Sports media is dominated by major networks such as ESPN and NBC, not to mention the professional leagues themselves. Tech startups, meanwhile, are a relative rarity in the industry. However, that could be changing quickly. Fantasy sports companies have been duking it out, NBA all-stars are creating their own investment funds, and fitness tech is on the rise.
In New York, there are a number of startups already making waves in the field. Here are 10 you should know:
NYC Sports Startups to Know
- Caesars Digital
- SportsRecruits
- LeagueApps
- LiveLike
- FanDuel
- Whistle Sports
- fuboTV
- Boom Shakalaka
- SeatGeek
- Tipico
Sports fans around the world are getting even more involved with their favorite teams through the technology of Tipico. A leader in the sports betting industry, Tipico offers mobile and digital sports betting options in over 30 sports. The company has strict identity verification standards, so age-appropriate customers can connect to their teams and enjoy an immersive sports betting experience.
Instead of scouring countless sites for the perfect tickets, consumers can lean on the advanced technology of SeatGeek. The company gathers information from a variety of sites and presents customers with deals on tickets for sports, music, and other types of live events. In addition, 3D views of spaces allow people to determine the perfect seats for them and get the most out of each experience.
Caesars Digital offers a sports betting experience unlike any other, combining technological excellence with the power of more than 20 million daily users to create one of the world’s leading Sportsbooks. Offering betting on everything from MMA and boxing to soccer, football, horse racing and basketball, Caesars Digital is available in the UK, 17 US states, the District of Columbia and the Bahamas.
SportsRecruits is a platform that facilitates the recruiting process by connecting high school athletes with college coaches. The company’s community includes more than 50,000 athletes, 450 clubs and 25,000 college coaches. Every NCAA Division I, II, and III coach is a member of SportsRecruits.
LeagueApps is a platform for organizing and managing sports programs. From baseball to lacrosse, the software covers multiple sports and helps organizers keep track of registration, schedules, standings, member messaging and even website management.
fuboTV is the fastest-growing virtual multichannel video programming distributor in the U.S., and it is solely dedicated to soccer. In March, the company raised a $15 million round in order to grow the company’s expanding sports-first streaming video offering, develop new features and market the service to increase its subscriber base.
LiveLike is bringing virtual reality to sports. The company is recognized as one of the leading platforms, allowing you to watch sporting events in virtual reality from multiple angles, as well as sit in a virtual box seat as you watch. LiveLike was recognized as an industry leader at TechCrunch’s 1st and Future startup competition, winning the grand prize of $50,000 from the NFL.
Though FanDuel is a New York-based daily fantasy sports site that originally got its start back in 2009 in Edinburgh, Scotland. The company was founded by Nigel Eccles, Lesley Eccles, Tom Griffiths and Rob Jones, who originally created Hubdub, a web-based prediction market game company. From there, the team launched FanDuel, which merged with DraftKings in 2016.
Whistle Sports is an entertainment network that helps creators produce compelling, sports-focused content across online platforms. Back in March, the sports tech darling got some serious cash in the form of a $20 million Series C round.
Currently, the company works with over 400 YouTube creators and social media influences, and reaches a community of over 170 million people across different social channels. The company’s overall mission is to offer new ways for millennial audiences to engage with sports in the form of an organic online network.
Boom Fantasy categorizes itself as the 'next generation of fantasy sports.' The startup is an in-game fantasy sports platform, which pushes real-time questions to competitors. The company was founded in 2014 by Stephen Murphy and Assaf Einat, both graduates of the Stanford Graduate School of Business with 10 years of experience in casino gaming and technology. In January, the company raised a $1.4 million seed round.
