Bringing innovation to the game

With its origins traced back to ancient Greece and the Olympics, many of sport’s rules and structures are steeped in deep tradition. Change to such staples can be seen as a threat to the integrity or contradictory to what makes a game subjectively great. The first competitive sports included wrestling, throwing and running. Many new sports have been invented and, over time, they’ve earned a sacred place in the bodies, hearts and minds of many. But what happens when a massive disruptor comes into play?

While the COVID-19 pandemic emptied stadiums and cancelled games for a time, sport emerged not only as a signifier for where each nation stood in terms of its coronavirus crisis plan but also as a launchpad for new ideas, where communities and the sports business industry had no other option than to adapt. We saw stadiums retrofitted as vaccination and voting centers and installed with new technology to simulate fan noise and presence, and with the NBA bubble we witnessed experimental safety protocols and new standards on how to continue play.

So how does sport continue to evolve as the world becomes more interconnected through culture and technology? How can we embrace the footrace to solve critical issues communities and organizations alike are facing?

In continued partnership with the J. Orin Edson Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute, the Global Sport Institute offers a variety of funding tracks to award sport-related start-ups with the support needed to raise their ideas to the next level.

Our flagship track, the Global Sport Venture Challenge, is positioned to support those who are at a very early stage. Since it kicked off in 2017, we have rewarded a vast variety of ventures, including meal planning apps, wearable tech that measures performance, and sports equipment storage systems made from sustainable materials.

Our partnered tracks, the Sun Devil Athletics’ Venture Challenge and the Arizona Coyotes Venture Challenge, are bespoke to their respective organizations. Unique to these challenges is the built-in opportunity for real life application. Winners of these challenges are granted the ability to beta test within the respective facilities or by directly interacting with key contacts. Our hope is that with these joint efforts, we can help incubate effective solutions for now and in the future.

The saying goes that all design is redesign, but with our venture programming we aim to find true innovation that will make a positive impact for those who consume, play and work within sport.

“Though the past year has been challenging, we’ve seen a lot of creativity and resilience shine through from our ventures. They’ve adapted to the new norms by refining their pitches, embracing the digital world and becoming more efficient at virtually interacting with customers. We’ve seen improvements not only in the quantity and diversity of applicants for our programs but also in the quality of ideas. We’ve gained signifi cant interest from external organizations and have launched new partnership-driven initiatives for the next year. We’re excited about the value, resources and exposure that these partnerships will provide for our ventures.”

- Jeff Kunowski, Associate Director, Innovation Programs