Fastbreak.ai is thrilled to announce a significant partnership with the NBA, which also includes an investment from NBA Equity in the company’s seed funding round. This long-term collaboration will see the NBA adopting Fastbreak.ai’s innovative Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) technology for its scheduling needs. This technology will not only benefit the NBA but also extend to scheduling for the WNBA, G League, and NBA2K League.
Evan Wasch, the NBA’s Executive Vice President of Basketball Strategy & Analytics, expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership. He emphasized that the collaboration is a testament to the NBA’s dedication to integrating advanced technological solutions into its complex scheduling operations.
John Stewart, CEO of Fastbreak.ai, shared his excitement about working with the NBA. He highlighted the significance of this partnership in advancing sports scheduling technology. Stewart emphasized Fastbreak.ai’s commitment to revolutionizing and streamlining the scheduling process, noting the NBA’s reputation for embracing technological innovations.
Fastbreak.ai has already been adopted by various professional and collegiate leagues, including the NHL, Southeastern Conference (SEC), Big East, and Major League Pickleball, for their scheduling needs.
Dr. Chris Groer, Chief Product Officer at Fastbreak, detailed the capabilities of their platform. It merges years of scheduling optimization expertise with a robust user interface, allowing for intricate analysis of factors like travel, game frequency, and TV viewership. He noted the complexity of the NBA’s scheduling challenges, such as balancing travel, home/away patterns, and competitive fairness, while accommodating venue availability and new events like the In-Season Tournament. The Fastbreak system provides real-time schedule optimization and a visualization tool for schedule adjustments based on various constraints.
In addition to the partnership, NBA Equity is investing in Fastbreak.ai’s seed round. Last year, Fastbreak.ai secured $5.2 million in seed funding, led by Greycroft and supported by The Charlotte Fund and several professional athletes, including Greg Olsen, Larry Fitzgerald Jr., Gordon Hayward, Luke Kuechly, Whit Merrifield, Kelvin Beachum, Kurt Kitayama, and Alison Lee.
Fastbreak.ai, co-founded by John Stewart, Dr. Chris Groer, and Dr. Tim Carnes, is a leader in sports technology, specializing in advanced optimization and AI solutions for league scheduling. The company’s SaaS offerings are setting new standards in how sports leagues approach scheduling, meeting the unique demands of the industry.
