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When you think<\/span> of Comcast, you probably think of the cable or internet service, but it\u2019s also a part of NBCUniversal. With that comes a fair bit of sports coverage, including the Olympics, NASCAR, WWE and PGA, to name a few. As such, Comcast has some motivation to drive innovation in how sports are covered and consumed.<\/p>\n In 2020, the company decided it needed a vehicle to support startups that were trying to bring disruptive technology related to sports. The Comcast NBCUniversal SportsTech Accelerator<\/a> was born with a vision of finding startups that would bring some innovation to their sports league partners, while giving the startups access to Comcast\u2019s media expertise and the leagues themselves.<\/p>\n This year the accelerator welcomed 10 companies<\/a> to its 2023 cohort, its third class. Unlike a lot of accelerators, this one isn\u2019t looking for absolute beginners. Instead, it wants companies that have already built a product and are working with customers. Comcast works with the companies throughout the six-month period, introducing them to their partners and helping them grow, but the companies continue to operate as normal.<\/p>\n Comcast invests $50,000 into each company in return for stocky equity. Jenna Kurath, VP of startup partnerships and head of Comcast NBCU SportsTech, admits it is a nominal amount of money, designed mostly to cover expenses related to participating in the accelerator. But she says the investment sends an important message to their cohort participants.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s really about us having skin in the game and in their success for one, but I think the other big important piece of that is that\u2019s typically stock you would reserve for bringing on a strategic adviser,\u201d Kurath told TechCrunch+. \u201cBut in this case, you\u2019re bringing on multiple strategic advisers from different sports teams and leagues and types of sports.\u201d<\/p>\n The company also has a sister accelerator, called Comcast NBCU Lift Labs<\/a>, which is a six-week program focused on enterprise AI companies.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n