Monthly Archives: March 2025

ShotTracker’s Pulse Technology Becomes The Exclusive ‘Tech on the Bench’ partner for the Purple CBI

ShotTracker, the industry leader in adaptive real-time data and AI-driven insights for teams, leagues, facilities and consumers, today announced an exclusive agreement with The Purple College Basketball Invitational (The Purple CBI) to be the postseason tournament’s “Tech on Bench” live data/video partner for 2025. In addition, ShotTracker will implement its Hype in arena and broadcast technology for the event, which will take place March 22-26, 2025 at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach, Florida.

“It is great to be able to continue to expand our reach into the postseason with the Purple CBI and its participating schools, its fans and its broadcast partners,” said Davyeon Ross, ShotTracker co-founder and CEO. “We have found the more athletes and coaches who get exposed to our solutions, the more we become ‘must have’ as they look for a competitive, custom edge. This opportunity will provide yet another window of expansion for all the work our team is doing, as we continue to refine and grow our platforms across the board.”

“Our goal from the beginning is to provide a best in class postseason experience for all our participating schools, and this partnership with ShotTracker is the next step in that experience,” said Rick Giles, President of Gazelle Group, owners and organizers of the Purple CBI. “The technology ShotTracker provides will be a nice bonus for the schools looking for technology solutions on the bench, and we are proud to be able to make this happen in a few weeks.”

Hype, ShotTracker’s real-time player/team visualizations + graphics tied to the consumer experience in arena, broadcast and digital, will also be featured during the tournament, providing the most expansive activation of all ShotTracker technology. Content for Hype is expanded into use on social platforms, turning real-time stats into powerful 3D graphic displays for use by marketing/fan engagement offerings. In addition to custom content being developed for in-game activation, Hype 3D, an engaging platform that delivers three-dimensional real game stats to enhance the fan experience and generate more sponsorship revenue.

The partnership with the Purple CBI is ShotTracker’s first with a college basketball postseason tournament, and follows its expansion of both its Pulse and Hype technology with the 2025 Phillips 66 Big 12 Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships, as well as its recently announced partnerships with 17 colleges and universities, including Marshall University and San Diego State’s women’s basketball program, the men’s programs at Indiana University, Boise State and Purdue and four Big 12 schools that are adding products for both men’s and women’s programs at Arizona State, Arizona, Utah, and Colorado. That brings the number of ShotTracker partner schools to over fifty, with more coming later this year.

ShotTracker Expands Helix and Hype Activation With Phillips BIG 12 M&W Basketball Tournaments

ShotTracker, the industry leader in adaptive real-time data and AI-driven insights for teams, leagues, facilities and consumers, today announced and expansion of their product offerings tied to the 2025 Phillips 66 Big 12 Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships being held at The T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri last weekend and this week. This expansion of products will be the company’s most robust offering with a partner and will involve everything from consumer enhancement with scoreboard and in-game programming to technology on the bench and in broadcasts during the Conference’s tournaments.

“The Big 12 Conference and its members continue to set the standard for innovation in collegiate athletics and we’re privileged to deepen our strategic partnership by bringing both our advanced products, Hype and Helix, to the T-Mobile Center,” said Davyeon Ross, ShotTracker co-founder and CEO. “Our groundbreaking collaboration represents what happens when two innovative leaders work jointly to transform the basketball experience. The Big 12’s vision, coupled with ShotTracker’s latest AI-driven solutions, will create a transformative experience—providing teams with advanced analytics while delivering fans an enhanced tournament experience unlike any other in collegiate sports.”

“Our partnership with ShotTracker aligns with the Big 12’s mission to be the conference of innovation and live at the forefront of new technology,” said Big 12 Chief Marketing Officer Tyrel Kirkham. “The incorporation of these new features into our Conference’s basketball tournaments enhances the fan experience inside T-Mobile Center and provides cutting-edge analytics for our schools.”

Helix (sensor technology tied to team performance in real time) and Hype (graphics and games tied to the consumer experience in arena and in broadcast) will both be featured during the men’s and women’s tournaments, providing the most expansive activation of all ShotTracker technology for the first time. Content for Hype this year will be expanded into use on social platforms for the first time turning real-time stats into powerful 3D graphic displays for use by marketing. In addition to custom content being developed for in-game activation, Hype games is an entertainment platform that delivers multi-generational games including Bingo, Tic Tac Toe and others powered by real game stats to enhance the fan experience and generate more sponsorship revenue

The enhanced work with the 2025 Phillips 66 Big 12 Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships is the latest in a series of proactive growth stories tied to the company. ShotTracker recently announced the addition or renewal of 17 partner schools, one of the largest expansions in recent company history and included Marshall University and San Diego State’s women’s basketball program, the men’s programs at Indiana University, Boise State and Purdue and four Big 12 schools that are adding products for both men’s and women’s programs at Arizona State, Arizona, Utah, and Colorado. That brings the number of ShotTracker partner schools to over fifty, with more coming later this year.

Soft2Bet to Launch Award-Winning iGaming Solutions and Products in the United States

Soft2Bet, one of the world’s fastest growing iGaming turnkey solutions providers, today announced its plans to launch in the U.S. headlined by the debut of its award-winning Motivational Engineering Gaming Application (MEGA) product, made possible through a market access agreement with Caesars Entertainment. The launch will see Soft2Bet unveil a new iGaming brand in New Jersey, following necessary regulatory approvals, and with a targeted launch in the Summer of 2025. 

“As a global company with a proven history of success and innovation, our plans to launch in the U.S. is monumental for Soft2Bet and our continued growth,” said Uri Poliavich, Founder and CEO of Soft2Bet. “We are set to redefine gamification here in the U.S. and ultimately provide players with an incredible gaming experience with the debut of a new and transformative iGaming brand this summer.” 

Award-Winning MEGA Now Available:

Soft2Bet’s award-winning MEGA will soon be available to operators in the U.S. The MEGA product, which Soft2Bet unveiled in 2023, has quickly redefined and transformed gamification with increased engagement, customized player experience, and a proven player retention model. Operators around the world using Soft2Bet’s MEGA gamification technology platform have seen positive impact with high engagement and retention including: a 400% increase in screen time, 65% increase in Net Gaming Revenue (NGR), 50% increase in deposit amounts, and a 45% increase in Average Revenue Per User (ARPU).

Soft2Bet’s Proven History and Success:

Soft2Bet originally launched in 2016 and was founded by Poliavich, who is focused on creating generational and innovative products to revolutionize the gaming industry. The company has a proven track record of developing and launching successful iGaming brands around the world such as Betinia (Denmark, Sweden), Yoyocasino (Sweden), Campobet (Denmark, Mexico, Sweden), Quickcasino (Sweden) and Don.ro (Romania). 

Soft2Bet currently holds a portfolio of 16 global licenses in countries including Denmark, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Malta, Mexico, Ontario (Canada), Romania, Spain, and Sweden.

Overall, Soft2Bet offers more than 12,500 games from hundreds of providers and conducts more than 1 million live events each year, with gaming features available in more than 20 languages for significant global reach and rapid scaling.

Soft2Bet has received numerous recognitions and awards from various industry leaders including EGR, SBC, SIGMA, and many others. Most recently, Soft2Bet received three major awards at the prestigious Global Gaming Awards EMEA 2025, including Executive of the Year (Poliavich), Platform Provider of the Year (Soft2Bet), and Product Launch of the Year (MEGA).

Fanatics Sportsbook Launches 5 Million FanCash Drop for College Basketball Post Season Featuring Jalen Rose

The most unpredictable time of the year is upon us and University of Michigan legend and “FAB 5” icon – Jalen Rose – will be encouraging sports fans to “Embrace the Chaos” with Fanatics Sportsbook. The integrated campaign, centered around a 5 million FanCash Drop, will consist of a series of :30 and :15 second spots.

The new digital campaign visually captures the power of the moment – with basketball courts breaking up to reveal a wormhole that causes nothing but chaos. Basketballs, scoreboards, and even college basketball legend, Jalen Rose – will get sucked into the wormhole. The commercial spots will feature Rose in a barber shop, on a jet heading to the championship game, and reminiscing about five friends from Michigan that revolutionized the college game.

For fans who place a $20 parlay on college basketball with Fanatics Sportsbook, Embrace the Chaos will bring them a share of 5 million FanCash–guaranteed. Beginning next week, customers who send us their parlay bet slips on social media can win a chance to travel to Texas to meet Jalen Rose and watch the championship game.

Fanatics Sportsbook Product Updates for the Tournament

Fanatics Sportsbook has upgraded its hub for college basketball so customers can find games now by region. In addition, Fanatics Sportsbook has an improved Live Betting experience with live stat tracking all in one place.

National Championship Odds

Here is a look at the Top 10 Men’s and Women’s college basketball teams by bet count in the National Championship outright market prior to the start of conference tournament weekend:

Be sure to follow us on X @FanaticsBook and on Instagram @FanaticsSportsbook for updates on the 5 million FanCash Drop and all the fun Jalen Rose content we have planned for the tournament. 

Defender Tobi Adewole, Forward Juan Carlos Obregón, Jr. Named to USL League One Team of the Week for Week 1

USL League One today announced that Westchester Soccer Club defender Tobi Adewole (Cheverly, Md.) and forward Juan Carlos Obregón, Jr. (New York, NY) have been named to the Team of the Week for the season’s inaugural weekend.

Adewole played a key role in holding Greenville to just one goal on Saturday through his 82% passing accuracy, seven duels won, six long passes completed, five clearances and two fouls won, while Obregón etched his name into the history books by converting a penalty in the first half, WSC’s first goal in their eventual 1-1 draw at Greenville SC. He won one penalty, completed 68% of his passes, tallied three recoveries, won three duels, completed two long passes and won two fouls as well.

“Saturday was a tough game against a very well coached and established club full of experience and quality on the pitch,’ said head coach Dave Carton. ‘Both Tobi and JC were outstanding in their roles, and it is great to see them honored by the league in our first match. The most pleasing aspect of our performance was how we grew into the game. I was encouraged by not only the physical output of the team, but also the mentality of our players showing their drive to get a more favorable result.”

The rest of the week one honor roll included: Coach – Darren Sawatzky (RIC), GK – Jason Smith (CHA), D – Jake Dengler (NAP), D – Tyler Polak (GVL), D – Maxi Schenfeld (RIC), M – Darwin Espinal (RIC), M – Chandler O’Dwyer (RIC), M – Nils Seufert (RIC), M – Sebastián Velásquez (GVL), F – Mason Tunbridge (TRM) and Bench: GK – Gunther Rankenburg (GVL), D – Simon Fitch (RIC), M – Hayden Anderson (RIC), M – Dakota Barnathan (RIC), M – Andrés Ferrín (NAP), M – Omar Hernandez (CHA), M – Niall Reid-Stephen (TRM)

WSC will next be in USL League One action on Saturday March 29th when they visit Texoma FC in Sherman, TX the second of four road matches to open their inaugural season, before their USL home opener on Sunday, April 27th against Rhode Island FC.

The full schedule is at https://www.westchestersc.com/

Telemundo Redefines Hispanic Sports News & Entertainment With “El Pelotazo” To Premiere March 10

Telemundo is set to redefine Hispanic sports entertainment with the launch of El Pelotazo, a dynamic and fast-paced late-night sports show premiering March 10 at midnight ET/PT. Airing live seven days a week, the new sports program offers the latest news and insightful analysis with special guests and an unconventional format designed to engage today’s Hispanic sports fans.
 

“We are proud to introduce El Pelotazo and offer our Hispanic audiences a new concept for sports entertainment—different from anything we’ve seen in Spanish-language television,” said Joaquin Duro, EVP, Sports, NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises. “With the growing influence of soccer in the U.S. and the pivotal role of the Latino community in the sports landscape, El Pelotazo will fill a void and become a must-watch, solidifying Telemundo as the go-to destination for sports coverage leading up to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.”
 

DYNAMIC HOSTS FOR A PERSONALITY-DRIVEN FORMAT

El Pelotazo will be hosted by an exciting trio of personalities: Verónica Rodríguez, Pablo Mariño, and Diego Arrioja, who bring their unique perspectives and high energy to the show. Together, they will cover the latest sports headlines from around the world, provide expert analysis, engage in lively debates and welcome special guests, including athletes and sports experts, to enhance and elevate the conversation. Below are short bios and here’s a link to the press site: https://publicity.gettyimages.com/telemundo/elpelotazo
 

  • Verónica Rodríguez – knowledgeable and versatile Mexican sports journalist and anchor with more than 15 years of experience. A familiar face at Telemundo, Rodríguez serves as a host of Liga MX’s Chivas de Guadalajara pre- and post-game show, enhancing the network’s Liga MX offering with complete around the game coverage, analysis, special reports and exclusive interviews.
  • Pablo Mariño – seasoned and insightful Argentine sports journalist with more than 25 years of experience in the industry. Mariño brings his deep sports knowledge and sharp analysis to the discussion having been a prominent voice in sports media serving as presenter and analyst for major networks in the U.S. and Latin America.
  • Diego Arrioja – experienced and dynamic Mexican sports journalist with over 14 years in the industry. Arrioja’s career spans multiple major sporting events, including three FIFA World Cups, NFL Super Bowls, and UEFA Euro, among others.


A NAME THAT SETS THE TONE

Like a pelotazo—the powerful strike of a ball—this show will deliver high-energy sports coverage infused with captivating storytelling and insightful analysis, feature innovative sports highlights, unconventional perspectives, and interactive segments that engage fans in fresh and unexpected ways. Notable segments include:


  • MINUTO DE FAMA: Celebrity guests share their passion for sports and discuss their favorite teams and moments.
  • !SE BUSCA!: A nostalgic look at legendary sports figures, tracking where they are now and what life looks like after the game.
  • MANO A MANO: Exclusive, never-before-heard stories from top athletes worldwide.


BOLD LOOK TO MATCH THE ENERGY

The show will debut with a look and branding designed specifically for El Pelotazo with cutting-edge technology and multiple vibrant positions that mirror the energy of the show. The set combines a bold brand with high-quality production to enhance the viewing experience with innovative graphics and immersive storytelling elements designed specifically for El Pelotazo. 

El Pelotazo is produced by Telemundo Deportes and will originate from its studio in Miami at Telemundo Center, a 500,000+ square-feet state-of-the-art production and broadcast facility second to none in the industry.

MULTIPLATFORM AND NATURALLY SOCIAL

El Pelotazo will extend beyond television with amplification of content, highlights and featured clips across social media platforms in real time and following its airing. In addition, due to its naturally social format, the show will integrate social media and encourage fan participation. Viewers can join the fun and follow the conversation on @TelemundoDeportes using #ElPelotazo and connect with the hosts @verolaguera, @diego__arrioja and @pablofmarino.