The GPS Provider Farce Continues

[RussellEbertHandball]

Whose interests are the AFL primarily obligated to satisfy? I actually don't know.

Is it the clubs? The fans? Themselves (and ergo sponsors) to make money?

As Jack Lang used to advise Paul Keating - in the horse race of life, always back self interest.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

So why don't we tell them to **** off and continue doing what we are doing?

Image next years crap fixture if we tell them to * off. 15 x 6 day rests, 3 back to back away games etc.

 

[It Just Is]

The AFL's meddling in just about all aspects of the game is becoming concerning.

Richard Colless's interview in the topic a few weeks ago got swept away nicely.

 

[tribey]

Whose interests are the AFL primarily obligated to satisfy? I actually don't know.

Is it the clubs? The fans? Themselves (and ergo sponsors) to make money?

This is the fact McGuire harks back to every now and then to fight his corner.

The Commission was implemented by the clubs to represent their best interests. But the recent generation would be forgiven for believing the AFL is a law unto itself with the clubs and the game itself serving as an investment portfolio for themselves.

We're seeing it with the SANFL in their ongoing treatment of Port Adelaide. The tail wagging the dog.

 

[Powerade 08]

How is this a bad thing long term?

 

[Powerstufff]

Whose interests are the AFL primarily obligated to satisfy? I actually don't know.

Is it the clubs? The fans? Themselves (and ergo sponsors) to make money?

Brian Cook was talking about this to a degree on his recent appearance on Foxtel's Open Mike. Cook has had two tilts at the AFL CEO position. At his interview during the process that resulted in Gillon McLachlan's appointment he began questioning the panel about what the AFL values where, and its lack of a Mission Statement. Apparently neither written anywhere.
Now part of me says "Great!", that that is just corporate wank. But it was interesting in an era when your local butcher has to present this stuff to his bank manager when negotiating finance.

 

[OneGreatClub]

While I tend to agree with your posts herez have you heard of the multi quote function?

I thought I was having a chat

 

[OneGreatClub]

How is this a bad thing long term?

It will affect Burgo big time, all the data he has collected for years plus apparently the new system won't do all that Catapult was doing.

 

[tribey]

It will affect Burgo big time, all the data he has collected for years plus apparently the new system won't do all that Catapult was doing.

We've invested a shitload into it as well. Just a shamozzle all round.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

How is this a bad thing long term?

How is anything a bad thing in the long term?

 

[bomberclifford]

Gillon will retire and go down in history as the worst CEO ever to head up an Australian sporting body. An absolute hack. This job is so far beyond his capabilities it's not even funny.

There's a lot of 'Triggness' about him. Seems to flounder when trying to deal with difficult issues.

 

[Doctor Feel]

There's a lot of 'Triggness' about him. Seems to flounder when trying to deal with difficult issues.

Keith Thomas speaks out about the GPS situation.

"Smithers have that man killed."

 

[finbarr]

There's a lot of 'Triggness' about him. Seems to flounder when trying to deal with difficult issues.

Rose to the top job at AFL House in a near identical fashion to that in which Trigg rose to the top at West Lakes House.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Not sure if this is the right thread but this is about Catapult company and seeing as the AFL force everyone to change their GPS data provider, including us which pissed of KT as per the linked article in the 1st post of this thread, maybe there was a reason - they thought they could make some big $$$ just like Catapult.

They will continue to be world leaders as they raised some capital recently acquired United States video analytics business XOS Technologies and Irish GPS tracking device firm Playertek.

There have been several stories about Catapult in the financial press lately that I have read. This one from last week shows they have a market capitalization of over $500m and on their way to the chairman's goal of $1bil. Thy are the best but the AFL want us to take data from their 49% subsidary. The latest of these stories from the Fin Review last week.

Sports tech firm Catapult Group International halfway to chairman's $1bn goal
Jul 15 2016

It was only just over two years ago when chairman Adir Shiffman made what seemed at the time to be an outlandish prediction for his sports technology and analytics firm Catapult Sports International.

"We're on the way to being a billion-dollar company one day," Shiffman told AFR Weekend in March 2014, which was then only few months after he finally - after months of struggle - raised $3.5 million to give the then private company a $10 million valuation.

Most of that came from family and friends, and Shiffman even remembers putting some money himself into the company, which makes GPS tracking systems and software used in training and matches by elite sports teams and athletes. "No-one wanted to give us money back then," he recalls. "People thought we couldn't transition to being a software-as-a-service company, let alone understand how an Australian company was going to dominate its market globally. And there probably was not an understanding of how big our market is around the world either."

Australian investors now understand, with Catapult raising $91 million this week from a heavily oversubscribed placement and institutional entitlement offer to fund a company transforming acquisition of United States video analytics business XOS Technologies and Irish GPS tracking device firm Playertek.

"With the institutional offer I found a whole heap of investors understand us and the technology now," Shiffman said. "That includes a chunk of new investors. So we have to say the Australian market has been very supportive of us."

And the company's surging share price means Catapult is now more than halfway to achieving Shiffman's $1 billion valuation goal, and has made its founders extremely wealthy on paper.

Sports tech firm Catapult Group International halfway to chairman's $1bn goal

and what has happened the last few months

Catapult shares are up 590 per cent since it listed on the Australian Securities Exchange in December 2014 with a market capitalisation of only about $65 million. That figure is now about $550 million, with chief executive Shaun Holhouse holding a stake worth almost $100 million and his co-founder and chief operating officer Igor van de Griendt about $92 million. Even Shiffman, 41, would make the BRW Young Rich list if he still met the age criteria given his shares are worth $27 million on paper.

Where their growth has come from

Shiffman, a qualified medical doctor and entrepreneur with a history of establishing and investing in tech start-ups, was brought in as chairman in 2013 to help further commercialise the business.

That included another capital raising in 2014 before the float and the rapid increase in the number of elite teams buying Catapult's software and services. It now has deals with just about all big sports teams in Australia, and hundreds of NBA, NFL, and NHL teams, , US college sports teams and European soccer teams.

Combined with XOS, Catapult will have full-year pro-forma revenue of $52.3 million to $53.3 million and EBITDA of $3.5 million to $4.5 million.

The company will look to combined Catapult's tracking and XOS video analysis in markets outside the US as well, though North America will account for 77 per cent of the business. Playertek takes the company into the sub-elite sports level for the first time, while Shiffman identifies Asia as a prime growth opportunity.

As to whether Catapult look to sell out eventually or gets taken over by a bigger sports company, Shiffman said: "We've spoken to all the big apparel makers out there, and we're open to interesting partnership proposals. But we are focusing on being in this business for the long term. We are having too much fun."

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

This was the story about the 2 companies they aquired. So because we are not allowed to use their GPS stuff will the AFL stop clubs from using their newly aquired USA XOS video systems used by coaching teams??

Catapult buys two sports tech firms in combined $84m deal
Jul 13 2016

Sports analytics firm Catapult Group International will double its revenue and be earnings positive for the first time in the 2017 financial year after the transformational acquisition of two foreign technology firms for $83.7 million.

Catapult on Wednesday announced a deal to acquire Boston-based sports video analytics company XOS Technologies for $US60 million ($80.1 million) and Irish firm PlayerTek for €2.4 million ($3.49 million).

The deals will marry Catapult's existing GPS tracking systems that are sold to elite sports clubs around the world with the XOS video systems used by coaching teams, while the PlayerTek transaction will see Catapult move more into selling GPS tracking systems to sports teams and athletes below the top leagues.

The acquisitions will be funded by a $100 million equity raising launched by Goldman Sachs, first revealed by Street Talk, comprising $68 million via a placement and another $32 million in a rights issue. Catapult shares were suspended on the Australian Securities Exchange on Wednesday and are expected to recommence trading on Friday..........

Catapult buys two sports tech firms in combined $84m deal

And their announcement to the ASX re their expected Financial Year growth upgrade in early July.
http://www.catapultsports.com/media...guidnce-upgrade-050716.pdf?platform=hootsuite

Some of Catapult’s recent championship winning clients include: 
Hawthorn Football Club (AFL, Australia) 
Golden State Warriors (NBA, USA) 
Leicester City FC (EPL, UK) 
Denver Broncos (NFL, USA) 
Chelsea FC (EPL, UK)
Bayern Munich (Bundesliga, Germany) 
North Queensland Cowboys (NRL, Australia) 
Wasps RFC (Premiership Rugby, UK)

For a more detailed list of our clients please visit http://www.catapultsports.com/au/clients/