MLB and Jomboy Media forge strategic partnership

Major League Baseball and Jomboy Media have agreed on a strategic partnership that will see the two sides integrate Jomboy Media’s expertise across MLB’s digital channels, create activations around key MLB tentpole moments like the MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard and T-Mobile Home Run Derby, and grow Jomboy Media’s stable of intellectual property (IP) including Talkin’ Baseball, Talkin’ Yanks, and The Warehouse Games.

As part of the deal, MLB is purchasing a stake in Jomboy Media at an undisclosed valuation. Jomboy Media is in the midst of tremendous growth. In 2024, Jomboy Media set revenue and profitability records, and totaled over 93 million engagements on social media — placing JM in the top 4% of all digital publishers. Over the last year, the company has reached brand partnership deals with official MLB partners Corona and T-Mobile.

Jomboy Media’s original IP strategy is led by The Warehouse Games—a novel sports league modeled after backyard games of years past—and supported by blue-chip sponsors like DirecTV. Going forward, MLB will work with Jomboy Media to have MLB stars, as well as their media and celebrity partners, appear in The Warehouse Games. The Warehouse Games is nearing 400 million all-time views and enjoyed +63% year-over-year growth in the first quarter of 2025.

Jomboy Media will also gain access to MLB and Club IP, to be integrated across new apparel, home goods, and more that will be sold through JM’s direct-to-customer retail site as well as other distribution channels.

Jomboy Media has engaged casual and die-hard baseball fans alike with an intense love of the game from the authentic view of a passionate fan. MLB has the capability to provide resources to help Jomboy Media grow even further while continuing to celebrate the game and its outstanding players.

“I continue to be amazed by what our community enables us to do through their endless support. When we started talking about baseball on the internet, it was just a fun hobby. Our community is the reason we’ve been able to turn this from ‘just a hobby,’ into something bigger than we ever could’ve imagined. Partnering with MLB marks a huge moment for Jomboy Media, and through this partnership, we’ll be able to give back to our community with storytelling that’s deeper than ever before,” said Jimmy “Jomboy” O’Brien, founder of Jomboy Media.

“We have long admired the passionate fandom of Jimmy O’Brien and his unique ability to connect with baseball fans,” said Noah Garden, MLB Deputy Commissioner, Business and Media. “This partnership will ensure that Jomboy Media will have the resources and access to MLB intellectual property necessary to help it continue to grow. We are looking forward to bringing baseball fans more entertaining content to help further expand baseball’s online presence and deeper the connection between our sport and its fans.”

“This partnership with MLB is a major milestone for Jomboy Media,” said Courtney Hirsch, Jomboy Media CEO. “We’ve always believed that deep storytelling and our unique approach to content and community can grow the game—and now we’re excited to do that alongside the league itself. This collaboration gives us the opportunity to scale what we do best and reach more fans than ever.”

“We love baseball so much, it’s a dream to partner with MLB and we can’t wait to see what’s next,” said Jake Storiale, co-founder of Jomboy Media.

In March, Jomboy Media announced that longtime executive Courtney Hirsch was elevated to CEO. Hirsch had previously served as Jomboy Media’s COO, and during her tenure as the highest-ranking business executive at the company, Jomboy Media doubled revenue and tripled profitability.

The partnership was the result of months of close collaboration between MLB and Jomboy Media, led on JM’s side by Hirsch. Board members Jack Davis and Adam Friedman of Connect Ventures also played key roles in guiding strategic conversations.

Hirsch’s role as CEO runs parallel to co-founders Jimmy “Jomboy” O’Brien and Jake Storiale’s, who focus on a wide range of formats for both traditional broadcast and social media content. O’Brien, Hirsch, and Storiale will all be working closely with MLB across the partnership.

Spectatr.ai Founder: For Content, Time Has Made All the Difference

In conversation with Spectatr.ai Co-Founder Richa Singh and Chief Business Officer, Shifa Garg

Sport needs technology more than ever to meet the demands of fans and brands, but most of us would agree that sport is not the most advanced sector when it comes to innovation. 

And that’s especially true of smaller and emerging properties that lack the resources and bandwidth to be on the cutting edge. The good news is that advances over the past few years mean that relative slowness can work to their advantage. 

The area of content production is a good case in point.  

“Sports organisations are not always the most advanced in adapting new technology, and their understanding of how the cost of tech is changing can also be off the pace,” says Richa Singh, who co-founded Spectatr.ai in 2022. “I could see at the time that many people were still thinking in terms of what costs were five or more years earlier, when in fact they have plummeted. For example, the cost of 100 gigabytes of content storage has fallen twenty-fold.”

“But the change over the past few years has not only been about lower costs. Technology has leaped ahead. No one was even thinking about AI in 2017 and AI changes everything. Our company is all about AI. That is our point of differentiation.”

AI means greater speed. Spectatr.ai can deliver 300 clips per match with a 90% reduction in the time required. And of course there’s the cost thing. It’s touting a 60% reduction in costs from legacy workflows.

That is only the start of the journey. 

Singh says, “Our whole tech stack is built around AI. And we are very vertically integrated from archive management all the way down to the app. AI-based auto-tagging enables us to search, discover and share digital content in real-time across multiple platforms, whether it’s live or archived. This means that we can deliver greater personalization of content on the way to real hyper-personalization.”

Spectatr.ai also has another point of differentiation. It’s an enterprise with women in most of the top roles. That makes for a lot of positive energy in the working environment, says Singh, who was a swimmer on the Indian national team as well as an academic high-flier. She was bitten by the tech bug while working in high-end finance for Capital One. She and her co-founder Rishabh Bhansali won backing from Sequoia, Alpha Wave and InfoEdge ventures for the launch three years ago.

“Our core value proposition is around video content – whether it’s identifying the most buzz worthy key moments, or identifying whether a sponsor was most visible, we leverage AI to solve multiple use cases for Rights Holders when it comes to content.” says Shifa Garg, the company’s Chief Business Officer. “There is a lot of buzz around AI agents in the market this year and while its early days, we’re already leading the charge when it comes to Agent-led hyper personalization. With our core offering around AI-enabled content clipping and tagging engine, we’re taking fan engagement one notch higher with our agentic workflows.”

In the real-time content area Spectatr.ai has an exciting new client in the Northern Super League of women’s soccer in Canada, which kicked off its inaugural season last month. Spectatr.ai will be serving NSL’s multi-year partner CBC/Radio-Canada and TSN/RDS plus ESPN across the border. The company also recently added a content deal with Table Tennis England. 

On the agentic side, the team at Spectatr.ai  will be powering the launch of a fully automated AI Agent for an NFL fantasy community in the U.S. ahead of the coming NFL season.

Spectatr.ai is expecting to announce new deals in the U.S. and there’s activity in Australia in the pipeline.

Gazing into her crystal ball, Singh sees IP in sport undergoing big changes in the coming years with growing opportunities for new entrants, like influencers. “I think sport is where music was eight or 10 years ago. Models are changing. As technology has progressed and will continue to change.”

Bell Media and PGA TOUR Extend Media Rights with New Multi-Year Agreement

As the 2025 RBC CANADIAN OPEN heads into the weekend rounds live from TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley, Bell Media and the PGA TOUR announced a multi-year broadcast extension, ensuring continued coverage of the PGA TOUR’s marquee golf events across TSN, RDS, and CTV. The new agreement includes rights to a multitude of marquee events, including:

  • All final rounds of PGA TOUR tournaments, including the FEDEXCUP PLAYOFFS
  • THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP
  • Complete live coverage of THE PRESIDENTS CUP in 2026, 2028, and 2030
  • PGA TOUR LIVE feeds, delivering live coverage of Featured Groups and Featured Holes from all four rounds of PGA TOUR events throughout the season

This extended agreement with PGA TOUR complements TSN’s extensive live coverage of all four golf Majors, including THE MASTERS, U.S. OPEN, the OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP, and PGA CHAMPIONSHIP, and continues to position TSN as the Canadian home of the sport’s most prestigious events.

“This extended agreement expands and builds upon our successful partnership with the PGA TOUR, and underscores TSN’s commitment to delivering premier golf content to our subscribers,” said Shawn Redmond, VP, Bell Media Sports.

“We’ll have even more thrilling moments and in-depth coverage for golf fans across the country.” “We are pleased to extend our partnership with Bell Media, a longtime partner of the PGA TOUR and passionate supporter of Canadian golf,” said Thierry Pascal, Senior Vice President, International Media.

“We’re eager to build upon our two-plus decade relationship with Bell Media as we continue to enhance PGA TOUR broadcasts for the enjoyment of fans watching from home.”

The extended agreement provides fans with comprehensive coverage in both English and French across Bell Media’s national television feeds and digital platforms, including live tournament action, insightful pre- and post-round analysis, and more. PGA TOUR action on the networks continues this week with comprehensive coverage of the 2025 RBC CANADIAN OPEN, live from TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley in Caledon, Ont. TSN delivers live coverage of all four rounds, with weekend coverage also available on CTV2, and exclusive feeds from PGA TOUR LIVE streaming on TSN+.

Gary Neville – Banning the media harms Forest’s reputation

In this Member Insights piece, David Alexander, the founder and MD of Calacus PR pens down Gary Neville’s evolution from a breath of fresh air as a pundit in 2011 to a figure often at the heart of controversy highlights the growing tensions between media freedom and club interests in modern football.

When Gary Neville became a pundit for Sky Sports in 2011, he was a breath of fresh air, offering insight and opinion not seen in football broadcasting before.

After a brief and disastrous spell as coach of Valencia, he made his return to Sky Sports and has regularly set the football narrative agenda – for better or for worse.

His punditry has become predictable in recent years, with club biases tainting his performances behind the microphone and leading to criticism from fans and journalists alike.

When Nottingham Forest banned Neville from attending their final crucial Premier League match against Chelsea at the City Ground, it sparked waves of criticism and sparked debate about the importance of editorial independence.

It’s not the first time sports clubs have banned the media. 

In the past decade or so, Swindon Town banned its local newspaper, the Advertiser, at the request of its chairman, Lee Power, while Newcastle banned their local newspaper and threatened legal action, a decision which even prompted debate in Parliament.

Former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson boycotted the BBC between 2004 and 2011 after allegations made against Jason Ferguson, his son, in a TV documentary and the club also banned selected journalists in 2023 over the way then-manager Erik ten Hag’s press conferences were being reported. 

Forest have previous as well, having banned The Guardian and The Observer after reporter Daniel Taylor did not file a match report for a game six months previously.

Where Neville is concerned, the controversy began after Forest’s 2-2 draw with Leicester City on May 11, when striker Taiwo Awoniyi suffered a bad injury. 

Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis confronted manager Nuno Espírito Santo on the pitch, appearing frustrated that his side had drawn against already-relegated Leicester City, a result which would severely hamper their chances of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League. 

Commentating for Sky Sports, Neville criticsed Marinakis’s actions and said: “What the Forest owner has just done on the pitch over at the City Ground is absolutely scandalous.

“If I was Nuno, I’d be going and having a very strong word with him, because that is an absolute scandal.

“He’s just qualified them for a European competition, and from where that club’s been, and to be remonstrated with on that pitch in front of the club’s fans is an absolute joke.” Neville went on to suggest that Nuno should negotiate his departure from the club.

Forest put out their own statement, accusing Neville of spreading “fake news” and claiming that Marinakis was focused on player welfare when he entered the pitch and that any other interpretation of events was “ill informed outrage for the purposes of personal social media traction.” The club also emphasised their commitment to the mental and physical well-being of their players and staff. 

It’s not the first time Neville has criticised Forest. Sky had to apologise in July for “any offence caused” after he accused the club of acting like a “mafia gang” after their 2-0 loss at Everton in April 2024.

When it came to that final Premier League game, Forest denied Neville accreditation, leading Sky Sports to alter their broadcast plans and present their coverage from their London studios.

Sky Sports reaffirmed their support for Neville and adjusting their coverage accordingly and said: Sky said in a statement: “Earlier this week, Sky Sports confirmed its first pick for the last day of the Premier League season which was Nottingham Forest v Chelsea. Gary Neville was confirmed to co-commentate live from the City Ground.

“Sky Sports was subsequently informed by Nottingham Forest that Gary Neville would be denied accreditation to the match. This was an unprecedented and unwelcome step.

“As a result, Sky Sports has decided to revise its production plans and has taken the decision to present the game from Sky Studios in west London. As he was no longer able to commentate from the ground, Gary has chosen to not be part of the coverage on Sunday — a decision fully supported by Sky. Sky will continue to have a commentary team at the ground.”

Neville expressed disappointment over the ban, describing it as “unprecedented” in his 14-year broadcasting career. He stated on Instagram: “Personally, I think it’s disappointing that a great club like Nottingham Forest have been reduced to making such a decision.

“I’ve dished out my fair share of criticism and praise in the last 14 years of doing this job and have never come close to this unprecedented action.

“Whilst they have every right to choose who they let into their own stadium, it’s symptomatic of things that have happened over the last 12 months with the club.

“I wish the coaching staff, players and fans of the club all the best in their quest to achieve Champions League football.”

Neville has a huge social media following of almost six million, giving him a huge platform to set the agenda. His measured statement very much put Forest on the back foot, and unable to respond without appearing even more retaliatory. His proactive approach gave him the high ground, even amongst his detractors.

The Premier League also expressed concern, engaging in discussions with broadcasters to address the implications of such actions on media access and rights agreements.

Those comments could have struck a nerve with Marinakis who was accused of match-fixing and inciting hooligans and claimed to be the target of a smear campaign back in his Greek homeland.

Given that Sky have paid billions for the rights to show Premier League football, excluding members of their presentation team whose views or narrative are not sympathetic to a specific club sets a worrying precedent, potentially leading to a culture where only favourable coverage is permitted, stifling constructive criticism and accountability.

The decision by Forest to ban Neville highlights the delicate balance between protecting a club’s image and upholding journalistic freedom. 

Forest broke no Premier League rules by banning Neville, but excluding critical voices gives the impression of censorship and a lack of confidence.

It’s likely that future broadcasting agreements include clauses that prevent clubs from picking and choosing who they allow to cover their matches and a review by the Premier League seems likely ahead of next season. 

In the short term, Sky could reduce the number of times it broadcasts Forest games, which would have financial implications for the club. 

While clubs may disagree with media portrayals, open dialogue and mutual respect are essential for the integrity of the sport and journalism in general. 

Suppressing dissenting voices not only damages relationships with broadcasters but also risks alienating fans who rely on diverse perspectives to engage with the game.

For communications support and information, please contact Calacus via info@calacus.com

Beyond the Grandstands: Today’s Motorsports Events Call for More Modern Ticketing

Ticketing isn’t just logistics anymore. As fan expectations rise, the best races treat it as the kickoff to race day.

‍Motorsports events today are full-scale experiences that go beyond high-speed action. From trackside suites and all-inclusive hospitality to onsite camping, live concerts, and exclusive paddock tours, race weekends are offering fans access to more than ever before.

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As the motorsports industry grows, expectations around ticketing, access, and fan experience design are evolving just as fast. Ticketing is no longer just a point of sale. It’s the gateway to a fan’s entire weekend.

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For tracks and race organizers, that shift unlocks new opportunities: more revenue, better fan data, and greater control over how the experience is sold and delivered. But delivering on that promise requires a platform built for flexibility. When outdated systems can’t keep pace, fans feel the friction—and so do the teams behind the scenes.

Designing for Today’s Race Fans

Expectations around race weekends are evolving. Influenced by industries like sports, live music, and travel, fans now look for more customizable, seamless experiences—from the moment they buy a ticket to the final lap.

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That means giving them tools to shape their weekend: picking the perfect seats, choosing upgrade options, and managing plans on their terms. Ticketing is no longer just a transaction—it’s the first touchpoint, and often a key part of the overall fan journey.

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Here’s what fans increasingly look for in a modern ticketing experience:

  • Transparent pricing across all offerings—GA, reserved, hospitality, add-ons
  • Variety of offerings like pit passes, paddock tours, camping, parking, and post-race events
  • On-brand experience from event page to ticket wallet that reflects the event’s identity
  • Interactive reserved seating that reflects the real layout of the venue, from grandstands to infield suites
  • Mobile-optimized purchase flow that’s easy to navigate anywhere, anytime
  • Post-purchase flexibility to transfer tickets, add extras, or upgrade with ease

When done right, modern ticketing gives fans control and confidence—which leads to higher conversions, increased spend, and longer-term loyalty.

How Top Tracks Power the Whole Experience

The best motorsports events aren’t using one-size-fits-all platforms. They’re embracing flexible ticketing systems that support complex programming, multiple touchpoints, and high fan expectations.

World Wide Technology Raceway

For the INDYCAR Bommarito 500 Weekend, WWT Raceway built a multi-day experience through Tixr with:

  • Reserved grandstand seating with price levels
  • Parking, camping, and infield hospitality
  • Structured Race Sherpa Paddock Tours by time slot
  • Add-ons like Premium Pit Passes, and Paddock Access
  • Waitlists to capture demand in real-time

NHL inks global multi-year deal with Sony

Sony and the National Hockey League (NHL) have announced a new multiyear global technology partnership naming Sony an Official NHL Technology Partner.

The NHL and Sony will work together to evolve the NHL experience for fans, as well as NHL coaches, officials, players and broadcasters, by increasing Sony’s Beyond Sports’ production of NHL animated data visualizations, broadening usage of Sony’s Hawk-Eye measuring and tracking technologies, and investing in various Sony products and technologies that will bring NHL fans closer to the game than ever before.

“Partnering with Sony, a best-in-class industry leader, will help further the goals of our technology efforts to engage passionate NHL fans around the globe,” said David Lehanski, NHL Executive Vice President, Business Development & Innovation. “Advancing the development and implementation of technology on and off the ice is a key priority for the League, and this partnership will highlight the impact of Sony’s groundbreaking work in several of our key initiatives, such as NHL EDGE Puck & Player Tracking and animated programming, to bring fans closer to our great game and showcase the NHL as a worldwide technology leader.”

“Our partnership with the NHL is more than a collaboration — it’s a shared commitment to innovation, creativity, and cutting-edge technology,” commented Sander J. Schouten, Managing Director, Beyond Sports, a Sony Group company. “We’ve pushed the boundaries of what’s possible in sport tech, delivering exciting, data-driven innovations that are not only redefining how sport is consumed but together, with Sony’s sports businesses, are establishing new benchmarks for the entire industry.”

“From imaging and broadcast to some of the world’s most advanced data visualization and tracking innovations, Sony remains committed to helping create the future of sports through technology,” says Theresa Alesso, President, Imaging Products and Solutions Americas, Sony Electronics. “This partnership builds upon a successful history of collaborations between the NHL and Sony, and we are excited to reinforce our commitment to the game, fans, and players.”

The NHL has used Sony’s Hawk-Eye technology since 2015 with Synchronized Multi-Angle Replay Technology (SMART) services installed in all 32 NHL arenas to help provide the speed and accuracy the NHL requires for its replay reviews and coaches’ challenges; with later enhancements supporting team medical, and player health and safety reviews. Data collected via optical tracking cameras is also integral to the creation of live NHL animated data visualizations, post-production content and replay technology, and will be featured in future experiences in development involving mobile apps and XR. Sony’s Hawk-Eye will continue to expand technology innovation and support the creation and delivery of more immersive NHL content.

The NHL and Sony’s Beyond Sports first collaborated in 2018 on multiple projects to explore opportunities built on NHL EDGE (Puck & Player Tracking) positional data. Sony’s Beyond Sports’ animated data visualization expertise has played a key role for the NHL in transforming its data into a powerful fan engagement driver, delivering new IP-driven content — from the NHL Big City Greens Classic, a Sports Emmy-nominated animated broadcast presentation and Tommy Hawk’s Birthday Party, the first-ever regional animated real-time sports animated broadcast presentation, to more serialized animated programming, such as NHL HOCKEYVERSE Matchup of the Week. Sony’s Beyond Sports’ work also led to immersive digital activations, such as NHL Blast on Roblox, which drew over one million unique users in its first month in April 2023. These initiatives have expanded the League’s reach among younger audiences and set new standards for sports data integration.

Sony cameras and production equipment have been a prominent fixture in the NHL through broadcast and sports photography and are regularly trusted by NHL Clubs and broadcast partners to capture the most defining moments of the game. NHL Clubs rely on Sony technology to process and deliver the best camera angles in real-time to millions of NHL fans.

IMG Lands UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 on Sport 24

IMG, a leading global sports marketing agency announced it has secured the rights to broadcast the UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 competition on Sport 24, the first and only live sports channel available on airlines and cruise ships around the world. The agreement grants exclusive live rights to broadcast the tournament globally on Sport 24’s channels.

Taking place in Switzerland between 2nd – 27th July 2025, the UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 marks the 14th edition of the tournament. It will see England’s Lionesses return to defend their crown after a historic triumph in 2022, while Poland and Wales will make much-anticipated appearances in their tournament debuts.

The tournament joins a packed schedule of live sport on Sport 24’s channels this Summer, alongside the Wimbledon Championships, The Open, and Formula 1. It is also the latest addition to Sport 24’s extensive live football coverage, which includes the FIFA World Cup 26™, Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Nations League, and the AFC Asian Cup.

It follows the hugely successful coverage of the UEFA EURO 2024 competition and UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 on Sport 24’s channels.

Richard Wise, SVP, Content and Channels, IMG, said: “This Summer is set to be another fantastic season of sport on our channels, where passengers can enjoy world-class football, tennis and golf, among so much more. Football continues to rank among our most-watched competitions and we expect UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 will be no different, as passengers around the world tune in to root for their favourite teams and players.”

Guy-Laurent Epstein, UEFA’s Director of Marketing, commented: “We are very pleased to continue our partnership with IMG as the home of the upcoming UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 across airlines and cruise ships around the world. Passengers will be offered an extensive and excellent coverage of UEFA Women’s Euro 2025, with matches broadcast live on Sport 24’s channels”

Sport 24 is owned, operated and licensed by IMG. It can be watched on multiple carriers including Etihad Airways, Emirates, Turkish Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Carnival Group, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Norwegian Cruise Line and Fred Olsen.

Salesforce and LIV Golf team up to elevate fan & player experiences with Agentforce

Salesforce and LIV Golf, have announced a strategic partnership that brings Agentforce, Salesforce’s digital labor platform, to the groundbreaking global golf league. This collaboration will help LIV Golf scale its global business infrastructure and operations with intelligent, autonomous AI agents to amplify fan engagement, player experience, and broadcast innovation.

Fueling a New Standard in Sport with Agentforce

Leveraging the full power of Salesforce, which brings together apps, data, agents and metadata in a single, deeply unified platform—LIV Golf will embed secure, trusted AI technology to:

  • Supercharge Fan Engagement | Introducing The Fan Caddie powered by Agentforce
    With a shared vision to push the boundaries of sport and technology while serving LIV Golf’s vibrant/growing global fanbase, Salesforce and Agentforce will deliver dynamic, real-time LIV Golf updates tailored to each fan’s journey–curating content, highlights, and tournament experiences based on location, preferences, and behaviors. For example, the Fan Caddie will provide golf enthusiasts an immersive second screen experience within the LIV mobile app where they will receive shot-by-shot breakdowns, real-time updates on player stats and standings, support with ticket and merchandise requests, and recommended content that best aligns with the fan’s personal preferences.
  • Enhancing Golf Broadcasts and Digital Content in Real Time | The Agent Caddie powered by Salesforce
    Agent Caddie will deliver predictive shot outcomes, optimal golf strategies, contextual stats, and narrative cues directly in LIV Golf broadcasts – enabling richer, more data-driven live coverage.
  • Optimize Tournament Operations and Sponsorship
    From equipment logistics to staff coordination, Agentforce will optimize the operational engine behind LIV Golf events, helping to make every tournament smarter, faster, and more responsive. With limitless digital labor, LIV Golf and its partners will unlock new commercial opportunities through advanced audience segmentation, smarter sponsorship alignment, and real-time impact reporting.
  • Elevate Global Expansion Efforts
    With events spanning the globe, Agentforce will help LIV Golf scale smarter by coordinating international operations, localizing fan engagement, and surfacing insights to drive global growth.
  • Empower Player Experience On and Off the Course
    LIV Golf and Salesforce are also exploring how Agentforce can support players directly, such as assisting with personalized wellness tracking, and providing real-time performance insights and recommendations.

“LIV Golf is reimagining what the future of sport can be, and with Agentforce, we’re helping bring that vision to life,” said Ariel Kelman, Chief Marketing Officer, Salesforce. “The Fan Caddie, an immersive second screen experience, will offer fans deeply personalized content, experiences, and recommendations. The Agent Caddie agent will enhance the broadcast, providing rich, predictive insights directly to fans and commentators.”

“At LIV Golf, innovation drives everything we do — from the fan experience to the way we support our players and grow the game,” said Denise Taylor, Head of Product and Technology, LIV Golf. “Our partnership with Salesforce marks a major step forward. With Agentforce, we’re bringing the power of AI technology to the forefront of sport, creating a more connected and engaged future for our fans, players, and the fantastic game of golf.”

“We are excited about a long, impactful future ahead for LIV Golf, buoyed by our ability to welcome and engage a broader, more diverse global audience,” said Bryson DeChambeau, Crushers GCCaptain. “We are proud to welcome Salesforce into our growing family of partners, who will help us reimagine and amplify the golf experience through our shared goals of making the game more connected, inclusive and innovative.”

Capgemini becomes an Official Partner of the Tour de France

Capgemini announced that it has become the Official Technology Partner, for the next 5 years, of 14 cycling races, including the world-renowned Tour de France, to help drive innovation in professional cycling. Together, they will leverage technology, innovation and artificial intelligence (AI) to grow the cycling community, engage fans all over the world and bring cycling into people’s lives.

This agreement, that goes beyond the Tour de France and the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, will see Capgemini support a series of international cycling events, that include both men’s races – such as La Vuelta, Paris-Nice, Critérium du Dauphiné, Paris-Roubaix, Paris-Tours, La Flèche Wallonne, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, the Tro Bro Leon, and the women’s races of La Vuelta Femenina by Carrefour.es, Paris-Roubaix Femmes avec Zwift, La Flèche Wallonne Femmes, Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes.

As part of this new global long-term partnership, Capgemini is the Official Technology Partner of each of these events, bringing its deep expertise in digital innovation, technology and AI into the professional cycling field. Over the next five years, Capgemini will support these top cycling events in realizing their technology roadmap, delivering cutting-edge technological solutions aimed at enhancing performance insights, supporting international audiences and engaging fans, from casual enthusiasts to amateur cyclists. In 2024, the Tour de France reached more than 1 billion TV viewed hours in 190 countries and broke digital records with nearly 100 million website visits and 1.6 billion impressions on social media.

With this partnership, Capgemini extends its sports sponsorship portfolio that focuses on bringing the breadth of the Group’s capabilities to enhance leading global events with technological innovation, high performance and team spirit at the heart. As a global company based in 50 countries, with well-established operations across regions that have a strong cycling fanbase such as Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, UK, and USA, Capgemini will promote the fourteen cycling races internationally.

“At Capgemini, we are proud to partner with 14 iconic global sports competitions including the world-famous Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. Each embody the driving principles of precision, endurance, high performance and teamwork – attributes that we, at Capgemini, live by every day,” said Aiman Ezzat, Chief Executive Officer of Capgemini. “This partnership reflects our commitment to bringing the Group’s breadth of expertise and capabilities to enhance the future of sport through cutting-edge innovation, data-led insights and an augmented fan experience.”

“We are very proud to launch this long-term partnership with Capgemini, leader in technology and innovation. This strategic partnership will help to promote and accelerate our digital ambitions for the Tour de France and all A.S.O. Cycling events around the world. New digital solutions will help to further enhance the Fan experience and engage new communities with innovative and upgraded features and services,” says Yann Le Moënner, A.S.O. Managing Director.

How digital disruption in sports streaming is increasing reach – and influence

As technology continues to give more potential to more people, its rights-holders who need to be aware that older platforms are giving new opportunities to disrupters to show matches and races online. In this Member’s Insight piece, Arc & Foundry’s director David Granger writes how digital disruption in sports streaming is increasing reach.


The effects of new technology on sport has now reached what will be known as the blink-and-you-miss-the-bandwagon phase.

Every day there are not only stories of new tech in action, but there is new tech itself. What will be interesting is what established media rights-holders and activation wranglers will have to adopt in order to survive, let along thrive.

This month the two tales which rose to the top of the newsfeed concerned brand ambassadors (Lewis Hamilton and AI search) and broadcasting rights (French rugby streaming on YouTube).

Both are of interest as they represent a shift in power from the old guard and a potential new vanguard for those individuals with a handle on technology innovation. That’s individuals, rather than corporations or federations.

This broad trend is a redefinition of broadcasting and sponsorship, placing individuals at the helm.

The streaming. Tim Cocke is a former BT Sport rugby reporter turned entrepreneur. He has successfully acquired UK and Ireland streaming rights for France’s second-tier rugby competition, Pro D2… and decided to broadcast matches free on YouTube.

The FR-UK Rugby channel’s debut broadcast was the match between Provence Rugby and. Soyaux Anglouéme and managed to hit more than 20,000 views (no doubt helped by the fact that analysis came from former England international Joe Worsley). It demonstrates a decent number of fans wanting to watch French rugby. In Britain.

By bypassing the traditional subscription model, Cocker is (and it’s a word which is often over-used, but in this case is true) disrupting the status quo. There are other examples, such as Brazil’s CazéTV which shows football on a service run by a streamer which shows big games to its South American audience. And presumably anyone with a decent VPN.

Clearly there is an appetite for watching even less-that-top-tier rugby, at a time some premier clubs in England have faced a tough time balancing their books. It’s one for the traditional broadcasters and the traditional broadcast model to be aware of if not wary of.

The second story concerned Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton. His most recent endorsement has come from Perplexity, the interestingly named search engine. But a search engine which uses AI to tailor responses (arguably that’s what search engines, so… but this is about sport, not semantics).

The fact that a Formula One driver of Hamilton’s age and experience is considered a fitting ambassador for a major software enterprise is no indictment on other drivers, he is probably the most distinguished and distinctive racer on the grid. Tech is also moving in on F1 in a big way – Google with McLaren, Atlassian for Williams Racing, and Salesforce for the whole of F1. It’s clearly a good fit: the sport is based in large part around technical innovation

Both Cocker and Hamilton, FR-UK Rugby and Perplexity represent a shift in perspective for sport in 2025. And both are examples of a trend which is only going to gather pace and momentum as digital technology continues to affect the consumption and funding at every level.

We are only going to see more grass-roots channels support live sport and artificial intelligence have more influence – either through sponsorship or spectating. What is going to be fascinating is how mainstream broadcasters react.

David Granger is a director of Arc & Foundry content marketing agency.