NEW YORK: Heed, a joint venture created in 2016 by Internet of Things (IoT) trailblazer Mati Kochavi’s AGT International, and sports and entertainment leader WME | IMG, has announced new partnerships with EuroLeague Basketball, Professional Bull Riders, and UFC to change the way fans connect with their favorite talent, teams, and brands.
These partnerships will rely on AGT’s proprietary Internet of Things Analytics (IoTA) technology to fundamentally disrupt live events with dynamic content and videos that enrich and tailor the fan experience.
Powered by data generated from an IoT data stream that is analyzed by proprietary IoTA technology, artificial intelligence and machine learning, Heed bridges the divide among spectators, athletes, and coaches. Amplifying the pulse of an event and pulling fans into the action, Heed delivers previously imperceptible information and insights about their emotion, energy, and engagement.
Kochavi said, “As the most powerful way to connect people and devices in the age of social media, the Internet of Things empowered by AI provides boundless opportunity to better understand events and entertainment. Our proprietary technology connects physical events to the digital world by collecting and analyzing data, creating new and unfiltered stories behind any event or interaction. Our EuroLeague, PBR, and UFC partnerships are a recognition of the dramatic ways Heed is revolutionizing technology to deliver next-generation event experiences.”
WME | IMG co-CEO Ariel Emanuel added, “Heed will fundamentally disrupt the live event experience by sharing unique insights with fans, teams, and brands around the world. By testing and deploying this innovative technology across our sports portfolio, we’ll continue finding new ways to provide fans a unique and engaging event experience.”
EuroLeague Basketball — IoT sensors will be deployed in all 16 arenas at the premier European competition, the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, during the 2017-2018 season to reach millions of fans with insights never captured before in basketball. The upcoming season will include the full-scale deployment of AGT IoT technology during games, which will include collecting data in venue, on audiences, and on players and coaches. Using this data and advanced web analytics technology, Heed will automatically and immediately transform this information into engaging video content and performance reports for event participants on site and fans at home through TV broadcasting, social media, and other digital distribution channels.
EuroLeague Basketball Chief Business Development Officer Roser Queraltó said, “We’re excited to see this technology deployed across the league, providing us a new way to engage with fans and bring them closer to the action than ever before. This will enable fans far beyond traditional sports storytelling, making them part of the game and providing them with sensor-measured, on-court emotions.”
Professional Bull Riders (PBR) — Recognizing that no two rides are the same, Heed will outfit both bull and rider with proprietary IoTA technology that measures spin, direction changes, kicks and rider control, bringing new data and objectivity to the scoring of the most exciting eight seconds in sports.
PBR CEO Sean Gleason said, “Whether measuring the speed of a bull’s turn or the height of its buck, Heed will provide a whole new dynamic to our sport. With Heed, PBR will be able to more accurately assess the difficulty of each ride and identify the highest-scoring animal athlete on any given day. This will bring a more balanced, objective and fair experience for our riders and, just as important, a new level of excitement for our fans.”
UFC — Heed and UFC are evaluating how best to integrate IoTA technology into a range of UFC events.
UFC President Dana White said, “Every action-packed second in the Octagon generates a ton of data about our fighters and the energy and emotion that surround a fight. With Heed, we’re looking at ways to measure this data and use it to give our fans the best seat in the house no matter where in the world they’re watching from.”
For the record, both Heed and UFC are owned by WME | IMG.
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