This article was originally published on November 22nd, 2019.
Here is this week's dose of “5-Point Friday”. A weekly round-up of the sports news and stories that I find most interesting and enjoyable.
Soccer tech news I am interested in -
The Canadian Premier League (CPL), Canada’s top-flight soccer league, extended its partnership with STATS Perform in a move that creates a new free database for use by fans. The agreement with the artificial intelligence-driven (AI) sports data company includes the development of a new statistics platform called Centre Circle Data (CCD), which will feature CPL club and player match data via an email newsletter subscription.
Soccer story I am learning about -
Ten elite soccer clubs from across the globe have banded together to form a new group, called the Sport Innovation Alliance (SIA), aimed at tackling the challenges of digital transformation. Real Sociedad, Cagliari, Feyenoord, Legia Warsaw, Universidad Católica, Atlético Nacional, Vasco a Gama, Sporting Cristal, Atlético Peñarol and Al-Ittihad Jeddah will collaborate on projects designed to drive technological innovation.
Working across four pillars - technology, research, revenue growth, and collaboration - the SIA clubs will pool resources in a bid to address the limitations of their main sources of income as well as providing partners with a greater return on investment. These include finding digital transformation solutions and developing new technologies in areas such as artificial intelligence (AI), data, and blockchain.
Sports tech news I am interested in -
The LA Lakers launched a free-to-play prediction game called Lakers Fan Pick. Fans can play the game within the team’s mobile app and potentially win prizes for correctly predicting outcomes throughout games.
Snowboarding news that's disappointing -
Jake Burton Carpenter, the snowboarding pioneer and founder of Burton Snowboards, passed away from complications related to cancer, aged 65.
Women's soccer news I am following -
The Association of Women's players (AFE) has confirmed a strike by players in Spain's top division has ended after securing an agreement to reopen negotiations about pay. "After the success of the strike, an agreement has been reached to work on the proposal," said the AFE.
Almost 200 players from 16 clubs voted to strike in October after more than a year of failed negotiations.
They are demanding a professional agreement that regulates minimum working conditions, rights to minimum wages, and measures for maternity. Players are demanding part-time salaries be worth a minimum of 12,000 euros ($13,297), which is 75% of the minimum size for full-time contracts.
Have a wonderful weekend, all!
Jonathan