PHILADELPHIA—Comcast has announced that The University of Notre Dame has joined the partner consortium for Comcast NBCUniversal SportsTech as the program’s first collegiate organization.
Comcast NBCUniversal SportsTech provides startups who have been selected to joint the program with valuable insights and access to decision-makers at leading sports brands around the world. Notre Dame joins a consortium that includes Notre Dame, NBC Sports, Sky Sports, Comcast Spectacor, NASCAR, Premier League, PGA Tour, and three U.S. Olympic sports organizations: U.S. Ski & Snowboard, USA Swimming, and USA Cycling.
Over the course of six months, Comcast NBCUniversal SportsTech connects founders with members of the group with an eye toward developing strategic collaborations and enhancing companies’ products and services, the consortium explained.
Starting with SportsTech’s fifth class, which will begin in 2025, companies selected to join the innovation program will have an opportunity to explore collaborations and engage directly with experts and leaders from the University and its network.
The agreement builds on the longstanding relationship between Notre Dame and NBC Sports. NBC Sports has exclusively presented Notre Dame home football games since 1991, making it the longest running collegiate media partnership. NBC Sports recently announced enhanced rights to bring more Notre Dame content to fans across Peacock and additional platforms.
“Notre Dame adds a unique innovation champion to Comcast NBCUniversal SportsTech’s distinguished partner roster,” said Will McIntosh, president, Fandango & NBC Sports Next, a subdivision of NBC Sports and home to all NBCUniversal digital applications in sports and technology. “As the program’s first collegiate advisor, Notre Dame offers new opportunities, access, and insight for startups. Additionally, through our broadcast rights, NBC Sports and Notre Dame have a rich tradition of collaborating on ways of enriching fan experiences, further aligning to one of SportsTech’s core pillars.”
“We are excited to join Comcast NBCUniversal SportsTech, bringing together and further enhancing our historic collaboration with NBC Sports and the University’s commitment to innovative athletics,” added Pete Bevacqua, director of athletics, University of Notre Dame. “Being part of this program will continue to help us to identify and implement new technologies and ways of thinking that can elevate the sports experience for our University, our athletes, and our fans.”
The University of Notre Dame works to foster innovation through its academics and athletic programs, including its Innovation Park, an entrepreneurship center that is home to over 60 startup companies and its accelerator support program for early-stage startups.
Beginning in April 2022, Notre Dame was one of the first members of NBC Sports Athlete Direct, a platform linking college student-athletes and advertisers through a trusted marketplace, enabling student-athletes to monetize their name, image, and likeness (NIL). Student-athletes who opt-in to the program are presented with NIL opportunities from advertisers that include monetizing their social media followings. Additionally, NBC Sports collaborates with CNBC, the world leader in business and financial news, to provide personal finance resources.
To apply for the Comcast NBCUniversal SportsTech Class of 2025 and learn more about the program’s eight focus areas—media and entertainment, fan/player engagement, athlete/player performance, team and coach success, venue and event innovation, fantasy sports and betting, esports, and the business of sports—visit www.comcastsportstech.com/2025.
