The Euroleague Basketball governing body has revealed details of its 2020 Fan XP Innovation Challenge and engaged the 4YFN startup event to work on the recruitment and reviewing of applicant startups for the competition.
The Challenge invites tech-focused startups to present innovative ways to enhance the fan experience in sport and is an evolution of the previously held EB Tech Challenge. 4YFN will host the final phase of the competition in Barcelona from February 24-26.
4YFN joins long-term Euroleague Basketball partner University of La Salle-URL, which will continue to power the challenge in collaboration with its La Salle Technova technology arm. N3XT Sports, a strategic consulting firm specialising in sports technology, innovation and investments, will also provide continuous advisory support for the project.
Jordi Bertomeu, president and chief executive of Euroleague Basketball, said: “We are excited to find out what opportunities can be found in the crossroads of sports, fan experience, technology and innovation.
“Besides learning about the latest trends in technology and finding solutions to our most important challenges, it is always rewarding to spend time with startups as they instill in our organisation a highly valuable mindset of entrepreneurship and innovation. And sharing this journey with partners as University of LaSalle-URL, 4YFN and N3XT Sports, who combine for an amazing level of expertise in this field, makes it even more thrilling.”
Applications for the competition will remain open until January 10. The selection of a maximum of 10 finalists will be announced by January 22.
Finalists will be invited to attend the 4YFN conference in Barcelona, where they can take part in a range of activities. Startups that participate in the challenge are expected to contribute to the improvement of the fan experience and generate direct or indirect revenue opportunities through broadcast, in-arena or digital platforms, or a combination of these.
