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If you suppose of Comcast, you most likely consider the cable or web service, but it surely’s additionally part of NBCUniversal. With that comes a good bit of sports activities protection together with the Olympics, NASCAR, WWE and PGA, to call a number of. As such, Comcast has some motivation to drive innovation in how sports activities are coated and consumed.
In 2020, the corporate determined it wanted a automobile to assist startups that have been making an attempt to deliver disruptive expertise associated to sports activities. The Comcast NBCUniveral SportsTech Accelerator was born with a imaginative and prescient of discovering startups that might deliver some innovation to their sports activities league companions, whereas giving the startups entry to Comcast’s media experience and the leagues themselves.
This yr the accelerator welcomed 10 companies to its 2023 cohort; its third class. Not like a variety of accelerators, this one isn’t searching for absolute newcomers. As a substitute, it needs firms which have already constructed a product and are working with prospects. Comcast works with the businesses all through the six-month interval introducing them to their companions and serving to them develop, however the firms proceed to function as regular.
Comcast invests $50,000 into every firm in return for stocky fairness. Jenna Kurath, VP of startup partnerships and head of Comcast NBCU SportsTech, admits it’s a nominal sum of money, designed principally to cowl bills associated to collaborating within the accelerator. However she says the funding sends an vital message to their cohort individuals.
“It’s actually about us having pores and skin within the recreation and of their success for one, however I feel the opposite massive vital piece of that’s that’s sometimes inventory you’d reserve for bringing on a strategic adviser,” Kurath instructed TechCrunch+. “However on this case, you’re bringing on a number of strategic advisers from totally different sports activities groups and leagues and forms of sports activities.”
The corporate additionally has a sister accelerator, known as Comcast NBCU LiftLabs, which is a six-week program centered on enterprise AI firms.