SBJ Tech: Nobull prioritizing performance at NFL Combine

Showcasing its prowess as a training and fitness brand is a key priority for Nobull this week at the NFL Scouting Combine, where the burgeoning apparel company has  taken over presenting sponsorship of the event that kicks off in earnest tomorrow.

One highlight of the 25,000-square-foot Athlete HQ that Nobull built in the Indiana Convention Center adjacent to Lucas Oil Stadium is a recovery lounge with PT tables, nutrition amenities and 85 pieces of equipment utilizing the latest technology from  NFL partner Hyperice, including:

• Normatec 3 Legs and Normatec Go compression devices

• Hypervolt 2 Pro and Hypersphere massagers

• Vyper Go vibrating fitness rollers

• Venom 2 Back and Venom Leg heat/massage wraps

• Zero Gravity Chairs

“If they need to get body work done, if they need to get adjusted,” Nobull CMO Todd Meleney said of the 300+ prospects in Indianapolis, “they have a safe space to go do that with their trainer and they're not having to find some other space nearby the venue to get work done.”

The combine recovery lounge is the start of more tech-focused integrations for Nobull, which next week will work with Hyperice again, as well as Whoop, to give PGA Tour fans an immersive training experience at The Players Championship.

Before NFL prospects hit the field in Indy, they can get loose at a training center connected to the recovery lounge. 

“In the past years, they've been warming up for the 40 in the hotel lobby at night and doing push-ups for the bench behind the curtain, and we really want to make sure that these athletes are able to showcase their best work,” Meleney said of the training facility for the NFL hopefuls.

The combine experience includes a one-on-one, concierge-style fitting of the Nobull gear prospects are wearing exclusively throughout the week, which is also tagged with Zebra Technologies' RFID chips to track data.

“Make sure it fits properly, make sure it looks good, they feel good,” Meleney explained. “And that they're ready to go and they understand how each garment type is designed to perform for them on the field.” That includes getting the right amount of compression for their shorts and shirts, as well as the right inseam fit depending on their position.

The combine deal marks Nobull’s third major league-level sponsorship, after pacts with the PGA Tour and CrossFit Games. This week, with a new NFL Combine Collection debuting and the league's most hardcore fans watching the next generation of football stars show off their skills in Nobull gear, the Boston-based brand is confident the workouts will spotlight its top-of-the-line apparel strategy.

“It's all about fit and high-quality materials, and that's what we've leaned into, especially when it comes to warped-knitted compression and all of our inline product from a training perspective is really high quality,” Meleney said.

While athleisure has become a hot market trend in recent years, Nobull is firm in sticking to its performance roots. “That's why the NFL is attracted to working with us, because we are a training brand,” said Meleney, noting a desire to continuously evolve their product. “This is what we do.”

Attendance numbers for the Drone Racing League’s 2022-23 Algorand World Championship Race this past weekend in Miami are still being tallied but the technology-centric outfit drew its largest crowd ever, highlighted by Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill taking part in a "First Flight" before the racing action began at loanDepot Park, which is normally home to the Marlins.

The NFL star sat with DRL pilot Alex Vanover for a first-person view (FPV) of a drone flight through the stadium, a ceremony the league hopes to make a new tradition with celebrities at races in future seasons. 

"The Dolphins and the Marlins saw this fan base ignite during all of the events," DRL President Rachel Jacobson said of the South Florida spectators. "And I think you're going to see us doing more with the other leagues."

The energy from the weekend is also inspiring DRL to keep collaborating with personalities from stick-and-ball pro sports properties. “A key learning is we're going to continue to really lean into athletes, entertainers, celebrities and where they can be part of our sport,” Jacobson said.

Beyond the high-profile Hill partnership, loanDepot Park was filled with tech-laden activations from DRL partners:

• In a 5G-powered display, T-Mobile debuted an XR experience that gave fans 3D visualizations of the racecourse via smart glasses.

• The Air Force let fans try its E.C.H.O. (Enhanced Cognitive Human Ops) virtual reality test

• Algorand provided fans with a proof of attendance NFT.

I can tell you the anticipation is high among entire SBJ Tech team ahead of the inaugural Sports Business Awards: Tech next Tuesday evening at the Hard Rock Hotel in New York City. 

One of the awards I’m most excited for is Best In Extended Reality, the category I captained during our initial selection period. We ended up with five premier nominees that have been extremely influential in a space ripe with innovation. I can’t wait to see who wins.

Two other categories that I’m particularly fascinated by are Technology Collaboration Of The Year and Technology Executive Of The Year. The companies and names featured on both fronts are some of the best the industry has to offer, and no doubt made it a tough decision for SBJ’s independent judges.

You can still sign up to attend the awards show, if you haven’t done so already and receive in-person or virtual access to Tech Week. Find more information here.

• The new MLS Season Pass on Apple TV+ is officially underway with one week of the 2023 season already in the books. My colleague Joe Lemire got a first-hand look at the 6,000-square-foot production studio that is the home of the groundbreaking streaming partnership.

• I'm a big fan of Roku and its user-friendly streaming technology, so I was intrigued by this piece from SBJ's Tom Friend looking at the company's sport strategy that is evolving with machine learning.

• Team Whistle is making a concerted paradigm shift from mid-form to short-form content, launching an incubator of 12 creators to produce 30-to-60 second sports-centric video posts.

• Yesterday was a heavy news day for sports tech startups, with new accelerators and cohorts launching from Comcast NBCUniversal, NBA Launchpad and Stadia Ventures.

Images credits: Nobull (combine facilities); DRL (Tyreek Hill)