builds video solutions for teams, leagues and streamers across all esports, with a focus on instant automatic highlights and coaching tools.

In the SportsTech Accelerator program, which is taking place virtually, the companies will engage in a custom curriculum featuring workshops on fundraising, sales, marketing and branding, product/market fit, mental health, company culture and working with corporations, and will meet seasoned startup founders who will share their insights on building and selling highly successful businesses. In the future, each company will have the opportunity to work at Comcast NBCUniversal’s Central Division Innovation Center in Atlanta at Truist Park, which overlooks the Atlanta Braves stadium.

A virtual demo day will take place on May 26 to present the businesses to venture capitalists, startup founders, business executives and media.

For more information, including the full list of participating startups, visit www.comcastsportstech.com.  

ATLANTA—The competitive sports market has a new resource aimed specifically at sports technology startups, as Comcast NBCUniversal has announced the launch of its SportsTech global accelerator program open to startups from around the world.

SportsTech will partner with NBCU’s NBC Sports, Golf Channel and Sky Sports brands, as well as with NASCAR and the U.S. Ski and Snowboard and USA Swimming organizations to provide resources and relationships for the startups. All partners will also serve on an advisory committee tasked with influencing the innovation priorities of SportsTech.

The startups that participate in SportsTech will have access to an international consortium of advisors, a custom sports tech curriculum shaped by industry experts and investment capital. The partners, meanwhile, will get early exposure to emerging sports tech trends and technologies and insight into how they can benefit their businesses.

There will be specific areas of focus for SportsTech as it gets underway, including sports media & entertainment; fan & player engagement; venue & event innovation; fantasy sports & betting; eSports; business of sports; and technologies designed for players and coaches.

“SportsTech will provide the curriculum and platform for founders to develop their ideas while obtaining mentorship from leaders in multiple sports, enabling them to further deploy their technologies to dramatically improve sports experiences for athletes and audiences alike,” said Jenna Kurath, vice president of Startup Partner Development, Comcast Cable.

Interested startups can apply for SportsTech between now and May 15, with the initial three-month program beginning in August in Atlanta. Ten companies will be selected and the program will be directed by Boomtown Accelerators.

For more information on the SportsTech program, visit www.comcastsportstech.com.