🔎📈 2024 November Recap: Giannis Launch New VC Funds. 2025 Upside Miami Summit Details Coming Soon. $219M Raised From Sports Tech Startups, Up +2.3% from October 2024.
Dear Colleague,
November was another exciting month in the sports of sports and tech. At Upside, we are now actively working on our annual 2025 Upside Sports Tech Summit which will take place in Miami in September 2025. So expect to meet 250 sports tech executives, top teams (NBA, MLS, MLB, NCAA, NFL..), 30 vendors/exhibitors, top VCs/family offices and some insightful panel discussions with top thought leaders in the world of sports and tech. We will also have a speed dating session which will allow vendors to meet teams 1-1. We have a lot of interest for our Miami Summit from vendors, teams, VCs/investors and plan to announce the speakers, exhibitors, and the agenda soon.
We are also working on some new initiatives in 2025 which will allow our sports tech community to meet more frequently in person throughout the year and meet top teams and investors. So stay tuned for more details! You don’t want to miss it!
If you want to learn more about our Summit, speak or sponsor our 2025 Upside Miami Tech Summit, please reach out by clicking on the button below:
In the MLS, in November 2024, the MLS playoffs were in full swing, featuring intense matchups in the Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs. In the Eastern Conference, Atlanta United made waves by upsetting top-seeded Inter Miami and advancing to the semifinals alongside Orlando City. Over in the Western Conference, LAFC and LA Galaxy dominated, with LAFC defeating Vancouver and the Galaxy overcoming Minnesota to reach the semifinals.
In the world of pro basketball, the NBA season showcased intense competition and strong performances. The Cleveland Cavaliers led the Eastern Conference (18-3) with an impressive unbeaten streak for most of the month, solidifying their dominance. Meanwhile, the Oklahoma City Thunder held the top spot in the Western Conference, demonstrating consistency and depth in their roster.
In the world of American Football, the NFL continued with intense matchups as the league approached the playoff picture. In the AFC, the Kansas City Chiefs (15-2) lead the pack, continuing their dominance with Patrick Mahomes at the helm. The Baltimore Ravens (12-5) are close contenders, benefiting from Lamar Jackson's exceptional play and a strengthened running game. In the NFC, the Detroit Lions (13-4) top the standings, showcasing their consistency on both sides of the ball, while the Philadelphia Eagles (12-5) also remain strong.
As for Super Bowl favorites, the Chiefs are a popular choice given their elite roster and coaching. Other top contenders include the Ravens, the Eagles, and the Lions.
In the world of pro rugby, professional rugby was filled with excitement as the Autumn Nations Series saw notable clashes among top international teams. South Africa reclaimed the top spot in the World Rugby Men's Rankings after defeating Scotland 32-15 at Murrayfield. This result, combined with Ireland's 23-13 loss to New Zealand, allowed the Springboks to surpass both Ireland and the All Blacks in the rankings. South Africa now leads with 92.46 points, followed by New Zealand at 91.21 and Ireland at 90.58. Other notable performances included France's dominant 37-23 win over Argentina and Australia's 52-20 victory over Wales, highlighting southern hemisphere dominance during the series. Scotland also had a mixed month, with a significant win over Fiji but falling short against South Africa.
In the world of pro baseball, the Los Angeles Dodgers won the World Series, defeating the New York Yankees in five games. The Dodgers demonstrated resilience, including an impressive comeback in the decisive Game 5, where they overcame a five-run deficit to win 7-6 at Yankee Stadium. This victory marked the Dodgers' eighth World Series title and their second in five years, solidifying their status as one of the most dominant franchises in modern MLB history.
Freddie Freeman was named the World Series MVP after an extraordinary performance. He tied the record for most RBIs in a single World Series with 12 and became only the second player to homer in four consecutive World Series games. His leadership and consistency were pivotal in the Dodgers' success.
In the world of pro golf, professional golf saw significant action with the conclusion of notable tournaments and the continued prominence of key players in the world rankings. The DP World Tour Championship, held at Jumeirah Golf Estates, wrapped up the Race to Dubai season. Rory McIlroy delivered an impressive performance to secure the championship, further cementing his legacy as a top golfer.
Scottie Scheffler continues to lead the Official World Golf Rankings, maintaining his dominance with an average of 16.57 points. He is followed by Xander Schauffele and Rory McIlroy in the second and third spots, respectively.
In the world of pro tennis, professional tennis showcased high-stakes competition in the ATP and WTA Finals, along with emotional farewells to some legendary players. Jannik Sinner won the Nitto ATP Finals, defeating Taylor Fritz in the final. Sinner's victory secured his status as the year-end world No. 1, making him the first Italian to achieve this honor.
2024 marked the retirement of iconic players Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray, and Dominic Thiem, signaling a generational shift in men's tennis. Novak Djokovic also surprised the tennis world by announcing Andy Murray as his coach for the upcoming 2025 Australian Open.
In the world of pro hockey, the NHL season saw several intriguing developments. The Winnipeg Jets lead the Western Conference with a dominant 17-4-0 record, showcasing an impressive offense with 85 goals scored. Meanwhile, the Boston Bruins top the Eastern Conference standings, continuing their reputation as perennial contenders. Other strong teams include the Vegas Golden Knights and the Minnesota Wild in the West, along with the New York Rangers and Tampa Bay Lightning in the East.
In the AI/AR/VR/NFT/OTT/Metaverse/Crypto/Blockchain space, Fox is now using an AI version of Tom Brady hologram during pregame show. Apple is also reportedly exploring VR Sports Streaming with Real Madrid. ESPN also created a new AI-powered football analyst that could be the future of watching live sport. SleepScore Labs also launched an AI sleep coaching platform. Lastly, the Chicago Bears unveiled a Virtual History Tour.
In the world of sports performance and wearables, the Pentagon contracted for $96M in Oura smart rings. Casio also launched a smart ring. Apple Watch is also now able to detect heart murmurs with 95% accuracy.
In the world of sports tech investments, total sports tech investment in November 2024 reached $219M. This was up +2.3% from $214.8M in October 2024.
As a reminder, Upside Global is a sports, tech & health community of 7,000+ executives under a single web platform. Members include executives from the NBA, NFL, NHL, MLS, MLB, NCAA, Laliga, English Premiere League, Ligue 1, Bundesliga, Series A, Brazilian soccer league, Olympic teams, Pro rugby, Pro tennis, as well as representatives of startups, brands, VCs, and athletes.
As a reminder, Upside launched the Upside Tech Scouting platform, the world’s first platform providing granular anonymized team data on specific teams (NBA, NFL, MLB, NCAA, Premier League, Laliga, Ligue 1, Bundesliga, national teams, Olympic teams, pro rugby, pro tennis..). For each team profile, users can see critical information provided by teams such as their annual sports performance budget, the vendor(s) that they are currently using, their rating per vendor and the price range that they are paying for each vendor. Now keep in mind that each team profile has been anonymized as we take data privacy of teams very seriously.
Here is a video providing an overview of the Upside scouting platform.
The Upside Tech Scouting Platform is currently trusted & used by leading sports organizations, and VCs to help them discover new cutting technologies and do their due diligence on emergence technology vendors. Leading vendors are also using it to better understand the needs of leading pro teams and generate new leads.
Here is a post explaining the benefits for teams to join the Upside tech scouting platform, how we gathered the survey data from teams. If you want to sign up for Upside Premium which gives you access to the Upside Tech scouting platform please click on the bottom below:
You can click on the link below and sign up for our Upside Pro Combo today and get the 30% discount:
If you have any questions regarding Upside Global, or the Upside Tech scouting platform, please contact us at julien@upsideglobal.co
📰 Top Stories We’re Reading This Month
🔗 Apple Explores VR Sports Streaming with Real Madrid Collaboration
🔗 Chicago Bears Unveil Virtual History Tour
🔗 Pentagon contracts for $96M in Oura smart rings, services
🔗 Apple Watch Can Detect Heart Murmurs With 95% Accuracy
🔗 SleepScore Labs Launches AI Sleep Coaching Platform
💸 Startup investment recap (November 2024)
📊 Tech Stats of the month
📸 Snapshots & videos of the Month
Let’s jump right into the insights and upside for all of these top stories
⭐Upside Studies of the Month
⭐Upside Case Studies & Articles of the Month
⭐ Upside Podcast Interviews of the Month
🎮 NFTs/Metaverse/AR/VR/Blockchain/OTT News
🔗 Apple Explores VR Sports Streaming with Real Madrid Collaboration| Via : Gurufocus
Following the release of Apple's Vision Pro, consumers have praised its immersive experience but noted a lack of engaging content. To address this, Apple (AAPL, Financial) is exploring new ventures, including a potential collaboration with soccer giant Real Madrid. The partnership aims to offer immersive VR streaming of live matches at the Bernabéu Stadium, currently under renovation, enhancing the spectator experience for Vision Pro users.
Real Madrid's president confirmed talks with Apple to create a virtual stadium experience, allowing fans to feel as if they're attending games in person. This initiative could transform fan engagement and prove a profitable venture for Apple, potentially leading to widespread adoption of VR streaming in sports venues worldwide.
⬆️ The Upside: We think it makes sense for Real Madrid and Apple to team up on this for a number of reasons: (1) Apple needs great content to help drive the adoption of the Apple Vision Pro which some reports suggest that Apple has sold less than 300k units to date. (2) This is part of Real Madrid’s ongoing strategy to be a pioneer when it comes to new technologies. Real Madrid has offered VR experiences (DreaM VR) in the past. (3) Apple can leverage the large Real Madrid fan base of 500M fans, especially a significant following overseas, to help drive the adoption of the Vision Pro.
🔗 Chicago Bears Unveil Virtual History Tour | Via : Yahoo Sports
This week, the club launched a virtual tour of its celebrated history and tradition displayed exclusively at Halas Hall. It will give fans a chance to virtually enter the Halas Hall lobby, allowing them to explore the life of the legendary George Halas along with the careers of the franchise's NFL record 32 members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame through memorabilia and artifacts from the organization's historical archives (more here).
⬆️ The Upside: This is a nice move by the Chicago Bears. They are not the first sports organization to have built virtual history tour such as the Pro football Hall of Fame, the US Olympics and Paralympic museum. This has become a great VR sports use case over the years. It allows fans to go through a fully immersive experience which helps improve fan engagement and brings back memories.
🚑 Wearables, Health, Nutrition News
🏀 Pentagon contracts for $96M in Oura smart rings, services | Via : DS
As the Department of Defense experiments with biometric devices to better track the health and wellness of personnel, it issued a $96 million award Tuesday to Finnish health technology company Oura to put its smart rings and services in the hands of service members.
In addition to putting the smart ring on the hands of service members, the contract also provides a suite of data analytics services the Pentagon can use to take action on the biometric information generated by the devices.
⬆️ The Upside: We believe this is a great imitative by both Oura and the Pentagon for several reasons: (1) This will help reinforce Oura’s leadership in the wearable space. Oura has forged similar large deals with the NBA or the UFC. (2) It will allow Oura to go beyond the world of sports. (3) Oura could potentially equip a good portion of the Pentagon’s 24,000 military and civilian employees. (4) Oura’s smart ring and services will help Pentagon employees better manage their sleep.
🏉 Casio Launches Smart Ring | Via : Techradar
Can't decide between one of the best smart rings and one of the best smartwatches? The new Casio CRW-001-1JR gives you both form factors in the same device – it's a smartwatch that fits around your finger rather than your wrist.
Getting hold of one might be an issue though, as it looks as though the Casio CRW-001-1JR will only be available in Casio's home country of Japan. The wearable has been priced at 19,800 yen, which is about $130 / £100 / AU$200.
⬆️ The Upside: It makes sense for Casio to launch a smart ring. That being said we find the Casio smart ring’s form factor a bit clunky. Maybe there is a market for this but we are a bit skeptical. Only time will tell if it was the right choice. But Casio will face fierce competition in the smart ring market with well established players such as Oura or Samsung.
🏈 Apple Watch Can Detect Heart Murmurs With 95% Accuracy | Via : The Tech Tribune
Apple has consistently led advancements in cardio technology, with its Apple Watch innovations, like atrial fibrillation (AFib) and irregular heartbeat detection, proving life-saving. The company’s latest machine learning initiative focuses on heart murmur detection.
Apple’s research paper reveals that its multi-task learning model (2dCNN-MTL) achieves over 95% accuracy in detecting murmurs, outperforming existing models. Additionally, it maintains a mean absolute error (MAE) of 1.636 bpm in heart rate estimation, meeting the stringent standards of the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI).
⬆️ The Upside: We think this is a nice move by Apple. Over the years Apple has made some small improvements to the Apple Watch capabilities. Apple can leverage its large Apple watch use base of 115M+ users to create new algorithms and capabilities. We expect Apple to continue to improve the capabilities of the Apple watch over time with new algorithms, biosensing capabilities (hydration assessment, lactate, glucose measurement..).
🏈 SleepScore Labs Launches AI Sleep Coaching Platform | Via : Athletech
Sleep.AI arms health and wellness brands with advanced insights, addressing the growing consumer focus on sleep health, wellness, and longevity. SleepScore Labs hasn’t been sleeping on artificial intelligence. The sleep health company has just launched Sleep.AI, a platform that provides advanced insights and predictive models, allowing health and wellness brands to optimize sleep health for their customers.
The announcement comes as consumers have begun taking their sleep health seriously in pursuit of wellness and longevity — and for good reason. One new study published in the American Academy of Neurology this month suggests poor sleep is linked to almost three years of additional brain aging.
⬆️ The Upside: We think this is a nice move by SleepScore. We previously used the SleepScore’s product capable of measuring sleep quality without any contacts to the skin. It makes sense for SleepScore to add new AI coaching capabilities given the growing interest towards AI.
💸 Sports Tech & Health Investment Recap - November 2024
Here is the recap of the major sports startups’ investments in November 2024. Total sports tech investment in November 2024 reached $219.14M. This was up slightly +2.3% from $214.8M in October 2024.
Here is the detailed recap on the sports tech startups that raised money in November 2024 and October 2024:
Picture: Total amount raised by sports tech startups (November 2024)
Picture: Total amount raised by sports tech startups (October 2024)
Investments, new Tech fund & M&As and other financial sports tech news:
LOVB Raises $100M. League One Volleyball, branded as LOVB and pronounced "LOVE," recently announced an $100M raise from Los Angeles-based private equity firm Atwater Capital joined by existing New York-based investors Ares Management and Left Lane Capital.
Avenue Sports Invests In Unrivaled Basketball. Marc Lasry’s Avenue Sports Fund announced an investment in Unrivaled, the new professional women's 3-on-3 basketball league co-founded by WNBA superstars Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart.
Michele Kang Investa $30M Into U.S. Soccer. Businesswoman, team owner, and women’s sports advocate Michele Kang is donating $30M to U.S.
Qatar Investment Authority Acquires Stake In Audi F1 Team. Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), the sovereign wealth fund of the State of Qatar, has signed an agreement to acquire a significant minority stake in Sauber Holding AG, the future factory team of Audi.
How F1 Champion Nico Rosberg Scored $100M For A New VC Fund. The 39-year-old racing legend’s fame gets him in the door with the world’s top investment firms. Now he’s betting that access can pay off for wealthy Europeans looking for a way into Silicon Valley.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Launches A Venture Capital Fund. The Milwaukee Bucks superstar announced the launch of Build Your Legacy Ventures, a venture capital fund that will focus on investments in sports, entertainment, and technology.
Michael Jordan Invests In Courtside Ventures. Jordan has invested an undisclosed amount in the fourth fund of Courtside Ventures, a firm focused on sports, media, entertainment, technology, and gaming founded by Deepen Parikh and Vasu Kulkarni.
Eli Manning, Derek Jeter & Jimmy Fallon Join TGL New York Golf Club Investor Group. Cohen Private Ventures, the family office of Steve Cohen, announced that Eli Manning, Derek Jeter, CC Sabathia, and Jimmy Fallon are joining the New York Golf Club’s investor group.
Teamworks Acquired Basepath. Teamworks, the leading enterprise SaaS company serving 99% of Division 1 NCAA institutions, has announced the acquisition of basepath, the leading NIL Operations Software that automates tasks, contracts, communication, and finances for NIL stakeholders and student-athletes.
VANAD Group Acquired SciSports. Netherlands-based family-owned enterprise VANAD Group has acquired Utrecht’s sports tech company SciSports.
Philadelphia Eagles Sell Minority Stake At $8.1B. According to SBJ, Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Laurie has sold two minority stakes in the team to the family trust of Ed Peskowitz, founder of United Communications Group and a former co-owner of the NBA's Hawks, and Susan Kim, chairman of the board of semiconductor company Amkor Technology.
📊 Key Tech Sports Stats of The Month
$36.7B: The Global AI in Sports Market size is expected to be worth around USD 36.7 Billion by 2033, from USD 2.6 Billion in 2023, growing at a CAGR of 30.3% during the forecast period from 2024 to 2033.
$1.92B: CNBC Releases Official 2024 NHL Team Valuations. The average NHL team is worth $1.92B, according to CNBC’s Official 2024 NHL Valuations, and recent transactions come at revenue multiples that rival deals done in Major League Baseball. What accounts for the league’s ascension? Steady revenue growth combined with a hard salary cap and a leaguewide revenue-sharing system all but ensure profitability for the league’s 32 teams.
$1.16B: More Investors Are Putting Money Into Women’s Sports Teams. A New Study Finds It Could ‘Unlock Billions’ In Value. Team valuations for the NWSL jumped by 57% in the past year (alongside some eye-popping purchases and investments), and the first valuation report of the WNBA found its teams worth a collective $1.16B, per Sportico.
$135M: Despite the loss, Nadal’s participation in the Davis Cup should mean he will clear $135 million in career earnings, assuming an equal split among the five members of Spain’s team. Each quarterfinal team will earn $535,714, which comes out to about $107,000 per member. Nadal had made $134.95 million entering the tournament.
The Spaniard’s off-court game has also been strong, with an estimated $425 million in earnings from endorsements and appearances, bringing his total career earnings of $560 million, including prize money.
17.5M: The NFL’s TV ratings appear to have weathered any potential major hit from election season, as the league is reporting big numbers heading into Week 12 of the regular season.
Through 11 weeks of action, the NFL is averaging 17.5 million viewers per game, when excluding international games on NFL Network and exclusive streaming broadcasts on ESPN+ and Peacock. That 17.5 million figure is the highest through Week 11 since the 2015 season.
72,300: 72,300 people watched the Mike Tyson Vs Jake Paul fight at the Dallas Cowboys stadium leading to $18M in total revenue, a record for boxing and mixed martial art events held outside of Las Vegas. Netflix saw the fight peak at a record 65M concurrent stream.
11,250: The average number of fans at NWSL games this season, which is a record number and a 6% increase from 2023. Angel City FC led the way with an average of 19,313 fans per game, followed by the Portland Thorns and San Diego Wave FC, who each averaged more than 18,000 fans per game. Four teams saw increases of at least 30% in attendance: the Chicago Red Stars, NJ/NY Gotham FC, Orlando Pride, and Washington Spirit.
The league announced earlier this month that it had breached more than two million in total attendance this year, smashing its previous record of 1.4 million in 2023. This season, each team played 26 matches, four more than last season, as the NWSL grew from 12 to 14 teams.
6,108–4,816: The Western Conference’s superiority in the NBA is not a small sample size. Over the last 25 seasons, not even including this year, the West had a better record in the head-to-head regular season battle 22 times. The West is 6,108–4,816 against the East in that timeframe, for a .560 winning percentage. The NBA Champion was a Western Conference team in 16 of those 25 years.
18-3: The Cavaliers are off to one of the greatest starts to an NBA season with 15 wins in a row, tied for the second-longest undefeated streak to open a campaign. They are now 18-3. But with nearly 20% of the season already done, most of the country has yet to see Cleveland play.
4: Mercedes driver George Russell won the second edition of Formula One’s Las Vegas Grand Prix on Saturday night, but it was Red Bull superstar Max Verstappen who clinched his fourth consecutive drivers championship with a fifth-place race finish.
📸 Snapshots & Videos of the Month.
Tom Brady hologram, explained: Why Fox is using AI version of broadcaster during pregame show. Fox doesn't connect to Brady using a satellite feed or having him call in on Zoom. Brady appears on the show via hologram. It's unique, weird, and impressive technology all at once. Here's more info on the Brady hologram that Fox has been rolling out in recent weeks.
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