MetaShot Partners Yudiz to Launch World’s Ist Smart Pickleball Game, Opening Its Motion Gaming Platform to External Studios

• Following a 115% YoY revenue growth, MetaShot accelerates platform expansion with Yudiz Solutions partnership
• MetaShot opens its motion gaming platform to third-party studios for the first time as it expands beyond cricket

MetaShot, a Bengaluru-based sports-tech and gaming startup has partnered with Yudiz Solutions, an NSE-listed game development company, to launch the world’s first smart pickleball game - an exclusive title built for MetaShot’s motion gaming console.

Shark Tank India-featured company MetaShot, specializes in seamlessly blending real-world sports movements with immersive virtual gameplay. The partnership marks a major milestone for MetaShot as it opens its proprietary motion gaming platform and SDKs to an external game development studio for the first time. Following a 115% year-on-year revenue growth in FY26, the company is now evolving into a platform ecosystem designed for third-party developers, studios, and sports gaming experiences.

Set to launch in the US in Q3 FY26 and subsequently in India, the smart pickleball game is developed exclusively for the MetaShot platform by Yudiz Solutions. The integration was completed in record time, showcasing how seamlessly external studios can build motion-based gaming experiences on MetaShot’s technology stack. The launch also signals the beginning of MetaShot’s larger platform vision, with additional third-party partnerships, new sports titles, and a developer funding programme currently in the pipeline.

The announcement comes on the back of MetaShot’s cricket title crossing 5 million completed matches, validating strong consumer demand for immersive, movement-led gameplay experiences that blend physical sports actions with digital interactivity.

“Partnering with MetaShot to build the world’s first smart pickleball experience is an exciting opportunity for us as a gaming studio,” said Chirag Leuva, CEO, Yudiz Solutions. “What stood out immediately was the strength of the platform and how quickly we were able to bring a completely new motion-based sports experience to life on it. This collaboration represents a larger shift in gaming, where studios can now build experiences that combine real-world movement with connected gameplay at scale. Pickleball is the first step, and we’re excited about the possibilities this opens up for future sports and interactive experiences globally.”

“Our partnership and the opportunity to open the MetaShot platform to Yudiz Solutions is a significant moment for us as a company,” said Prince Thomas, CEO, MetaShot. “Over the last few years, we’ve built and validated the platform through cricket, and this partnership is the first real example of how third-party studios can create entirely new experiences on top of our motion gaming ecosystem. Pickleball felt like the perfect category to begin with given its global momentum and community-driven appeal. This is the start of MetaShot becoming a larger platform for sports gaming innovation.”

The launch taps into one of the fastest-growing sports in the world. Industry reports project that Pickleball now has over 50 million players globally, and the global pickleball market is projected to grow from $2.2 billion in 2024 to $9.1 billion by 2034, at a 15.3% CAGR. In India alone, active players have surged nearly 300% in three years, with courts growing 10 - 12x across the country.

As MetaShot scales its platform ambitions globally, the company plans to work with more external studios and developers to bring new sports, gaming formats, and immersive experiences onto its motion gaming ecosystem.

HCLTech, Microsoft Partner with Cricket Australia to Leverage GenAI for Enhancing Fans Experience

Leading global technology companies, HCLTech and Microsoft, have partnered with Cricket Australia (CA) to leverage generative AI (GenAI) to enhance the way fans experience live matches via the Cricket Australia Live app.

The app’s new AI Insights matchday companion feature provides fans with a regular feed of text-based updates as matches progress. The feature uses AI rooted in a deep understanding of cricket to identify key narratives, player performances and notable milestones that go beyond the live scores and commentary, giving new context and insight to what is happening on the field.

The AI Insights matchday companion launches today at the Day-Night Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) during the CommBank Women's Ashes series between Australia and England. This innovative feature is now accessible to all users of the Cricket Australia Live App worldwide.

“By harnessing the power of GenAI, we have the ability to reimagine the way fans engage with sport,” said Sonia Eland, Executive Vice President and Country Manager, Australia and New Zealand, HCLTech. “HCLTech has partnered with Cricket Australia for several years through our long-term role as the sport’s Official Digital Technology Partner, but our collaboration with Microsoft will further enhance the digital experience. Ultimately, our goal is to bring cricket fans even closer to the action.”

Cricket Australia has leveraged Microsoft’s Azure Open AI Service as well as HCLTech’s front-end and API development support to create a more accessible match day AI companion for cricket fans.

“We’re excited to bring cutting-edge AI technology to cricket fans through our partnership with Cricket Australia and HCLTech,” said Sarah Carney, Chief Technology Officer at Microsoft Australia and New Zealand. “This innovation demonstrates how generative AI is transforming the way we interact with the world around us, bringing insight, meaning and personalisation to audiences old and new.”

HCLTech and Cricket Australia began working together in 2019 to transform the organization’s core API platforms. In 2023, they extended the partnership for another five years, with HCLTech continuing its role as the CA’s Official Digital Technology Partner. The multi-year partnership has included initiatives like TechJam, a crowdsourcing effort to develop innovative tech solutions for the sport, as well as HCLTech’s role in making Cricket Australia Live the number one sporting app in Australia.

"We are very excited to partner with both HCLTech and Microsoft to create brilliant experiences for our fans by enhancing the CA Live app,” said Nick Hockley, CEO, Cricket Australia. "Our aspiration is to be a world leader in the way sporting codes bring fans closer to the game through digital technologies and we’re thrilled to launch this latest innovation at the CommBank Women's Ashes Day-Night Test.”

Learn more about the partnership: https://news.microsoft.com/source/asia/features/from-grassroots-to-elite-how-cricket-australia-is-scoring-better-digital-experiences-with-ai-and-cloud-technology/

HCLTech is a global technology company, home to more than 220,000 people across 60 countries, delivering industry-leading capabilities centered around digital, engineering, cloud and AI, powered by a broad portfolio of technology services and products. We work with clients across all major verticals, providing industry solutions for Financial Services, Manufacturing, Life Sciences and Healthcare, Technology and Services, Telecom and Media, Retail and CPG and Public Services. Consolidated revenues as of 12 months ending December 2024 totaled $13.8 billion. To learn how we can supercharge progress for you, visit hcltech.com.

Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) creates platforms and tools powered by AI to deliver innovative solutions that meet the evolving needs of our customers. The technology company is committed to making AI available broadly and doing so responsibly, with a mission to empower every person and every organisation on the planet to achieve more.

Cricket Australia (CA) is the national governing body for the game of cricket in Australia. Australian Cricket is administered by CA and its members, the six state and two territory associations. Cricket is Australia’s one true national sport with a men’s and women’s team that capture the nation every summer along with two of the biggest domestic competitions in the country – the Weber WBBL and KFC BBL. At an international level, CA was a foundation member of cricket’s world governing body, the International Cricket Council (ICC), and is one of 12 ICC full members.

Infosys Brings AI-First Technologies To Australian Open 2024 for A More Immersive Experience

• Infosys and Tennis Australia launch digital platforms to empower fan, player, and media with all-new generative AI features
• Infosys also launched an all-new Gen AI experience ‘Rafa Forever’ inviting millions of fans missing Rafa at AO to celebrate the legend fans missing Rafa at AO to celebrate the legend

Infosys (NSE, BSE, NYSE: INFY), a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting, is advancing it’s AI footprint at the 2024 Australian Open (AO) with generative AI technologies for fan engagement, player performance, and digital content creation. Infosys and AO are also leveraging a digital skilling platform to build future leaders in Australia.

Infosys is leveraging its AI-first set of services, solutions, with Infosys Topaz, to evolve the AO experience. Infosys Topaz is delivering the large language models and cognitive core to accelerate Tennis Australia’s AI journey. The AO Grand Slam experience has been reimagined in many new ways such as:

AO 2024 Bracket Challenge vs AI: Fans test their predictive mettle against AI through AO’s all-new Bracket Challenge on AO’s website, a Tournament Challenge that went live on Jan 11, in which fans made predictions for the entire tournament & challenge themselves against AI, and a Daily Challenge to predict the day’s match winners.

Infosys Match Centre gets more cognitive with Gen AI Story Cards: For fans experiencing the Infosys Match Centre, the Key Stats feature provides contextual insights in a card-like format as the match progresses. AI Match Bytes, using Gen AI, creates match story visual cards and narrates the story of a match to fans. Win Predictor tracks the probabilities of victory as the match progresses on court.

Graffiti-inspired AI art and VR under one roof: The Fan Zone pays tribute to the iconic graffiti of Melbourne with a series of graffiti portraits, created using generative AI technology powered by Infosys Topaz. Inside the Fan Zone, fans can get up close with Iga Swiatek and Rafael Nadal through Augmented Reality selfies and face off against Rafa in the ultimate VR tennis match up. They will also go home with bespoke giveaways inspired by the graffiti portraits of Rafael Nadal.

Amplifying human potential on court and beyond: AI is watching match action at AO 24 to feed players and coaches winning insights to unlock the keys to victory through a series of features. For the media team, the AI Shot of the Day enhances Tennis Australia’s ability to quickly post the highlights from each day’s play, packaged as social media ready clips, enabling engagement without the time-consuming task of scouring through match footage manually.

Off the court, Infosys and Tennis Australia are also collaborating for AI-enabled digital skilling, by giving year 10 and 11 students from metropolitan Melbourne, regional Victoria and New South Wales access to curated learning powered by Infosys Springboard. The students will also get a
glimpse of a generative AI future by visiting the Infosys Fan Zone.

Beyond the transformation for Australian Open, to celebrate the tennis legend and Infosys ambassador Rafael Nadal, who misses out on this year’s tournament due to injury, Infosys has also launched an all-new Generative AI experience ‘Rafa Forever’ (Infosys.RafaForever.com), through which fans can imagine their personalized creative masterpiece to celebrate the tennis legend, with Generative AI technology.

Craig Tiley, CEO of Tennis Australia, and Australian Open Tournament Director, said, “For the past six years, Infosys has helped Tennis Australia to raise the bar and serve up new experiences for fans using digital technologies. We’re excited to see the leaps being made with AI at AO 2024. AI is enabling new dimensions of interactivity for fans and insight for players, not to mention the speed and scale it brings to our content delivery."

Andrew Groth, Executive Vice President Asia Pacific, Infosys, said, “Our association with AO has enabled us to push the boundaries of innovation across key digital and physical touchpoints, to create experiences that inform and engage as much as they entertain. This year, we are leveraging Infosys Topaz to bring a host of AI-first experiences to serve players, fans, and the media, and shape the future of the game. We have also enjoyed our ambassador Iga Świątek, take to the courts to compete in the first grand slam of the year. We are also excited to see our purpose in play at the Australian Open, even as our technologies continue to empower and manifest the next opportunity for everyone.”

Follow all the action from the tournament on AusOpen.com and discover more about the partnership at Infosys.com/AusOpen.

About Infosys

Infosys is a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting. Over 300,000 of our people work to amplify human potential and create the next opportunity for people, businesses and communities. We enable clients in more than 56 countries to navigate their digital transformation. With over four decades of experience in managing the systems and workings of global enterprises, we expertly steer clients, as they navigate their digital transformation powered by cloud and AI. We enable them with an AI-first core, empower the business with agile digital at scale and drive continuous improvement with always-on learning through the transfer of digital skills, expertise, and ideas from our innovation ecosystem. We are deeply committed to being a well-governed, environmentally sustainable organization where diverse talent thrives in an inclusive workplace.

Tech Mahindra Launches AI, ML, Analytics and AR/VR -Powered Sports Tech Platform Built on AWS

Tech Mahindra launches a sports cloud platform built on AWS to provide an immersive fan experience globally, powered by AI, ML, Analytics and AR/VR

To provide personalised fan experiences while offering data-driven insights to sports enthusiasts and organisations worldwide

Tech Mahindra, a leading provider of digital transformation, consulting and business re-engineering services and solutions, announced it has collaborated with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to build a sports cloud platform. The offering focuses on building next-generation digital capabilities for sports organisations and delivering immersive and personalised experiences to sporting enthusiasts worldwide. The sports cloud offering is the result of a Strategic Collaboration Agreement (SCA) signed between the two organisations in September, 2023, with a shared vision to bring the sports institutions closer to the fans, and the fans closer to the action. The SCA supports ease of access for Tech Mahindra to AWS resources and services, and allows both entities to participate in joint go-to-market initiatives and drive business growth.

The increasing need for enhanced experience among sports fans, the growing adoption of Internet of Things (IoT) experience for efficient management of sports stadiums, and the growing demand for data-driven insights by sports organisations is expected to fuel the overall growth of sports technology.

Tech Mahindra and AWS will collaborate to offer a comprehensive digital platform to sports organisations, offering use cases related to content and community engagement, customer data management and audience segmentation, and sports analytics, while delivering immersive stadium-to-home fan experiences by leveraging augmented reality and virtual reality (AR/ VR), and metaverse gamification. The cloud offering will also enable sports organisations to build and transform digital properties of sports teams and franchises and generate new revenue streams by developing new services and features tailored to audience needs.

Tech Mahindra aims to deploy its sports cloud offering to enhance the digital capabilities of sports leagues, franchises, and organisations, providing immersive and personalised experiences to fans worldwide. Punjab Kings, a professional franchise Cricket team based in India, has been working with Tech Mahindra to engage fans by bringing content, community, and commerce together.

Satish Menon, CEO, Punjab Kings, said, “I'm pleased to know about Tech Mahindra’s collaboration with AWS to build a sports cloud, and it’s exciting that it can accelerate the digital transformation aspiration for sporting organisations. Combining action from on-and-off-the-field with digital initiatives can create new opportunities for global sporting organisations to engage fans and take them deeper into the game. This can enable sporting organisations to plan broadcasting and content development in more creative ways, and offer greater game insights, all from a fan’s perspective. My best wishes to the teams from Tech Mahindra and AWS.”

Built on AWS, the world’s most comprehensive and broadly adopted cloud, Tech Mahindra’s sports cloud offering will be powered by real-time analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), high-performance compute for AR/ VR, enriched broadcasting, and Web 3.0 technologies, enabling high volumes of digital data to be processed in real-time, and providing sports fans with an elevated experience.

The platform will use AWS native services, and specialist AWS services such as AWS Elemental MediaLive for delivering 24/7 linear channels and live events at scale; AWS Elemental MediaConvert for transcoding content for broadcast and multi-screen delivery; Amazon Kinesis Data Streams for storing and ingesting various streaming data in real-time at any scale; and Amazon Managed Blockchain, a fully managed service designed to help customers build resilient Web 3.0 applications on both public and private blockchains. Tech Mahindra will also leverage Amazon SageMaker – a fully managed ML service from AWS that enables developers and data scientists to build, train, and deploy ML models for any use – to power AR/VR video and image analytics, and enable fans to experience virtual stadium tours, live events, shopping, and access footage from sporting events.

Samira Bakhtiar, General Manager, Media, Entertainment & Sports, AWS, said, “AWS provides cloud-enabled technologies that are at the heart of digital innovation, athlete performance optimisation, and epic fan engagement, transforming the way sports are played, analysed, and enjoyed. Tech Mahindra shares our passion for the sports industry, and our belief that cloud, AI, ML, and emerging technologies will drive the sports technology of the future. Our collaboration with Tech Mahindra will enable leading sports organisations to take the fan experience to the next level by creating immersive experiences and providing data-driven insights. We are excited about the potential to make sports more engaging and enjoyable for fans, and more productive for sports organisations around the world.”

Jagdish Mitra, Chief Strategy Officer and Head of Growth, Tech Mahindra, said, “New-age technology and data-driven insights are changing the way we consume sports. At Tech Mahindra, we are committed to investing in sports tech to provide personalised experiences for sports fans worldwide. Our collaboration with AWS, that offers the broadest and deepest set of cloud services, will transform how fans interact with their favourite sports, creating a dynamic and captivating experience for viewers. By building sports cloud on AWS, we aim to build a personalised, fan-focused community that transcends physical sports. The platform is positioned to disrupt the sports tech industry by providing opportunities for sports organisations and franchises worldwide to create a delightful fan engagement experience that is built on content and community, leading to commerce.”

As part of its NXT.NOWTM framework, which aims to enhance ‘Human Centric Experience’, Tech Mahindra has a deep focus on leveraging cutting-edge technologies to deliver enhanced experience and enable digital transformation to meet the evolving needs of the customer.

Tech Mahindra offers innovative and customer-centric digital experiences, enabling enterprises, associates, and society to Rise for a more equal world, future readiness, and value creation. It is a USD 6.5+ billion organisation with 148k+ professionals across 90 countries helping 1250+ global customers, including Fortune 500 companies. It is focused on leveraging next-generation technologies including 5G, Metaverse, Blockchain, Quantum Computing, Cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence, and more, to enable end-to-end digital transformation for global customers. It is the only Indian company in the world to receive the HRH The Prince of Wales’ Terra Carta Seal for its commitment to creating a sustainable future. It is the fastest growing brand globally in ‘brand value rank’ and among the top 7 IT brands globally in brand strength with AA+ rating. With its NXT.NOWTM framework, Tech Mahindra aims to enhance ‘Human Centric Experience’ for its ecosystem and drive collaborative disruption with synergies arising from a robust portfolio of companies. It aims at delivering tomorrow’s experiences today and believes that the ‘Future is Now’.

Tech Mahindra is part of the Mahindra Group, founded in 1945, one of the largest and most admired multinational federation of companies with 260,000 employees in over 100 countries. It enjoys a leadership position in farm equipment, utility vehicles, information technology, and financial services in India and is the world’s largest tractor company by volume. It has a strong presence in renewable energy, agriculture, logistics, hospitality, and real estate. The Mahindra Group has a clear focus on leading ESG globally, enabling rural prosperity and enhancing urban living, with a goal to drive positive change in the lives of communities and stakeholders to enable them to Rise.

The Future of Fan Interaction: AI Chatbots in NFL Stadiums

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in various industries has revolutionized the way businesses operate and interact with their customers and also has implications for sports betting. In the realm of sports, particularly in the National Football League (NFL), AI chatbots are transforming the fan experience and redefining fan interaction in stadium environments. This article explores the future of fan interaction in NFL stadiums and the significant role AI chatbots play in enhancing the overall game-day experience for fans.

Introduction

The rapid advancement of technology has opened up new avenues for engaging fans and creating personalized experiences in the sports industry. AI chatbots, powered by natural language processing and machine learning algorithms, have emerged as powerful tools to facilitate seamless communication and interaction between fans and the NFL.

One of the key advantages of AI chatbots in NFL stadiums is their ability to provide up-to-date and accurate information, including NFL odds. Fans can interact with the chatbots to obtain the latest odds for upcoming games, track changes in betting lines, and access other relevant information that can inform their betting strategies. By having access to this information through AI chatbots, fans can make more informed decisions when placing bets, increasing their chances of success.

Enhancing Fan Engagement with AI Chatbots

Personalized Assistance and Information

AI chatbots act as virtual assistants, providing fans with real-time information and personalized assistance throughout their stadium visit. These chatbots can answer questions about game schedules, ticket availability, seating arrangements, parking details, and concession options. By leveraging AI technology, chatbots offer quick and accurate responses, ensuring fans have a seamless experience while attending NFL games.

Interactive Game-Day Experience

AI chatbots contribute to the creation of an interactive and immersive game-day experience for fans. They can provide live updates on scores, player statistics, and in-game highlights. Chatbots also enable fans to participate in interactive quizzes, polls, and challenges, adding an element of excitement and competition to the stadium atmosphere. This level of engagement enhances the overall enjoyment for fans and strengthens their connection with the team and the NFL.

Seamless Ticketing and Access

With the integration of AI chatbots, ticketing processes become streamlined and hassle-free. Fans can purchase tickets, select preferred seating options, and receive digital tickets directly through the chatbot interface. AI chatbots also facilitate secure access control by scanning digital tickets or providing personalized QR codes, eliminating the need for physical tickets. This simplifies the entry process for fans and reduces wait times at stadium gates.

Fan Feedback and Surveys

AI chatbots serve as valuable tools for collecting fan feedback and conducting surveys to gather insights about the stadium experience. Fans can provide their opinions on various aspects such as seating comfort, food quality, restroom cleanliness, and overall satisfaction. This data enables NFL teams to make data-driven decisions, improve fan experiences, and tailor their offerings to meet fan expectations effectively.

The Benefits and Challenges of AI Chatbots in NFL Stadiums

Benefits of AI Chatbots

Enhanced Fan Experience: AI chatbots provide personalized and interactive experiences, elevating the overall satisfaction of fans attending NFL games.

Efficient Information Delivery: Chatbots offer real-time and accurate information, ensuring fans have access to updates, schedules, and relevant details.

Increased Fan Engagement: AI chatbots foster increased engagement through interactive features, competitions, and personalized recommendations.

Streamlined Operations: Chatbots streamline ticketing, access control, and feedback collection processes, improving operational efficiency for the NFL and stadium management.

Challenges of AI Chatbots

Accuracy and Contextual Understanding: Ensuring chatbots accurately interpret and respond to fan queries while maintaining contextual understanding can be challenging.

Data Privacy and Security: Protecting fan data and ensuring compliance with data privacy regulations are critical considerations when implementing AI chatbot systems.

Integration and Adoption: Integrating chatbots seamlessly with existing stadium infrastructure and encouraging fan adoption of AI-based solutions may require careful planning and marketing strategies.

Conclusion

The future of fan interaction in NFL stadiums undoubtedly involves AI chatbots. These intelligent virtual assistants have the potential to redefine the way fans engage with the game, teams, and the overall stadium experience. From providing personalized assistance to facilitating interactive engagement, AI chatbots contribute to creating memorable and immersive experiences for fans attending NFL games.

As AI technology continues to advance, we can expect even more sophisticated AI chatbots that understand fan preferences, anticipate their needs, and deliver exceptional experiences. By leveraging AI chatbots, the NFL and its teams can strengthen fan loyalty, increase attendance, and build long-lasting connections with their dedicated fanbase.

Football Fixtures Today on the Best Statistics Service

Today, 777score is considered one of the most popular livescore services globally, as you can find results and online coverage of almost all football events there. The home page by the default displays a table of the football fixtures today. The table shows first the ongoing matches and then the finished ones. If you want to check the matches fixed for the next 24h, click the tab “Schedule” in the top menu. The same is valid for other supported sports.

The match statistics are excellent. Not only can you see the highlights of the match, such as suspensions, yellow cards and goalscoring. Also, you can see which team had more possession, took more shots on target, who had more corners and broke more rules. When the match is over, you can see the final today football fixtures result; if the match is live, you can see the minute of the match on the left.

For visitors with a smartphone, a mobile version of the website is available, as well as an app. The mobile app can be downloaded from Google Play and the Apple Store. To download the app on an Android mobile phone, the operating system version 5.0 or higher is required. As for iPhones or iPod touch devices, the app requires iOS 11.0 or later.

777score special features

The platform provides data for a comprehensive pre-match analysis. From the main page or having filtered the matches by country or date, click on the upcoming match and 777score will bring up the following information:

• recent and face-to-face meetings of the teams;
• league table;
• odds of bookmakers for the match;
• injured players list (for top tournaments);
• stadium, referee, etc.;
• standings;
• players’ personal statistics!

By opening the standings, you find home and away stats, statistics on home and away totals, as well as a table of scorers is presented separately. Besides, the service shows the most popular odds of the best international bookmakers. These you can compare without any hurry long before the event starts and choose the best ones. The statistics of the last matches (including face-offs) can also be viewed in both home and away matches.

777score is an indispensable tool for those with an interest in sports and a passion for sports betting. The main tournaments as well as minor leagues events can be found here with full information for pre-match analysis. This is a tool that bettors use on a daily basis.