March 10 – The Dutch FA (KNVB) has staged a video assistant referee (VAR) technology test event en route to the 2022 World Cup with a focus on fine-tuning the technology and making it more affordable.
January 23 – The race by Europe’s clubs to establish a digital advantage and take ownership positions in potentially game-changing technologies has another new entrant.
November 19 – The broadcast market may be disrupted by piracy and challenger broadcast platforms, but big money for premium product is still available if the £1.2 billion UK pay TV broadcaster BT Sport is paying for the next cycle of Europe’s Champions League is an indicator.
July 22 – The English Premier League is expecting the introduction of video assistant referees to cause controversy next season.
May 8 – The experience of being in the stadium and experiencing the match live will be replicated tomorrow night in Las Vegas using virtual reality for the Liga MX play-off game between Club América vs. Cruz Azul.
April 5 – Digitally driven sports innovators have another tech fund to tap for development finance. Hype Sports Innovation has unveiled plans for a $75 million capital fund with Uli Becker, ex-president of Reebok and Bernd Wahler, former president of VfB Stuttgart.
February 8 – UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin confirmed that the governing body’s over-the-top streaming service should be complete in the next six months in time for the the 2019/2020 season.
By David Owen
February 7 – Chipmaker Intel is taking a stake in the Premier League title race, striking deals with Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City to install its True View technology at the Emirates, Anfield and the Etihad.
By Andrew Warshaw
November 16 – Premier League clubs have finally decided to introduce video assistant referees from next season pending formal approval. In April, despite its use across Europe’s other major leagues, England’s elite voted against the system being implemented in this season’s domestic campaign.
September 14 – The English Premier League, which has been under pressure to fall into line with the rest of Europe’s major leagues and introduce video assistant referee (VAR) technology, has agreed to test the system – though not use the results – across multiple games for the first time this weekend.
August 17 – UEFA has reported a successful deployment of its new ticketing system via mobile app. This week’s UEFA Super Cup between Real Madrid and Atlético de Madrid in Tallinn saw UEFA distribute 100% of the match tickets via the app.
August 6 – One of England’s most respected former referees has blasted the Premier League’s decision to not implement Video Assistant Referees (VAR) in the forthcoming 2018/19 season.
By Andrew Warshaw
June 26 – You win some, you lose some and it’s all about interpretation. That seems to be the upshot so far of VAR’s introduction at the World Cup that reached new levels of confusion on Monday evening and continues to throw up more questions than answers.
May 4 – Music legend and multi-media entrepreneur Dave Stewart is releasing a version of his BeMyBand multi-media global format into the football market. The format technology and app is for federations, leagues and clubs who want to engage with fans in a positive and active environment, potentially identifying untapped talent but also generating interaction and loyalty.
April 13 – Despite football’s lawmakers giving it the thumbs up and the system being used at the World Cup, English Premier League clubs have voted not to use video assistant referees next season.