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This 3D printed football helmet liner promises better protection
Football equipment company Riddell and 3D printing and manufacturing firm Carbon announced today that they are teaming up to improve head protection for football players. The pair will produce custom-fitted, 3D printed helmet liners that will aim to absorb contact and provide more protection for football players at all levels.
AJ Dellinger02.01.2019
How to watch the Super Bowl: A cord-cutter’s guide
We all know you don't have to be a fan of American football to watch the Super Bowl. The NFL's Big Game, which this year will be played between the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams, goes beyond the sport. Even if you don't like who's playing (we're looking at you, Tom Brady), the Super Bowl is the perfect excuse to get together with friends and enjoy a day full of seven-layer dip, chicken wings and, of course, booze. Thankfully, in 2019, the NFL is making it easy for everyone in the US to watch Super Bowl LIII, even if you don't have a cable or satellite account.
Edgar Alvarez01.31.2019
Amazon's all-female NFL commentary team will return next season
SportsCenter anchor Hannah Storm and NFL Network chief correspondent Andrea Kremer know exactly what they'll be doing on Thursday evenings this fall. That's because they're returning to Thursday Night Football on Amazon Prime Video. Last season, they became the first two-woman team to call NFL games.
Kris Holt01.24.2019
AI is better at bluffing than professional gamblers
The act of gambling on games of chance has been around for as long as the games themselves. For as long as there's been money to be made wagering on the uncertain outcomes of these events, bettors have been leveraging mathematics to give them an edge on the house. As gaming has moved from bookies and casinos into the digital realm, gamblers are beginning to use modern computing techniques, especially AI and machine learning (ML), to increase their odds of winning. But that betting blade cuts both ways, as researchers work to design artificial intelligences capable of beating professional players at their own game -- and even out-wagering sportsbooks.
Andrew Tarantola01.17.2019
Twitter and Fox Sports are making a live show for the Women's World Cup
Following their partnership during the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Twitter and Fox Sports are now teaming up on video content for another major FIFA sporting event. For the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup, which is being played in France this summer, Twitter and Fox Sports are bringing back their live soccer (er, football) show from last year, though it'll now be called FIFA Women's World Cup Now. The premise is the same as the original program: It'll be live-streamed on Twitter, feature match previews, recaps, highlights, guest appearances and, naturally, the best tweets from users across the site.
Edgar Alvarez01.08.2019
Premier League wants video referees starting next season
The wheels are in motion for the Premier League to roll out the video assistant referee (VAR) system starting in 2019-2020. Teams have agreed in principle to the plan, and the league will formally request approval from FIFA and the International Football Association Board.
Kris Holt11.15.2018
New 'FIFA Mobile' season brings revamped visuals and team chemistry
FIFA Mobile has usually played second fiddle to its 'full-size' counterparts. That gap just closed a bit, however. EA has updated FIFA Mobile on Android and iOS for the new season, and it includes some much-needed improvements. There's a full gameplay engine revamp that promises more fluid animation as well as smarter, more realistic AI. You can also expect more authentic-looking star players (like Neymar above) and reworked menus. And yes, there are some significant gameplay changes.
Jon Fingas11.08.2018
'Fortnite' is adding NFL team jerseys, emotes and more
Epic Games has landed a major partnership for Fortnite -- it's bringing the National Football League into the fold. Starting Friday at 7PM ET, you'll be able to buy NFL team outfits from the Battle Royale Item Shop, which you can customize with any of the NFL's 32 team uniforms (as well as a Fortnite team) and add your own squad number from 1-99. The NFL cosmetics don't stop there, as there will be gliders. emotes and resource harvesting tools with a football theme, while you can also pick up a referee outfit.
Kris Holt11.05.2018
Amazon's NFL streams will feature an all-female commentary team
When Amazon starts streaming its latest round of Thursday Night Football on September 27th, you'll have a few options for commentary -- including one that breaks new ground in the broadcasting industry. The internet behemoth has announced that it will include an option for all-female audio commentary from veteran sports journalists Andrea Kremer (at left) and Hannah Storm. It's the first time two women commentators will cover an entire NFL game, Amazon said. While it's easy to be cynical about the move, it's definitely big news if you want a break from the usual play calling.
Jon Fingas09.25.2018
Swiss soccer fans interrupt game to protest esports
While a growing number of professional sports leagues are supporting esports, not everyone is too pleased that they're doing so. This weekend, fans of two Swiss soccer teams -- Young Boys and Basel -- protested the rise of esports during a game, hurling tennis balls and video game console controllers onto the field around 15 minutes in. Some of the controllers appeared to have "fuck esports" written on them. Fans on both sides also unfurled banners, with one featuring a giant pause button and another saying "scheiss esports."
Mallory Locklear09.24.2018
'FIFA 19' has everything it needs to be the best
I've always tried to love FIFA and Pro Evolution Soccer equally, though there are years when one franchise wins me over the other -- even if it's by a tiny bit. You can always count on the game mechanics of Konami's PES to be a pleasure to play, but EA Sports' advantage with FIFA has been that it owns the official licenses to the biggest clubs and players. I don't know about you, but I'd rather play with Manchester United than Man Red. This year, the most important change to FIFA 19 is the addition of the UEFA Champions League, Europe's premier club competition, which had featured on PES since 2008. EA Sports didn't need the Champions League to make FIFA great, but it was basically the only thing it was missing. And now, at the expense of PES, it's finally here.
Edgar Alvarez09.19.2018
FCC received thousands of fake letters supporting NFL's blackout rule
Fake FCC comments aren't just reserved for net neutrality opponents. The Wall Street Journal has discovered that the FCC received about 21,000 identical letters urging the regulator to let the NFL keep its blackout rule, which let it ban cable and satellite airings of home games that weren't sold out when the league blocked local broadcasts. These weren't even subtle attempts, either. In addition to using the identities and email addresses of some people without their consent, the campaign relied on some obviously fake messages -- at last check, Bilbo Baggins was more interested in magic rings than cheering on American football teams.
Jon Fingas09.10.2018
CBS will stream Super Bowl LIII on mobile devices without a sign-in
CBS is determined to make the most of the NFL's loosened streaming rules. The broadcaster has revealed its streaming plans for Super Bowl LIII, and you'll finally have the option to watch on mobile devices without a sign-in through CBS Sports' website and mobile apps. You'll also have mobile access through authenticated apps from CBS' cable, satellite, telecom and streaming TV partners. To no one's surprise, you can watch through All Access on mobile if you're a subscriber.
Jon Fingas09.04.2018
Facebook will stream live Champions League matches in Latin America
Facebook's soccer (aka football) ambitions aren't stopping with July's Premier League deal. The social network has secured the rights to stream live Champions League matches for free in Latin America between 2018 and 2021. It's not as sweeping as the earlier arrangement, as Facebook will only broadcast 32 games per season. However, the company will share highlights and magazine programming every match week.
Jon Fingas08.16.2018
Adidas will livestream high school football games on Twitter
Adidas has partnered with Twitter on a new series that will livestream high school football games happening all over the country on the social network. Titled, naturally, Friday Night Stripes, the show will broadcast friday night games throughout the sport's regular season from September 7th until November 9th.
David Lumb08.14.2018
Snapchat deals with NFL, NBC add more sports videos
The jury's still out on whether or not Snapchat Stories are successful, but giants in the sports realm are apparently happy. Snap has signed deals with the NFL and NBC that will bring more sports programming to your phone. To begin with, it's extending its NFL partnership to include a "best of" Sunday Story in the Discover section that summarizes American football news and highlights for the past week. You'll continue to see Snapchat-produced NFL Our Stories material as well as Bitmoji, filters and lenses.
Jon Fingas07.30.2018
Amazon’s Manchester City soccer docu-series debuts August 17th
Now that the World Cup is over, the football world can settle back to obsessing over the Premier League. And just in time, Amazon's documentary series All or Nothing: Manchester City is arriving on Prime Video worldwide on August 17th.
David Lumb07.23.2018
Amazon sets its sights on official soccer shirt sales
Amazon's foray into clothing and fashion has been met with mixed responses, particularly from major labels that believe its marketplace could devalue their brand. That notion doesn't seem to fit with Italian soccer giants Napoli, however, as the club has just become the first team in the world to launch its own "brandstore" on Amazon's sprawling marketplace.
Matt Brian07.23.2018
World Cup tweets were viewed 115 billion times
Twitter had high hopes that the World Cup would be a big hit on its platform. The previous games in 2014 happened before the platform released video features, but this time around, it secured a deal with the event's US rights holder Fox Sports, as well as others across the world, for exclusive content like highlight clips and interviews. As the dust settles following the French team's triumph over underdog Croatia's squad in Sunday's final game, Twitter has released its own numbers to give us an idea how the World Cup went for the platform.
David Lumb07.17.2018
The World Cup showed how VAR will shape soccer’s future
For every football (aka soccer) fan, it doesn't get any bigger than the FIFA World Cup. Every four years since 1930, the tournament has been held in different parts of the globe, and honestly, it hasn't changed much. There was the expansion to include 32 teams in 1998, but the game's rules have rarely been altered -- largely because of FIFA's unwillingness to embrace emerging technologies. But the 2018 edition in Russia, which ended Sunday with France's win over Croatia, was different. For the first time ever, FIFA used the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) at its flagship competition. And the tech, for better or worse (depending on which team you cheered on), certainly made a mark.
Edgar Alvarez07.17.2018