This week, the third class of the Comcast NBCUniversal SportsTech Accelerator began with 10 selected startups from 40 countries. The companies will collaborate with experts from Comcast, NBCUniversal, Sky, and Boomtown to improve their products and services and prepare for accelerated commercial success with program partners and the broader sports industry.
According to Jenna Kurath, Vice President, Startup Partnerships and Head of Comcast NBCUniversal SportsTech, "Our alumni from the first two classes of the Comcast NBCUniversal SportsTech accelerator continue to display a prowess for delivering impactful technology while unlocking new revenue opportunities, and I look forward to seeing what powerful innovations and unique partnerships emerge from this year's program."
The accelerator's partner consortium includes NBC Sports, Sky Sports, Comcast Spectacor, Golf, NASCAR, WWE, PGA TOUR, and three US Olympic sports organizations: U.S. Ski & Snowboard, USA Swimming, and USA Cycling. Since its first class in 2021, SportsTech startup alumni have participated in 90 pilots, partnerships, and commercial deals with consortium partners.
This year, the accelerator expands from a 12-week format to a 6-month program, allowing for increased time for meaningful collaborations and exploration of long-term opportunities with partners.
During the six-month program, entrepreneurs will work one-on-one with SportsTech advisors and participate in a custom curriculum focused on refining their product and improving their go-to-market strategies, fundraising, sales, marketing and branding, product design, personal growth, company culture, and tactics for working at an enterprise scale.
The class of 2023 will also benefit from a series of unique excursions and working retreats structured around SportsTech partner events, providing founders with a better understanding of how to deliver innovations that serve these organisation's' operational needs.