Alibaba Group has signed a six-year strategic partnership with UEFA, becoming the governing body’s official artificial intelligence, cloud services and e-commerce partner from the 2027-28 season through the 2032-33 campaign. The agreement covers UEFA’s flagship competitions, including the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Europa Conference League and UEFA Euro 2028. At the heart…
Major League Soccer has announced a new partnership with World Wide Technology aimed at building an AI-powered infrastructure designed to transform fan engagement and league operations. The collaboration will focus on using artificial intelligence, data analysis and personalized digital experiences to strengthen relationships between MLS and its supporters. League executives say the long-term vision is…
Since returning to InCrowd in September 2025 after three years in sports strategy consulting, the progress in the sports industry’s digital transformation has become increasingly clear. Rights holders are now beginning to see returns on long-term investments in data infrastructure, with more advanced Customer Data Platforms replacing legacy systems and the “Single Customer View” becoming…
FIFA is introducing a new Fan ID card programme for the 2026 World Cup across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, aiming to bridge the gap between stadium attendance and digital engagement while also expanding its fan data ecosystem. Under the initiative, every ticket holder will be able to collect an NFC-enabled Fan ID card…
PUMA has officially revealed the new STELLAR NITRO™ ULTIMATE match ball, which will be used in LALIGA during the 2026/27 season. The company describes it as the most technologically advanced football it has ever developed for elite competitions. Designed to match the increasing speed and intensity of modern football, the new ball features PUMA’s proprietary…
US Soccer (USSF) has signed a multi-year partnership with global tech giant Google, strengthening its commercial push ahead of a packed international football cycle that includes the 2026 Men’s World Cup, the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, and the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. At the centre of the agreement is Google’s consumer AI ecosystem, Gemini….
Harry Maguire has entered the sports technology sector as co-founder of Feedz, a new artificial intelligence-based platform designed to help coaches deliver faster and more detailed player feedback. The application allows coaches to record short voice notes during or after training sessions, which are then transformed by AI into structured coaching reports that can be…
Concacaf has officially unveiled a new centralised digital platform designed to unify the fan experience across its 41 Member Associations. Developed with technology partner Deltatre, the new ecosystem combines live streaming, video-on-demand content, real-time match data, and detailed player and team profiles into a single digital destination. The redesigned platform includes a new Concacaf website…
DAZN has partnered with TotalEnergies to launch a combined subscription product in Spain that integrates household energy supply with sports streaming services. The new offering, called the “DAZN TotalEnergies Plan”, allows customers to combine TotalEnergies’ fixed-price electricity tariffs with access to DAZN’s sports content packages, including football, motorsport and premium subscriptions. Through the bundle, users…
As artificial intelligence continues to reshape the global economy, the sports industry is gaining a new status among investors. Sports teams and leagues are no longer viewed simply as prestige assets, but increasingly as strategic investments capable of resisting AI disruption. For billionaires and private equity firms, the attraction now goes beyond competition on the…
