Monthly Archives: August 2021

Data Driven Sports/ShotTracker Announces Automated Content Products To Drive Engagement And Revenue

Data Driven Sports (DDSports), the parent company of ShotTracker,  today unveiled an exciting suite of new products to support digital publishers and broadcasters in engaging and monetizing college basketball fans this upcoming season. Leveraging the ShotTracker’s unique, real-time player and ball tracking data, combined with automated content and analytics platforms, DDSports now offers three innovative products designed to efficiently increase sponsorable content for its clients:

  • Automated Visualizations – customizable graphics with sponsor integrations designed for easy publishing to broadcast/OTT, digital, social and in-venue signage.
  • Insights Engine – AI-powered trends and streaks to drive game storylines and data-driven sales campaigns.
  • 3D Gamecast – animated ball and player graphics powered by real-time X-Y-Z location data, designed to allow out-of-market fans to watch their team live, and for all fans to relive exciting game moments. 

The three new products will be available for all men’s and women’s games across top NCAA Division 1 conferences where ShotTracker is installed, and will include unique, data-driven brand activation capabilities. “Our goal is to provide turnkey solutions to leading sports broadcasters and digital publishers to make the integration of ShotTracker data as streamlined and seamless as feasible,” said Davyeon Ross, DDSports/ShotTracker Co-Founder and President. “We commit to innovating and creating digital products that drive new revenue while also streamlining the content production process.”

Automated Visualizations

Leveraging the robust ShotTracker Data API, and through its partnership with IMPACT, a leading automated visualization platform, ShotTracker data will come to life in dynamic graphics designed for use across broadcast/OTT, digital, social and in-venue signage. Graphics that once took hours to produce will now be automatically generated. Broadcast customers will have access to a user portal that will allow for design, data points and sponsor customizations. Product benefits include more content, lower production costs and greater advertising revenue.

Insights Engine

Realizing the increasing need to grab fans’ attention and keep them engaged, ShotTracker has partnered with Inside Edge, a leader in sports analytics, to develop a cutting-edge platform to produce instant insights from ShotTracker’s robust data set. Broadcasters and digital publishers will now have real-time access to unique streaks and trends that once took hours to manually derive. This innovative platform will not only drive engaging storylines for announcers and writers, but will also support high-value sponsor activations.

3D Gamecast

Since many fans do not have access to live game broadcasts, and because game highlight rights are often complex and limited, ShotTracker has developed a real-time visual representation of every second of game action for all ShotTracker-enabled men’s and women’s games across top NCAA Division I conferences. Fans will have the option to watch an entire game or to select key game moments. With ShotTracker’s X-Y-Z data stream, game action comes to life in a more engaging visual representation than the traditional 2D products in the marketplace. Developers can use ShotTracker’s Gamecast SDK to customize design as well as advertiser integrations.

Gonzaga Selects Fast Rising Ready as Official Sports Drink

Ready® Nutrition (@ready_nutrition), one of the fastest growing sports nutrition companies in North America, with NBA Finals Champion and MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and three-time NFL Defensive MVP Aaron Donald as co-owners, today announced that Gonzaga University selected the brand as the Official Sports Drink of Bulldog Athletics.

Ready® Sport Drink will be the exclusive isotonic sports drinks for fueling and replenishing Gonzaga student-athletes with its scientific, all-natural formulation featuring three dominant electrolytes, energy from superfruits, and B-Vitamins for complete hydration.   

“We’re looking forward to this partnership with Ready® ” Incoming Gonzaga Director of Athletics Chris Standiford said. “It’s vital that we provide our student-athletes with the best sports nutrition options, and we know that Ready® will be the best choice for Gonzaga.”

Gonzaga is a member of the West Coast Conference, one of 8 conferences that have selected Ready® as their Official Sports Drink.  The Bulldogs’ national profile is highlighted by the success of its men’s and women’s basketball programs. The women have been crowned WCC champions and qualified for the NCAA Tournament in eight of the last 12 years.  The men’s program, under future Hall of Fame Coach Mark Few, has become a traditional national power.  The team has qualified for the NCAA Tournament in each of the last 10 years, making numerous Sweet 16 and Elite 8 appearances and playing for the National Championship in 2021.

“We’re always looking to provide our guys with the best in everything,” said Coach Few.  “We used Ready® during the tournament last year and our players loved it. It was an easy decision for us to name Ready® our Official Sports Drink.”

In addition to its sports drink, Ready® will also make available it’s full portfolio of performance products including its popular protein water, protein bars and functional snacks.  

“We’re excited to welcome Gonzaga into the Ready® family and thrilled that another elite program and coach has selected our sports drink for their student athletes”, said Ready® Founder and CEO Pat Cavanaugh, himself a former student-athlete and University of Pittsburgh basketball team captain.  “Coach Few’s program has such a high standard of excellence and I know he wants the very best for his players and all Gonzaga student-athletes.  We’re committed to helping them reach their team and individual goals with our science-based performance products.”

NLL Pivots Entry Draft to Virtual Setting Streaming on TSN, NLL Facebook and YouTube Channels

The National Lacrosse League (@NLL), the largest and most successful professional lacrosse property in the world, today announced that the 2021 NLL Entry Draft will be held virtually on Saturday, August 28 and the induction ceremony of the NLL Hall of Fame Class of 2021 presented by GAIT Lacrosse has been postponed to a later date.

“After lengthy discussions we have decided it is in the best interests of our team and league staff, and most importantly our draftees, to hold our 2021 NLL Draft on Saturday, August 28 in a virtual live stream format. We have also chosen to postpone our formal NLL Hall of Fame induction, which was scheduled for the day prior, to a later date to be determined” said NLL Commissioner Nick Sakiewicz. “While we have complete confidence in safety protocols that we were planning, the U.S. border for those driving from Canada remains closed. We were anticipating it would reopen in time for an in-person event, however with so many team staff located in Canada and the logistics of travelling back and forth across the border would have made staging such a large, first class event very difficult. Our plan is to host the NLL Hall of Fame ceremony in person, at a time when everyone of the inductees and their families can attend and, travel logistics are much easier. The NLL Hall of Fame is very important to the heritage of our league, it is crucial all will be able to attend and be properly honored surrounded by friends and family.”

The league will present comprehensive and expansive broadcast coverage of the 2021 Entry Draft. The first two rounds will be available for live streaming on TSN.ca and the TSN app in Canada along with the NLL’s YouTube channel and Facebook (@NLL). Live coverage begins at 7pm ET. Rounds three through six will be updated in real time on NLL.com and NLL social media accounts.

“We want to thank our board, our staff, and especially all those we have worked closely with at Pegula Sports and Entertainment over the last few months in helping us set up what would have been a memorable on site weekend, which now will be carried out from locations across North America” continued Sakiewicz. “We will release the NLL’s regular season schedule next month and we look forward to launching the 2021-22 season on December 3, 2021.”

All 14 active NLL franchises for the 2021-22 season will participate in the Entry Draft, with the Panther City Lacrosse Club making its inaugural selection, followed by the Georgia Swarm and Buffalo Bandits currently scheduled to make the next two selections, respectively.

The full first round NLL Entry Draft order, as of August 20, pending pre-Draft transactions, is as follows:

1. Panther City Lacrosse Club

2. Georgia (from New York)

3. Buffalo (from Rochester)

4. Vancouver

5. San Diego

6. Calgary

7. Saskatchewan (from Colorado)

8. Saskatchewan (from Philadelphia)

9. Georgia

10. Philadelphia (from Buffalo)

11. Panther City Lacrosse Club (from Toronto via Georgia)

12. Halifax

13. Buffalo (from Saskatchewan)

14. Buffalo (from Albany)

15. Calgary (from Panther City Lacrosse Club)

16. Albany (Compensatory)

The NLL Entry Draft was held virtually in 2020 following a two-year run at Philadelphia’s Xfinify Live! in 2018 and 2019.

FanDuel Group Announces Multi-Year Partnership with Jordan Spieth

Jordan Spieth

Jordan Spieth, three-time major champion, is joining the FanDuel Group team as part of an exclusive partnership with America’s #1 sportsbook.

This new partnership designates FanDuel, an official sports betting partner of the PGA TOUR, as the exclusive sports betting and daily fantasy provider for Jordan Spieth. As part of the relationship, Spieth will be featured in national television commercials and will be the face of FanDuel’s golf products. Spieth will work with FanDuel on content for social media and responsible gaming initiatives. FanDuel will also support the Jordan Spieth Family Foundation to continue its great work in the community.

“As the world of legal sports betting grows rapidly in the U.S, I’m incredibly excited about what’s happening in the space and the potential it has to bring new fans to the sport of golf,” said Jordan Spieth. “As the PGA Tour and others in the golf world have strongly embraced legalized sports gaming, I look forward to working with FanDuel to find unique ways to engage the fast-growing fanbase.”

Spieth’s golf career has been one of dominance from his days as a junior golfer to today, where he is one the most recognizable global stars. Very few golfers have entered the professional ranks with the poise and dominance of Jordan Spieth. He was the youngest player to win on the PGA TOUR in 82 years, when he won the John Deere Classic in 2013 at the age of 19.  At 21 years of age he won the 2015 Masters and the 2015 US Open and two years later he won the 2017 Open Championship.  2021 has been a great season for Jordan, who is currently 2nd on the Fed-Ex Cup rankings.  He has 9 Top-10 finishes this season, including earning his 12th PGA Tour victory at the Valero Texas Open.   

“Golf is an incredibly popular sport on the FanDuel platform and we are always looking for new ways to engage the growing golf fanbase and community,” said Mike Raffensperger, Chief Marketing Officer of FanDuel Group. “As one of the most universally admired golfers at the top of his game, Jordan Spieth is a perfect fit for our first official golf partner and the face of golf at FanDuel.”

Spieth is the newest member of FanDuel’s deep roster of exclusive sports betting talent and influencers headlined by Pat McAfee. FanDuel has also formed exclusive sports betting partnerships with blue chip media companies like Pat McAfee Inc., Turner Sports and Bleacher Report. This is all in addition to FanDuel’s own sports betting and daily fantasy content offerings that includes numberFire, The Duel, an extensive podcast network with a total of seven podcasts and More Ways to Win on TVG. 

WTA Announces FanDuel As Its First Authorized Gaming Operator

Naomi Osaka (Flickr-Rob Prange)

The WTA and FanDuel today announced the designation of FanDuel as an Authorized Gaming Operator in North, South, and Central America. The new relationship brings America’s number one sportsbook and industry-leading daily fantasy sports products directly to WTA fans and marks the first time a women’s sport will have video highlights throughout FanDuel’s digital platforms and sportsbooks. WTA will grant FanDuel access to its trademarks and FanDuel will also use WTA Tour’s official scoring data from Stats Perform, the Official Data Supplier of the WTA throughout FanDuel’s platforms. This integration will allow tennis fans in the Americas to join the growing engagement opportunities surrounding fantasy sports and further professionalize the legalized gaming category for tennis.

“The WTA is pleased to welcome FanDuel as its first Authorized Gaming Operator,” stated WTA President, Micky Lawler. “FanDuel is a premier destination for sports fans online and this relationship provides the building blocks for growing our fan base. This milestone not only delivers on the growing appetite fans have for a more personalized sporting experience, but also paves the way for us to have a proactive role in managing the responsible gambling standards and practices we wish to foster. Our top priority is providing our fans with more opportunities to engage with the sport in a fun and safe way.”    

“We are incredibly proud of our commitment to supporting women in sports and are continuously looking for new ways to further raise awareness of female athletes, teams, and all women in sports,” said Amy Howe, President and Interim CEO, FanDuel Group. “Aligning with the WTA — the global leader in women’s professional sports – is consistent with our overall mission to elevate the profile for talented women in sports. We are delighted to partner with such a prestigious organization.”

Driven by the WTA’s sponsorship sales agency of record, CSM, the agreement with FanDuel represents the WTA’s latest innovation to strengthen the growth and exposure of women’s tennis. Following the announcement of Stats Perform’s data integration last November, FanDuel will showcase the next evolution of data-driven touchpoints and trusted betting products for WTA fans. 

“Our platforms are now a destination for WTA content and highlights, which significantly enriches the sports betting experience, while continuing to expand our media and content capabilities,” continued Howe.

As part of the new strategic collaboration, FanDuel will work closely with the WTA to promote safe and responsible gaming. Demonstrating its commitment to promote responsible gaming and the availability of prevention, treatment & recovery resources, the WTA has joined the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG). The WTA looks forward to working with NCPG on its Safer Sports Betting Initiative.

cover image: Naomi Osaka-(Flickr/Rob Prange)

FanDuel Unveils Renderings for New Footprint Center Sportsbook in Arizona

FanDuel, the premier online gaming company in the United States, today unveiled the renderings for its new, luxury sportsbook in the Footprint Center, home to the Phoenix Suns, Phoenix Mercury and Arizona Rattlers, in Phoenix, AZ.

Earlier this year, FanDuel was named as the Suns’ Official Sportsbook and Daily Fantasy Sports Partner, and the FanDuel Sportsbook at Footprint Center will be one of the first sportsbooks in an NBA arena in the entire country.

Stretching over 7,400 square feet, including an outdoor terrace, the FanDuel Sportsbook at Footprint Center will be fans’ one-stop-shop to enjoy Suns games and other sporting events around the world while placing wagers on the action. The sportsbook will feature five betting windows, and one VIP window, 40 HD televisions, a 35-foot video wall, an MVP Room and 26 self-service betting kiosks. The FanDuel Sportsbook will be open daily for patrons to place wagers on a wide variety of events throughout the year.

VKTRY Insoles Bounce Their Way To Gold Medal Success In Tokyo

The summer-long growth of elite athletes and rising stars using VKTRY GEAR, the fast growing, industry leader in Performance Insoles for heightened performance and injury protection, literally reached a gold standard this past week, when Olympians Jordan Larson and Haleigh Washington led Team USA to its first-ever indoor volleyball gold medal, defeating Brazil to take the historic title. Larson and Washington were two of several members of Team USA to wear VKTRY, and their title further enhanced the growing popularity of the innovative insoles.

The win extends the company’s Olympic tradition. As VKTRY Insoles were originally invented for the US Olympic Bobsled Team to improve athletic explosiveness. In 2010, these carbon fiber insoles helped Team USA win gold in the 4-man bobsled – first time in 62 years.

“We congratulate Jordan, Haleigh and the whole team on their success and are proud to have played a small part in their performance, health and wellness,” said VKTRY CEO Steve Wasik. “We have some of the best athletes in the NFL, MLB, NBA and now on the world stage using our VKs to maximize performance and minimize injuries.”

“I’ve been really impressed with how VKTRY Insoles have helped me increase my vertical, even at my age,” said Larson, Team USA Captain. “I felt the difference immediately when I put these insoles into my shoes – Wow!”

“I’ve struggled with good foot support for my entire athletic career,” added Washington. “VKTRY has made a difference in my comfort, my explosiveness, and how my feet feel when I play!”

Larson is one of the most decorated athletes in the sport of volleyball. An All-American at The University of Nebraska she is now a three-time Olympic medalist. Larson won gold with the national team at the 2014 World Championship, the Rimini Volleyball Nations League, and the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics, silver at the 2012 London Summer Olympics, and bronze at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. VKTRY has been a key part of her success in career longevity and injury recovery. Washington, a three time All-American at Penn State, and key member of the 2014 NCAA Championship team, won gold as a middle blocker in her first Olympics.

The volleyball success is the latest in a series of continued growth for the company. In June, the company announced that Basketball Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady joined the company as both a brand ambassador and a member of their growing athlete advisory team. Then in July, The Foot & Ankle Research and Innovation Laboratory at Harvard’s Massachusetts General Hospital completed a 12-month long, IRB-approved, randomized control trial of VKTRY Performance Insoles used in the treatment of 1st Metatarsophalangeal (MTP) arthritis, commonly known as “Turf Toe.” The study showed that VKTRY carbon fiber insoles proved to be a statistically significant better solution for patients than the traditional treatment. Patients reported a demonstrable improvement in comfort and pain management with the VKTRY Insoles.

Additional announcements are expected in the next few weeks.

Made from aerospace-grade carbon fiber, VKTRY Insoles store and return energy to the athlete. They also provide a “spring-like” effect to improve shock absorption and reduce the load and stress on the athlete’s body. In independent performance testing, athletes wearing VKs increased their broad jump by an average of +4.0”, their vert by +1.6” and improved their 40 times by 0.12 seconds.

Because all athletes are not alike, VKs are customized based on the size of the athlete and the sport or activity. VKTRY Insoles are available in five different levels of flexibility to optimize performance, protection and comfort. Athletes at more than 300 professional and college teams wear VKTRY Insoles for training and competition. A recent study of 263 NCAA athletes showed 41% less foot injuries and 22% less lower leg injuries when athletes use VKs. More and more people are discovering the benefits of energy return, improved stability and the shock absorption that VKs provide.

During the 2020 NFL season, a record number of over 200 NFL players, from 29 of 32 clubs, wore VKTRY’S carbon fiber insoles, a 300% increase from 2019. Some of the brightest young stars and respected veterans in the NFL, including Cleveland Browns RB Nick Chubb, LV Raiders RB Josh Jacobs, Washington RB Antonio Gibson, Buffalo Bills RB Devin Singletary, SF 49ers WR “Deebo” Samuel, Seattle Seahawks WR DK Metcalf, NY Jets Williams, Buffalo Bills CB Josh Norman, Chicago Bears, Houston Texans WR Anthony Miller, LA Chargers OT Brian Bulaga, Denver Broncos TE Noah Fant, New York Giants TE Evan Engram, Minnesota Vikings WR Justin Jefferson, Pittsburgh Steelers LB Devin Bush and many more have embraced the benefits of VKTRY Insoles.

Disc Golf Event Pulls In Record Cash, Charitable Donations

The Discraft Ledgestone Insurance Open, a Disc Golf Pro Tour Elite Series Event, added a record amount of added cash to the tournament purse and significant donations to several charities. $75,000 of added cash was added to the purse, which is the largest amount in tournament history and $200,000 was be donated to charities.

“This year, we are ecstatic to announce a Ledgestone record amount of added cash for the DGPT side of the event. Thanks to the generous support of Discraft and GRIP Equipment, we have been able to significantly increase our added cash amount compared to last year,” said Tournament Director Nate Heinold. The $75,000 added cash brings the total tournament purse to just under $120,000 with first place in the MPO division receiving $10,000 and the winner of the FPO division receiving $4,000.

The tournament also has a history of charitable contributions, and in 2021, the Discraft Ledgestone Insurance Open made the largest donation in disc golf history of $200,000. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Easter Seals, the Paul McBeth Foundation, the Southside Mission of Peoria, and EDGE will be the recipients of the donation. St Jude Children’s Research Hospital participated in Sunday’s Disc Golf Pro Tour Ceremonial Throw for Charity.

“The magnitude and impact of the Discraft Ledgestone Insurance Open is hard to overstate. What Nate and his team has accomplished year after year is incredible, and the 2021 edition truly set a new highwater mark for charitable giving in the entire sport of disc golf,” said DGPT Director Jeff Spring. “The Tour is immensely proud to have this event as one of our cornerstones.”

Entain Joins 50 Global Leaders on Sustainability

Entain, the global sports betting and gaming entertainment group, has joined the line-up in this year’s 50 Global Leaders sustainability initiative, showcased on Bloomberg’s global media platform, marking its progress on responsible gaming and ESG.

The 50 Global Leaders Campaign shown on Bloomberg’s global platform, highlights work on ESG and sustainability made by leading international companies and specifically highlights the advances made by Entain over the past year in these areas, as well as across other responsibility initiatives.

Last year, Entain launched a Sustainability Charter, and pledged to invest £100 million over five years in the Entain Foundation, to fund responsible gaming initiatives and support people and communities around the world where it operates.

Entain is fully committed to player protection, and is developing a pioneering, personal protection system for players using its technology called ARC (Advanced Responsibility and Care), which will build individual risk profiles for each customer and, if they show signs of being at risk, intervene without them being aware to keep their play safe.

Through its Foundation, Entain has taken a lead in supporting community and grass roots sport through initiatives such as Pitching In and a partnership with SportsAid in the UK, respectively providing funding to help local football clubs and support aspiring young athletes. Internationally the Group supports similar initiatives, such as bwincares in Greece.

Entain is ranked #1 in the All-in Diversity Charter’s All-Index list, the industry benchmark for diversity and inclusion, and is developing initiatives around the world to support under-represented groups, and notably young women, seeking careers in technology. The Group has provided support through the pandemic, with a global Employee Assistance Programme linked to the wellbeing platform, Unmind, and relief, through the Foundation, for victims of COVID-19 in India.

Also over the past year, Entain achieved its greenhouse gas emissions reduction target one year early, reducing emissions by over 15% per employee since 2018, and has committed to become net-zero by 2035. This includes setting a Science-based Target, which we have formally committed to via the Science-based Targets Initiative. The Group is a member of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, the S&P Sustainability Yearbook 2021, and FTSE4Good.

SGPN’s Colby Dant Records 130 Podcasts Previewing Every FBS College Football Team

In an unprecedented commitment to college football bettors across America, Sports Gambling Podcast Network (SGPN) college gridiron expert Colby Dant is providing a pre-season forecast on every FBS football team, including recommendations on over/under regular season win total wagers for all.

The daunting initiative is underway with the podcast and transcription content available at www.sportsgamblingpodcast.com, home of the only independently owned and operated sports gambling media network that places a premium on entertainment value. The predictive podcasts are most readily available on the SGPN app, downloadable at Apple’s App Store, the Google Play Store, and from www.SportsGamblingPodcast.com. 

In concise but detailed 20-minute podcasts, Dant also provides a rationale for all predictions, requiring a time-consuming level of immersion, his fulltime job with SGPN since 2017.

Colby Dant

SGPN, consistently ranked among the top football podcasts in America by Chartable.com, will also track and report the results of Dant’s prognostications in a service to its audiences that is unusual in the burgeoning sports wagering advice/analysis industry. Dant is one of over 45 contributors covering sports and entertainment for SGPN platforms.

“I’m definitely going above and beyond with this project, but college football is the one sport for which it is actually necessary,” stated Dant, a veteran sports wagering expert who has handicapped every Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) game (over 1,500) since 2017. “The sport generates an emotional attachment among its fans that is hyper-local, regional, sectional and national. The time is right for this deepest of dives into the entire FBS. Full schedules are back, fans are returning and interest is spiking with the season just weeks away. Our SGPN audiences and all college football fans want it and deserve it.”

Among Dant’s most assertive recommendations is Minnesota over 6.5 wins and North Carolina under 9.5 wins. The podcasts offer amusing takes on the traditions and history of the college programs with comparative references to rival teams and conferences in conjunction with the SGPN style of combining entertaining content with free, money-making predictions for sports bettors.

Other offerings on the Dant podcasts include suggestions that Texas A&M is overrated, and that Big 12 officials should consider thinking outside the box and grabbing Deion Sanders’ Jackson State team and Eddie George’s Tennessee State team, plus the transfer portal impact on both high-major and mid-major programs.

The podcast series, available under the “College Football Experience” name on the SGPN website and the SGPN App, is more than half complete with the remaining podcasts on track for posting over the next three weeks.

ESPN To Broadcast Cornhole World Championships This Week

It’s not just a backyard sport anymore; it’s the real deal. 256 professional cornhole players and over 800 amateurs from across the country will gather in Rock Hill, SC though Sunday to attend the American Cornhole League World Championships. 

In attendance will be ESPN personalities Ryan McGee and Marty Smith, plus former Carolina Panthers running backs Jonathan Stewart and Mike Tolbert. The four VIP guests will each be paired with an ACL Pro and go head-to-head in a televised cornhole tournament at Friday’s ACL Pro Celebrity event, which will air on ESPN2 at 9:00pm EST for ESPN’s infamous Ocho Day.

Open to the public, the World Championships expect to draw a crowd of approximately 2,500 people to the newly renovated Sports and Events Center in Historic Downtown Rock Hill. Just minutes away from the future Carolina Panthers headquarters, the space is also the newfound headquarters of the American Cornhole League after previously being based in the Queen City. 

The national sports organization relocated in late 2020 after experiencing exponential growth despite the Covid-19 pandemic. This growth was largely due to the profound scarcity of televised sporting events once lockdown commenced. Cornhole thrived due to its low-contact nature and flexibility of the sport, making it ideal content for ESPN coverage.

At the World Championships, the 256 ACL Pros will duke it out to claim highly-coveted titles including Man of the Year, Woman of the Year, Pro Singles Champion, Pro Doubles Champion, and more.

Guests can enjoy choice food and beverages, play in blind draw tournaments, purchase merchandise from local vendors, visit the new ACL Headquarters, and sit courtside while watching the ESPN-televised broadcasts.

There is no entry fee to attend, but parking is available for $5.00 per car per day.

Chief Marketing Officer Trey Ryder stated, “We couldn’t be more excited to be hosting the ACL World Championships here in our home of Rock Hill, SC! With over 1000 of the best cornhole players in the world flocking to the region, fans will be spoiled with seven days of competitive play, over 40 hours of livestream coverage, and six hours of ESPN television coverage.”

ESPN will cover the following events during the American Cornhole League World Championships:

August 5 – ACL Pro Singles Bracket Finals at 8:00pm EST on ESPN3

August 6 – ACL Pro Celebrity Event at 9:00pm EST on ESPN2

August 7 – ACL Pro Singles Playoff and Co-Ed Doubles Final at 1:00pm EST on ESPN

August 8 – ACL Pro Doubles Playoff and Women’s Doubles Final at 1:00pm EST on ESPN2

Ruth, McCovey, DiMaggio/Monroe Pieces Highlight HA Summer Auction

$20 million worth of sports history will be up for grabs when Dallas-based Heritage Auctions conducts its star-studded Summer Platinum Auction which is underway and continues through August 21-22. The event features a treasure-trove of sports memorabilia including a vintage Babe Ruth rookie trading card worth more than $1 million, the finest known baseball signed by Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe, Magic Johnson’s title-clinching jersey from his rookie season with the Lakers, another $1 million artifact, and the collection of San Francisco Giants beloved icon Willie McCovey.

Chris Ivy, founder and president of Heritage Sports, recently showcased the pieces at the 41st National Sports Collectibles Convention in Chicago.

For the first time, all of the trophies, rings and plaques accrued by Baseball Hall of Famer Willie McCovey will be made available to fans and collectors during the August auction. The Willie McCovey Collection – which features some 210 lots, among them some of the most coveted hardware in baseball history – is a centerpiece of the event. Among the artifacts of the first baseman known as “Stretch” are a 2012 San Francisco Giants World Series Championship ring and a his first-baseman’s glove that he used in games from 1975 through 1980. The expansive, extraordinary collection includes a myriad of personal effects from throughout the Baseball Hall of Famer’s career.

The 1916 M101-4 Sporting News Babe Ruth Rookie card, graded PSA EX-MT 6, which shot up to $370,000 within hours of opening. No surprise there: Just last weekend Heritage sold one of the highest-graded 1933 Goudey Ruths for a record-setting $540,000 in the auction house’s Summer Sports Card Catalog sale, more than five times than what a similar card realized just 10 months ago.

The Johnson jersey is one of the finest NBA jerseys ever to head to auction, and is photo-matched to that championship game, when Magic, en route to the first of his three Finals MVP awards, took center stage – playing every position that night, including center in the absence of an injured Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Johnson wore the jersey again during the 1984 Finals loss to the Boston Celtics.

This is a monster piece. Twenty-four hours after bidding opened, it was already up to $330,000. With more than three weeks to go before the auction.
The bevy of museum-quality pieces on the block range from a 1920 Ruth game-used and signed bat (already up to $280,000 in early bidding) to the 1955 New York Yankees American League Championship Ring presented to Mickey Mantle to items owned and worn by Muhammad Ali never before displayed to the public.

The finest-known baseball signed by Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio, has already grabbed the attention of the international media.

GSE Worldwide Signs Boxing Superstar ‘Bud’ Crawford

GSE Worldwide announced that they have signed Terence “Bud” Crawford to represent the legendary boxing superstar with his marketing and brand.  Currently ranked #1 by ESPN, he is considered by many to be the world’s top active boxer pound-for-pound. He also becomes the first professional boxer to join the GSE family.

Crawford has held multiple World Championships in three weight classes, including the WBO welterweight title since 2018. He is also one of only five male boxers in history to hold all four major world titles in boxing (WBA, WBC, IBF, and WBO) simultaneously when he accomplished the feat at light welterweight. He has been named “Fighter of the Year” by the Boxing Writers Association of America in 2014, and by ESPN in 2014 and 2017.

“I’ve accomplished a lot inside the ring, with a lot more to come, but I wanted a partner who can help develop my corporate partnerships and elevate my marketing game outside the ring,” said Terence “Bud” Crawford. “GSE has a proven track record with their athletes, and I look forward to being the first boxer to join the GSE family.”

“We’re thrilled to welcome Bud to the GSE family,” added Russ Spielman of GSE Worldwide.  “What Bud has accomplished thus far in his career is nothing short of remarkable – he’s already a legend inside the ring, and we can’t wait to start helping raise his profile outside of it.”

“Everyone knows about me as the boxer but now is the time for me to tell the world about the other parts of my story” – Terence Crawford

GSE aims to help capture Bud as a strong community role model, family man, father, businessman and philanthropist. Terence is Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Pixelbird (www.pxlbrd.com),which is a company helping athletes take ownership of their digital likeness.

La Vida Baseball Launches New All-Female and Latina Multimedia Show ‘Locker Room Talk’ Wednesday

TeamWorks Media, the parent company of La Vida Baseball, today announced the launch of its new weekly show highlighting the achievements of women and Latinas in sports, “Locker Room Talk.” Hosted by Julie Alexandria and Jennifer Mercedes, two Latinas with more than 20 years of sports industry reporting experience, “Locker Room Talk” is a show celebrating women in all aspects of the sports world by recognizing their contributions and the barriers they have overcome in their journeys. The show debuts Wednesday August 4 with new episodes rolling out weekly on YouTube and Facebook along with additional content across all La Vida Baseball social channels. The promo for the show can be seen here https://vimeo.com/572384643

“Women have always been at the forefront of challenging cultural norms. This show was created as a platform for the incredible community of trailblazers who continue to redefine our industry,” said Jesse Menendez, Managing Director of La Vida Baseball.  “Julie Alexandria and Jennifer Mercedes are leading important conversations with industry leaders. With Locker Room Talk, Julie and Jennifer have created a space where women can share their stories, experiences and of course their triumphs. Everyone needs to watch this show.”

“Locker Room Talk is my way of giving back and creating space for the next generation of women who are looking to enter the world of sports broadcasting and business,” said co-host Julie Alexandria.

Co-host Jennifer Mercedes added, “Forget about getting your foot in the door, with Locker Room Talk we’ve created our own door. Our goal is that it’s big enough to let in as many women as possible.”

Guests currently lined up for “Locker Room Talk” include NY Yankees hitting coach Rachel Balkovec, NFL Network’s MJ Acosta-Ruiz, Chief Business Officer at A-Rod Corp. Kelly Laferriere , MLB agent Lonnie Murray, diplomat and non-profit We Are All Human CEO Claudia Romo Edelman, MLB writer Shakeia Taylor, Turner Sports’ Lisa Byington (first woman to call NCAA men’s March Madness game), MLB Network’s Melanie Newman, ESPN’s Sarah Spain, Drone Racing League president Rachel Jacobson and Arizona Diamondbacks’ Mariana Patraca.

In addition to “Locker Room Talk,” LaVida Baseball has a wide range of social media streaming series, highlighted by “Being Guillén”, a hilarious weekly show and podcast, hosted by former World Series Champion manager, Ozzie Guillén and two of his sons, Ozzie Guillén Jr. and Oney Guillén; and “Polvora, Voz & Diamante”, a high energy Spanish language show hosted by a Mexican League MVP, the Cardinals Spanish language broadcaster and a Mexican rock star. Earlier this year La Vida Baseball launched “The Year of 21,” a multi-platform content initiative created to inform, engage and educate fans worldwide about the life, the impact and the legacy of Roberto Clemente.