Strategic investment will aid in global expansion and introduce revolutionary technology into golf and new sports verticals
West Palm Beach, Fla. (June 2, 2017) – Greg Norman and Verizon Ventures today announced a strategic partnership to invest in PlaySight to aid in the company’s global expansion and introduce the technology into golf and new sports verticals.
Earlier this year, Greg Norman and Verizon pledged to join forces to bring innovative and disruptive technology to the golf industry and their joint investment into PlaySight speaks to the evolution of that broader plan.
Selected in 2017 by Fast Company as one of the “10 Most Innovative Companies in Sport,” PlaySight leverages both multiangle video and proprietary analytics to improve on-field performance and connect the next generation of athletes. Through a system of cameras, the company’s lauded SmartCourt platform tracks every shot through graphics and video providing professional, collegiate and amateur athletes and their coaches with personalized, detailed statistics that have never before been available.
The company has already achieved a dominant position in the tennis marketplace with its technology powering the leading federations, academies, 40 NCAA Division 1 schools, and clubs including the USTA’s new National Campus and high performance facility in Lake Nona, Florida. In addition to tennis, PlaySight is working with top teams across several other sports including the 2015 NBA Champion Golden State Warriors.
“We are pleased to have completed the first initiative in our partnership with Greg Norman,” said David Famolari, Director at Verizon Ventures. “PlaySight brings advanced sports technology, previously only available at the pro level, to recreational athletes. As we see the sports industry leverage technology to improve the participation experience, PlaySight’s SmartCourt platform is a testament to this as they enable athletes to train smarter for a reasonable cost. We look forward to working with Greg Norman to continue to bring innovative and disruptive technology to the sports industry.”
“I love working with innovators in sport and to have the opportunity to invest in something so cutting-edge alongside Verizon Ventures enables us to collaborate on a larger platform to drive meaningful growth for PlaySight,” said Greg Norman. “Verizon shares in my vision to connect people across business, sport and culture, so I am thrilled to announce the PlaySight investment as the first of many exciting new developments on the horizon.”
For more information: www.playsight.com
About Greg Norman
Arguably the most successful athlete-turned-businessman in the world, Greg Norman is known as much for his entrepreneurial spirit in the boardroom as his dominance on the golf course. The internationally renowned “Great White Shark” won more than 90 tournaments worldwide, including two Open Championships, and holds the distinction of defending his No. 1 position in the world golf rankings for 331 weeks.
Greg Norman now transcends the game of golf, with over a dozen companies around the world bearing his name and the iconic shark logo as part of the Greg Norman Company, which he leads at Chairman & CEO. His internationally recognized brand boasts more than 100 golf course designs across six continents, a global real estate collection, award-winning wine, golf-inspired lifestyle apparel and a diverse investment division. Across all facets of business, the Greg Norman Brand consistently delivers the quality that his name is synonymous with and continues to inspire people to attack life.
www.shark.com
About Verizon Ventures
Verizon Ventures is the corporate venture capital unit of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ) and invests in promising entrepreneurial companies that are tackling some of today’s biggest technology challenges. With a collaborative approach to commercialization, Verizon Ventures is focused on helping companies connect financial resources with strategic, non-investment business functions necessary to deliver successful outcomes. Verizon Ventures partners with companies to help them scale substantively to impact society and lead to new markets. Over the last decade, Verizon Ventures has invested in more than 50 companies covering a range of industries and technologies.
For more information: www.verizonventures.com
About PlaySight:
Founded in 2013 by Israeli military veterans, Playsight is a sports technology company that leverages both multiangle video and proprietary analytics to improve on-field performance and connect the next generation of athletes. Through a system of cameras, the company’s lauded SmartCourt platform tracks every shot through graphics and video providing professional, collegiate and amateur athletes and their coaches with personalized, detailed statistics that have never before been available. SmartCourts are currently powering leading federations, academies, 40 NCAA Division 1 schools, and clubs including the USTA’s new National Campus and high performance facility in Lake Nona, Florida. In addition to tennis, PlaySight is working with top teams across several other sports including the 2015 NBA Champion Golden State Warriors.
Contact:
Jane MacNeille, Greg Norman Company
jane.macneille@gregnorman.com
(561) 640-7000
Monica Cho, Verizon Ventures
verizon@sparkpr.com
(646) 374-3874
