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By David Ramsay
This newsletter hits your inbox next week with insights and news from the Sports Business Awards: Tech & Tech Week, which kicks off Tuesday in New York City, one day behind schedule. Let me know if you’ll be in town for the event. Nice to meet you.
Showcasing its prowess as a training and fitness brand is a big priority for Noble at this week’s NFL Scouting Combine, and the burgeoning apparel company has taken over sponsorship of the event, which begins tomorrow.
One of the highlights of the 25,000-square-foot athlete’s home built by Noble in the Indiana Convention Center adjacent to Lucas Oil Stadium is a recovery lounge with NFL partner Hypers using the latest technology along with PT tables, nutrition facilities and 85 pieces of equipment.
- Normatec 3 Legs and Normatec Go compression devices
- Hypervolt 2 Pro and Hypersphere massagers
- Vyper Go vibrating fitness rollers
- Venom 2 Back and Venom Leg Heat/Massage Wraps
- Zero gravity chairs
“If they need to do body work, if they need to adjust, they have a safe place to do that with their coaches and they don’t,” Noble CMO Todd Melleny said of the 300+ prospects in Indianapolis. To find another place near the place to do work.
The Hybrid Acquisition Lounge is the start of more tech-focused integrations for Noble, who will work again next week with Hypers, as well as Wip, to offer PGA Tour fans an immersive training experience at The Players Championship.
Before NFL prospects hit the field in Indy, they can loosen up at a training center connected to a rehab salon.
Complete with a 40-yard field, Noble’s training facility features treadmills, bikes, rowers, squat racks, dumbbell and kettlebell sets, resistance bands, medicine balls and foam rollers.
“In past years, the 40s have been warming up late at night in the hotel lobby and doing push-ups on the bench behind the curtain, and we really want these athletes to be at their best,” Mellany said of the NFL prospect’s training facility.
The combined experience includes a one-on-one, assistant-style fitting of Noble Gear’s promises to be worn only during the week, which is powered by Zebra Technologies’ RFID chips to track data.
“Make sure it fits right, make sure it looks good, feels good,” explained Meleni. “And they understand that they’re ready to go and how each piece of clothing is designed to perform for them on the field.” This includes getting the right amount of compression for their shorts and shirts, as well as fitting the right underwear based on their shape.
Forty future lockers will include a 5,000 square foot lake
The combined deal marks Noble’s third major league-level sponsorship after deals with the PGA Tour and CrossFit Games. This week, with the debut of the new NFL combine collection and the next generation of football stars for the league’s hardcore fans showing off their skills in Noble Gear, the Boston-based brand is sure to show off the top notch online experience. Dress style.
“It’s all about fit and high-quality materials, and that’s something we lean towards, especially when it comes to curling compressions and all of our online products are high-quality in terms of training,” says Meleni.
While athleisure has been a popular market trend in recent years, Noble has stuck to its roots in performance. “That’s why the NFL is interested in working with us, because we’re a training brand,” said Mellaney, who is interested in continually improving their product. “This is what we do.”
Attendance numbers are still being tallied for the Drone Racing League’s 2022-23 Algorand World Championship weekend in Miami, but the tech-centric outfit drew the largest crowd ever, with Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill participating in the “first flight” before. The racing action begins at LoanDepot Park, which is traditionally the home of the Marlins.
The NFL star sat down with DRL pilot Alex Vanover for a first-person view (FPV) of a drone flight through the stadium, a ceremony that the league hopes to make a new tradition with celebrities at competitions in future seasons.
Watch: Click the image to see Hill’s FPV drone experience
“The Dolphins and Marlins have seen this fan base ignite,” DRL President Rachel Jacobson said of the South Florida crowd. “And I think you’ll see us doing a lot with other leagues.”
The energy of the weekend is encouraging DRL to continue partnering with individuals with stick and ball pro sports properties. “We will continue to lean on key education to athletes, entertainers, celebrities and those who can be a part of our sport,” Jacobson said.
Beyond the high-profile Hill partnership, Lending Depot Park is filled with technology-driven activities by DRL partners.
- With a 5G-powered display, T-Mobile launched an XR experience that gave fans 3D views of the race course through smart glasses.
- Air Force Lets Fans Try Eco (Enhanced Cognitive Human Ops) Virtual Reality Experiment
- Algorand has provided fans with proof of NFT availability.
I can tell you that expectations are high for the entire SBJ Tech team ahead of the inaugural Sports Business Awards: Tech this coming Tuesday night at the Hard Rock Hotel in New York City.
One of the awards I was most excited about came during our election and I received it for Best Augmented Reality. We’ve rounded up our top five nominees for the most influential people in the creatively ripe space. I can’t wait to see who wins.
Two other categories that I’m particularly interested in are Technology Collaboration of the Year and Technology Executive of the Year. The companies and names featured on both fronts are some of the best the industry has to offer, and no doubt made for a tough decision for SBJ’s independent judges.
If you haven’t already done so and received in-person or virtual access to Tech Week, you can register to attend the awards show. Find more information here.
- I’m a big fan of Roku and its user-friendly streaming technology, so this piece from SBJ’s Tom Friend looking at the company’s sports strategy being enhanced by machine learning caught my attention.
Image Credits: Noble (Combine Facilities); DRL (Tike Hill)
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