Weekly Newsletter 5/18
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INNOVATION IN ACTION
EXPANDING REACH INTO GLOBAL MARKETS
Last weekend the National Basketball Association (NBA) expanded its global footprint with the launch of the Basketball Africa League (BAL). The BAL is a product of a partnership between the NBA and the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and will feature teams from 12 different countries. Genius Sports will be partnering with the BAL to provide real-time statistics and analytics, and the league will be broadcasted to 215 countries across the world. The NBA has held games in Africa in the past, but the inaugural season of the BAL will act as a tent pole to a developing market. All games will be broadcasted on ESPN+ and the Finals on May 30th will air on ESPNews.
Sports Innovation Lab Events
CATCH UP AND WATCH LAST WEEK'S FLUID FAN PODCAST
Get in on the action of the Fluid Fan Podcast and watch our most recent episode with Jason Griffiths the VP - Partnerships for the Los Angeles Rams. Jason joined Angela Ruggiero to talk about the dynamic partnership activations the team put on during the pandemic, their recent Draft House activation with movie star Rebel Wilson, and all things SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park. Hear how Jason made the move from the tech sector into the sports industry, and where he sees the state of the industry heading as we return to a sense of normalcy. You can listen to the full episode on iTunes and Spotify or view it on our YouTube Channel, and stay tuned next week for our next episode with Jerome Pickett of CLEAR.
The Fan Project Spotlight
WOMEN'S SPORTS ARE BACK IN A BIG WAY
We're thrilled to see two of our Fan Project Partners returning to play and bringing fans what they want, more women's sports. The WNBA tipped off their 25th Anniversary season last week with a marquis matchup between the New York Liberty and Indiana Fever at the Barclays Center in New York. The NWSL's regular season kicked off this past weekend with a full slate of matches. After a successful NWSL Challenge Cup, the regular season will look to build off the continued momentum across the league's digital platforms and nationally televised matches. Learn more about the WNBA, NWSL, and our other partners by visiting our Fan Project Website!