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Red Sox reportedly used Apple Watch to steal Yankees' signals
The Cardinals aren't the only Major League Baseball team accused of using technological cheats. According to the New York Times, the league has determined that the Boston Red Sox cheated in numerous games against the New York Yankees (who filed a complaint) and other teams by using the Apple Watch to relay the hand signals that catchers and pitchers use to communicate intended pitches. Investigators learned that Red Sox trainers received signals from video replay staff and used the smartwatch to quietly relay that info to the team.
Twitter’s live NFL news and analysis show premieres tonight
Twitter's new NFL live show #NFLBlitz premieres tonight on the league's @NFL account. Last year, Twitter held the rights for the NFL's Thursday night games, but Amazon snagged those streaming rights this season in a deal believed to have rung in around $50 million. Instead, the platform is getting a 30-minute long news and analysis show that will air Monday to Thursday every week through to the Super Bowl.
FIFA’s tech ‘experiments’ drag soccer into the modern age
Soccer is the most popular sport in the world. It may not be as big as American football, baseball or basketball in the US -- at least not yet-- but there's a much larger interest in it here now than five or 10 years ago. One of the problems with soccer is that, unlike pro sports organizations such as the NFL, NBA or MLB, it has never been quick to adopt new technology. For decades FIFA, the sport's governing body, opposed cutting-edge ideas that could keep referees from making the wrong calls. "We shall rely on human beings," former FIFA President Sepp Blatter said in 2002. "Players make mistakes, coaches make mistakes and yes, sometimes referees make mistakes. But football is passion, football is emotion. Football has a human touch."
Google and MLB team up for behind-the-scenes Daydream VR videos
Sports teams are no stranger to VR; after all, the NFL partnered with Google Daydream to produce an exclusive series called All or Nothing last year. Major League Baseball has also collaborated with Google Daydream on a video game and the MLB.com At Bat app. Now, they've announced their latest partnership: "On the Verge," which is a VR series that profiles up-and-coming baseball stars.
The traditional sports world is taking eSports into the mainstream
Five years ago, you couldn't have imagined video game competitions being broadcasted on the same channel as traditional sports. TV networks have been historically obsessed with pastimes such as baseball, basketball, football and soccer, but times are changing. Thanks to the massive popularity of eSports, driven in large part by the internet-streaming generation, the entertainment landscape has transformed drastically over the past couple of years. Nowadays, US channels like Disney XD, ESPN, NBC and TBS are all trying to put eSports on the same level as traditional sports, with the end goal being to reach new, younger audiences. Want to watch a EA's FIFA or Rocket League tournament on ESPN? Well, you can do just that.
Samsung puts you on the field with MLB VR videos
Are you a baseball aficionado with a Gear VR headset? You're in for a treat beyond Intel's weekly live games. Samsung and MLB have unveiled plans to release "over 20" virtual reality videos over the course of the league's 2017 season. Some of them will include highlights of key moments, such as All-Star events and division championships, while others will give you close-ups with players and "unrivaled" views of ballparks. Some of these will have supplements, too, such as stats and trivia.
Intel starts MLB 'Game of the Week' VR live streams
We'd heard that Major League Baseball had virtual reality streaming aspirations, and a partnership with Intel is making them a reality. The two have reached a three-year deal for the Intel True VR Game of the Week, a Tuesday broadcast (blacked out in local markets) that will live stream via Intel's True VR app. Currently only available via the Oculus store for Samsung Gear VR headsets, it will give fans a look at the game via a fully produced VR broadcast, or the ability to hop around through different viewing locations -- captured by 4K resolution cameras -- with optional stat overlays.
Facebook adds weekly MLB games to its streaming slate
Back in February, Reuters reported that Facebook wanted to stream weekly Major League Baseball games as part of its big live video push. Well, the social network got its wish. Today, Facebook announced a deal with MLB to show weekly baseball games live on Fridays starting this week. Tomorrow night, you'll be able to watch the Rockies battle the Reds at 7:10 ET on the league's Facebook page. A full schedule of games hasn't been released. The company isn't the first to livestream games from the league though, both Twitter and Yahoo have dabbled in weekly baseball coverage before. In fact, Twitter still offers some live baseball action and it's on Fridays, too. The next game there is tomorrow night when the Yankees take on the Rays.
Twitter wants to be your home for watching live shows
Twitter's livestreamed content has been mostly sports and politics over the last few years, with fans able to watch and tweet about the latest boxing match or presidential debate right on Twitter itself. The company is set to double down on the strategy with twelve new content deals for news, sports, and live entertainment. The deals were announced today at an event with CEO Jack Dorsey and a host of other Twitter executives who took the stage with NBA commissioner Adam Silver, various sports stars like NFL's A.J. Green and even Tony Award-winner Audra McDonald.
DirecTV plans to air 25 MLB games in 4K
If you're looking for more 4K sports to justify your shiny new TV, you may be in luck. DirecTV is gearing up for its second season of broadcasting MLB games in 4K, and this year you'll have a fairly wide range of games to watch in exceptional. You can watch as many 25 baseball games during the regular 2017 season, starting with the Cubs versus the Cardinals on April 4th -- there will be five in April alone. As you might expect, though, you'll have to jump through a few hoops to see last blade of astroturf on the field.
Baseball fans rejoice: MLB Network is on PlayStation Vue
Baseball fans have more reason to pick up a PlayStation Vue membership now as Sony's subscription service has just added the MLB Network to its roster. The addition comes right in time for the April 2 start of the Major League Baseball season along with exclusive coverage of the World Baseball Classic semifinal and championship games tonight and tomorrow.
Major League Baseball approves another wearable for in-game use
Major League Baseball began allowing players to use two wearable devices during games before the 2016 season started. The league is now adding another gadget to its approved list: the Whoop Strap. While the device has been around for awhile now, players can wear the continuous biometric monitoring wristband during games when 2017 season starts in a matter of weeks. Whoop Strap tracks strain, recovery and sleep to give athletes, coaches and trainers an overall look at a player's health.
After Math: Oh, balls
It was a stellar week for spheroids, both the physical and metaphorical varieties. NASA discovered seven new planets (three of which are habitable) just 40 light years away. Ants on golf balls are teaching scientists about insectoid navigation skills. Facebook wants to be a sports broadcaster and the NBA hopes that VR will help revolutionize the game. Numbers, because that's how we keep score.
Facebook hopes to stream an MLB game every week
Twitter and Yahoo aren't the only ones interested in streaming live baseball beyond dedicated sports sites. Reuters sources claim that Facebook is in "advanced" talks with Major League Baseball about the possibility of livestreaming one game every week during the 2017 season. It's not clear just which games would get the live treatment, but history would suggest that this would be regular season play -- sorry, playoff fans.
WSJ: Amazon ponders live sports on Prime
Amazon already offers a robust library of movies and television for streaming, but the online retailer could be looking to tackle one of the last remaining strongholds of pay television. The Wall Street Journal reports the company has held talks over the last few months with the NBA, MLB, NFL and MLS. Amazon has reportedly also met with the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), which has it's own network with a hand from ESPN, in addition to Campus Insiders and 120 Sports for college athletics coverage.
It looks like Sony's 10-year-plan for the PS3 is over
Yesterday, Sony announced that MLB The Show 17 will launch on PS4 next March -- but it won't be coming to the PS3. As the previous year's edition of the sports game was the last first-party title to come to the aging console, this probably means Sony won't put out new content. If so, we've reached the end of the company's 10-year-plan to support the system. Goodnight, sweet prince.
Cleveland pitcher leaves playoff game due to drone injury
I'm not sure if "drone" has appeared on a major league injury report before, but one of the flying machines has had an impact on an MLB ALCS playoff game. No one was injured by a drone at the ballpark in an Inglesias-like incident, but Cleveland pitcher Trevor Bauer cut his throwing hand on Friday and required stitches ahead of a scheduled start in game two of the team's series against Toronto. He healed enough to start tonight in game three, but the cut re-opened during the first inning and he had to leave early.
MLB's At Bat app now plays highlight videos on your lock screen
With iOS 10, Apple has expanded its devices' 3D touch applications from gimmicky afterthoughts to quick feature accessibility. It's also opened up what kind of interactions are possible from the lock screen. Some savvy developers have already combined the two, like those working on MLB's official At Bat app. Its latest upgrade pops up videos as notifications on your locked screen, which play with just a bit of 3D touch pressure.
The best tech for college athletes
Look, there's clearly more to college life than studying and partying. There's also sports! Before you hit the field, gym, rink or court it's probably worth taking stock of how you can improve your game with a little help from modern technology. An Apple Watch or Vivosmart can count steps and track your gym sessions, while Polo makes a smart shirt that offers seriously in depth data about your body's performance. There's also sensors that can help you do things like improve your swing in golf or baseball. And, of course, after a long day of training, there's nothing better than unwinding by watching your hometown team make a run at the World Series on MLB.tv. Oh, and don't forget to check out the rest of Engadget's back-to-school guide here.
Twitter is livestreaming weekly MLB and NHL games
Twitter's live sports streaming plans are expanding well beyond college games, the NFL and tennis. It just unveiled plans to livestream weekly Major League Baseball and National Hockey League games for free with occasional ads. This won't replace a TV or internet video subscription (you can only watch if you're out-of-market, for one thing), but it'll be widely available: MLB games will be available in most countries worldwide, while NHL matches will be available across the US. You won't need to log in to start watching, either. And this is apparently just the start, as Twitter is also promising regular programming regardless of the sports you watch.
