Technology & AI
Tracking the digital transformation of the sporting goods value chain—from smart manufacturing and generative design to AI-driven retail and consumer engagement.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Retailers reclaim checkout from ChatGPT
Walmart conversion inside ChatGPT ran 3x lower than click-through. OpenAI pivots to discovery-first; retailers keep checkout control.
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Sport 2000 CEOs on AI in retail
Sport 2000’s CEOs Margit Gosau and Irina Andorfer discuss how AI assistants are shifting retail from search-based discovery to conversation-driven commerce.
Ahotu partners with URUNN to close the race-to-training gap
Ahotu’s race finder feeds into URUNN, the running app from Olympic champion Mo Farah, turning a race pick into a personal plan.
After ad-business recovery, X introduces card payments
Sport has gotten X back in with advertisers. X Money is a different story.
Runna pairs coach expertise with academic research
The Strava-owned app is using an academic partnership to differentiate its coaching from automated rivals.
Closing the distance: inside LTP’s clubhouse in Saigon
LTP Group has opened a dedicated development space in Ho Chi Minh City that compresses performance apparel sampling from months to fourteen days.
Inside ANNI: How ANWR Group built AI to serve its retailers
Michaela Brehm explains how ANNI turns ANWR Group’s founding mission, supporting its retailers, into a working AI platform.
Worldly appoints Senior VP of Growth
On Aug. 11 Worldly appointed Léyoh Goodall Senior Vice President of Growth, tasking her with aligning the supply-chain platform’s commercial and customer teams around “verified data” – rather than “estimates or averages” – in an era of “tariff pressure, tightening regulation, and multi-tier complexity.”
Prediction markets carve into the sports rights pie
Prediction markets are entering sports rights. Same package. New buyer.
Trail-running app RacePace builds prep on race history
The update pulls a runner’s full ITRA history into prep, not just fitness data - sharper plans for those returning from a break.
Fanatics brings some financial plumbing in house
Better known for jerseys and memorabilia, Fanatics is acquiring the exchange and clearinghouse behind its prediction markets.
France blocks Polymarket, spares rival Kalshi
France, Spain, Brazil and Australia are drawing different lines around Polymarket and Kalshi, exposing regulatory fragmentation.
Media firm Versant buys simulator firm Full Swing
Versant Media, parent of Golf Channel, pays $530 million for Full Swing, the tech behind TGL and Tiger Woods’ at-home simulator.
Prediction markets – The legal war
A federal appeals court backed Kalshi in April, but Ohio, Nevada and Massachusetts have sided with states seeking to ban it.
Tech & Retail
After ad-business recovery, X introduces card payments
Sport has gotten X back in with advertisers. X Money is a different story.
Inside ANNI: How ANWR Group built AI to serve its retailers
Michaela Brehm explains how ANNI turns ANWR Group’s founding mission, supporting its retailers, into a working AI platform.
Castore chooses Ocula AI for product content
Castore has chosen AI platform Ocula Technologies to optimize product copy and metadata across its global ecommerce catalog.
JD Sports scales RFID tech for global inventory
JD Sports taps Checkpoint Systems to deploy RFID tech across 2,500 stores, targeting 98% stock accuracy to boost omnichannel sales.
JD Sports launches AI commerce in US
JD Sports is enabling direct purchases through ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot and Google Gemini in the US, positioning itself as an early mover in AI-powered commerce.
Google launches agentic AI shopping protocol
Tech giant unveils open standard for AI-driven commerce with backing from major retailers including Target, Walmart, Shopify and Etsy.
Frasers Group deploys AI-first Commercetools Agentic Commerce suite
Shoppers of Sports Direct and other brands of the Frasers retail ecosystem will be able to purchase products directly within AI shopping channels.
Tech & Brands
Closing the distance: inside LTP’s clubhouse in Saigon
LTP Group has opened a dedicated development space in Ho Chi Minh City that compresses performance apparel sampling from months to fourteen days.
Fanatics brings some financial plumbing in house
Better known for jerseys and memorabilia, Fanatics is acquiring the exchange and clearinghouse behind its prediction markets.
Oura lands its third major US sports body in six months
The USTA’s first wearable deal covers US Open players, grassroots programs and the federation’s 2027 Player Performance Center.
Why Publicis is spending $500m on a sports agency
The French ad giant is assembling a data-driven sports marketing stack to challenge Omnicom-IPG in a $240 billion market.
Kiprun embeds wear sensor in running shoes
Decathlon’s running brand partners with London startup Movmenta on a shoe that monitors its own foam degradation in real time.
Oakley Meta makes Super Bowl debut with AI eyewear
Oakley Meta’s first Super Bowl commercial features Spike Lee, Marshawn Lynch and Olympians across multiple sports disciplines using AI-powered athletic eyewear.
Nike Mind and the neuroscience of sport
Nike’s Mind technology targets mental performance. After a century optimizing bodies, is the sporting goods industry finally ready to train brains?
Reddit’s AI campaigns cut costs for sportswear brands
Reddit’s new AI-powered advertising tool is helping sporting goods brands like Brooks Running slash marketing costs while boosting engagement through automated campaign optimization.
Fitasy unveils custom-fit 3D-printed shoes
Fitasy debuts patent-pending tech for custom-fit 3D-printed shoes using smartphone scans, aiming to improve performance and sustainability.
Forbes Space eyes ads in orbit
Forbes Space launches a platform to take brand campaigns into orbit and opens a Turin office to connect Italy’s industry with space.
Reebok launches Smart Ring, partners with F45
With the partnership, Reebok is signaling its move into performance tech and community fitness
On Running ranks among most innovative companies 2025
On Running joins the ranks of deep-tech and platform giants on Fast Company’s innovation list.
Decathlon and Rheon Labs in first, but not last, compression-collaboration
SGI Europe has spoken with the Development Director at Rheon to learn more about its collaboration with Decathlon.
Tech & Sustainability
Startup SuperCircle raises $24m for AI waste platform
SuperCircle’s AI-powered platform sorts complex athletic materials, enabling sporting goods brands to build take-back programs and meet circularity goals.
Richard Kuchinsky: ‘A sustainable shoe must be a good shoe first, sustainable second’
Leading footwear designers reveal the complex trade-offs between sustainability and performance in running shoes.
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