Sports Video Group

Hotspur Labs, Tottenham Hotspur’s corporate venture programme, will co-host the Spurs² Hackathon with the San Antonio Spurs, ScorePlay, and TwelveLabs on October 22-23 at the University of Texas at Austin’s McCombs School of Business. The event runs alongside the McCombs Business of Sports Summit on October 23.

Participants will build on ScorePlay’s platform and open API and TwelveLabs’ video intelligence to address content challenges set by the two clubs. Challenge areas are: an Assisted Auto-Production Engine that uses live data, social media signals, and video AI to identify and create content from game assets with producer approval; and a Rights and Compliance tool that checks assets against league and regional rules, writes verdicts and reasoning to the asset, and shows what can be used, where, and for how long. A student team from UT McCombs will compete alongside visiting teams. Winners are selected by a panel of executives from both clubs, TwelveLabs, and ScorePlay.

“Sports organizations are producing more content than ever, but creating it is no longer the hardest part. The harder problem is knowing which moments matter, who they matter to, where they can be used, and getting them to fans while those moments still have value,” says Charlie Kurian, Director of Strategy and Innovation, San Antonio Spurs. “Spurs² gives us an opportunity to explore how AI can help us make more of the content we already create, working alongside Tottenham Hotspur on a challenge that increasingly matters across global sports.”

“Hotspur Labs was built to bring Tottenham Hotspur the best ideas and companies to solve real problems, not theoretical ones. Content and rights management are exactly that for us,” says Rob Pickering, Chief Technology Officer, Tottenham Hotspur. “Taking Hotspur Labs to Austin shows the kind of partnerships and opportunities we want this program to create.”

“Sports organizations have never captured more content, or had less time to use it,” says Victorien Tixier, Co-Founder and CEO, ScorePlay. “Spurs² puts real problems from two world-class organizations in front of people who can build the answers in two days.”

Hotspur Labs, Tottenham Hotspur’s corporate venture programme, will co-host the Spurs² Hackathon with the San Antonio Spurs, ScorePlay, and TwelveLabs on October 22-23 at the University of Texas at Austin’s McCombs School of Business. The event runs alongside the McCombs Business of Sports Summit on October 23.

Participants will build on ScorePlay’s platform and open API and TwelveLabs’ video intelligence to address content challenges set by the two clubs. Challenge areas are: an Assisted Auto-Production Engine that uses live data, social media signals, and video AI to identify and create content from game assets with producer approval; and a Rights and Compliance tool that checks assets against league and regional rules, writes verdicts and reasoning to the asset, and shows what can be used, where, and for how long. A student team from UT McCombs will compete alongside visiting teams. Winners are selected by a panel of executives from both clubs, TwelveLabs, and ScorePlay.

“Sports organizations are producing more content than ever, but creating it is no longer the hardest part. The harder problem is knowing which moments matter, who they matter to, where they can be used, and getting them to fans while those moments still have value,” says Charlie Kurian, Director of Strategy and Innovation, San Antonio Spurs. “Spurs² gives us an opportunity to explore how AI can help us make more of the content we already create, working alongside Tottenham Hotspur on a challenge that increasingly matters across global sports.”

“Hotspur Labs was built to bring Tottenham Hotspur the best ideas and companies to solve real problems, not theoretical ones. Content and rights management are exactly that for us,” says Rob Pickering, Chief Technology Officer, Tottenham Hotspur. “Taking Hotspur Labs to Austin shows the kind of partnerships and opportunities we want this program to create.”

“Sports organizations have never captured more content, or had less time to use it,” says Victorien Tixier, Co-Founder and CEO, ScorePlay. “Spurs² puts real problems from two world-class organizations in front of people who can build the answers in two days.”

Story Highlights

November 8, beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET (U.S.), ESPN2 will broadcast the blockbuster clash between Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur from the Etihad as the first Barclays Women’s Super League (BWSL) fixture to be shown live on an ESPN linear platform this season.

ESPN has reached an agreement with Women’s Professional Leagues Limited (WPLL) to become the home of the BWSL for the 2024/25 season in the United States. The agreement ensures that every fully produced (57) BWSL match will be broadcast on an ESPN platform, which means that sports fans in the U.S. can keep up with live action from the top tier of women’s football in England.

In addition, WPLL have extended their deal with ESPN to broadcast games in South America and the Caribbean.

In the U.S., most games will stream live exclusively on ESPN+, with a minimum of four fixtures simulcast on an ESPN linear platform this season, beginning with this Friday’s fixture (11/08) between Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur.

Play-by-play commentator Mark Donaldson and ESPN’s lead women’s soccer analyst Ali Krieger will commentate the Manchester City-Tottenham Hotspur match live on ESPN2 and ESPN+ (English). Coverage will include Alexis Nunes reporting live from the match Etihad Stadium in Manchester during pregame, half-time, and post-game segments. Additionally, ESPN Sur will produce the match in Spanish, so the game will also air in English and select matches in Spanish on ESPN+ in the United States.

Zarah Al-Kudcy, Chief Revenue Officer, WPLL, says: “We already know how big women’s football is in the US and interest for the BWSL is only growing. ESPN are a world-renowned and recognised broadcaster who will provide excellent visibility and we look forward to welcoming new and existing fans to the stories and matches from this season’s BWSL.”