WASHINGTON, June 19, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — The NFL Players Association (NFLPA) and its OneTeam Collective athlete-driven accelerator have announced a strategic investment and partnership with ByteCubed Labs, an advanced technology product development start-up that combines data analytics, artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented/mixed reality to change the way fans interact with sports.

The content- and data-driven products being developed will focus on bridging the gap between players and fans. The company has plans to create distribution channels and engagement models for new forms of fan-player interaction, as well as transform athletic training across all elements of game-day preparation. Among the products being developed by ByteCubed Labs is a first-in-sports mixed reality training and fan interaction platform powered by AI.

“At ByteCubed Labs, we are paving the way for how data and sports can converge to reconfigure the way sports training is done, while bringing fans closer to the game,” said Ahmad Ishaq, Founder of ByteCubed Labs. “Our strategic partnership with the NFLPA and the OneTeam Collective will extend the reach of our technology by providing a unique set of capabilities and content driven by professional athletes in a fashion the world has never seen.”

“Developing cutting-edge, player-driven fan experiences is what really excites us about this collaboration,” said Eric Winston, NFLPA President. “ByteCubed Lab’s approach to content through the use of mixed reality and artificial intelligence could be a game changer as it relates to fan engagement.”

Future consumer-facing applications of ByteCubed Labs technology products include mobile games, fantasy sports and event gamification.

According to Troy Jones Jr., ByteCubed Labs Vice President of Business Development, “our partnership with the NFLPA and the OneTeam Collective ensures that the perspective of the player will be the foundation of the products we introduce to athletes and fans worldwide.”

In November of 2018, ByteCubed Labs was launched in partnership with Spectre Holdings and Enlightenment Capital.  Their current client portfolio is comprised of college and professional football teams. The initial offering from ByteCubed Labs is PRE-GAME PREP, the world’s first holographic training platform for football.

ByteCubed Labs is the 10th portfolio company secured through the NFLPA’s OneTeam Collective, a groundbreaking, athlete-driven accelerator designed to give innovative companies the opportunity to leverage the player association’s exclusive group player rights and access to more than 2,000 current players for product inclusion, activations and endorsements. The partners currently within the OneTeam Collective portfolio span blockchain, wearables, voice recognition, digital media, augmented reality, artificial intelligence, health and wellness, active gaming, and live video streaming.

About ByteCubed Labs
Born out of advanced defense systems, ByteCubed Labs is radically changing the potential of human interactions. Whether you’re in an arena, on the field, or in your home, our technologies reshape how professional sports are played, coached and enjoyed. Through complex data analysis and advanced engineering, we model lifelike experiences that elevate how players train, coaches’ coach and fans interact with their favorite teams. Whether bringing new insights to game day action or adding new dimensions to fan engagement, ByteCubed Labs is creating what comes next. At ByteCubed Labs, we provide a suite of training and analytical tools to provide coaches and players a competitive edge through data and technology.  These techniques not only power our unique training products but become the core component of powering our fan engagement experience and marketplace. At ByteCubed labs our goal is disrupt the sports and fantasy experiences through mixed reality and data driven technology, bringing fans closer to their favorite sports.

About the OneTeam Collective
The sports industry’s first athlete-driven business accelerator for innovative companies seeking to incorporate sports strategies to drive growth. The OneTeam Collective is comprised of founding partners – NFLPA, BlackRock, Harvard Innovation Lab, Intel Capital, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, CSM LeadDog, Madrona Venture Group and Sports Innovation Lab. The collective offers access to the NFLPA’s player membership via licensing, marketing and content rights, research and development, funding and mentorship for product development and marketing support. The OneTeam Collective, which features an Athlete Advisory Board, is the first program providing rights to sports-related intellectual property, highlighted by the NFLPA’s exclusive group licensing rights and access to more than 2,000 current NFL players. Currently, nine partners are within the portfolio, spanning blockchain, wearables, voice recognition, digital media, augmented reality, artificial intelligence, health and wellness, active gaming and live video streaming.

About the NFL Players Association
The National Football League Players Association is the union for professional football players in the National Football League. Established in 1956, the NFLPA has a long history of assuring proper recognition and representation of players’ interests. The NFLPA has shown that it will do whatever is necessary to assure that the rights of players are protected—including ceasing to be a union, if necessary, as it did in 1989. In 1993, the NFLPA again was officially recognized as the union representing the players and negotiated a landmark Collective Bargaining Agreement with the NFL. The current CBA will govern the sport through 2020.

About NFL Players Inc.
NFL Players Inc., the licensing and marketing arm of the NFLPA, connects businesses to the power of NFL players. NFL Players Inc. creates customized business solutions for partners, through licensing, marketing strategy, and player activations. For more information, please visit nflpa.com/players.

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SOURCE ByteCubed Labs