Sportec Solutions the new officiating provider of Bundesliga

Liam Watson

Sportec Solutions, the sports technology joint venture between Deltatre and DFL, has announced it has assumed the majority shareholding of Vieww – a leading provider of goal-line technology (GLT) and video assistant referee (VAR) solutions. 

As a result, it has been confirmed that Sportec Solutions has become the new officiating technology partner for the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2. 

Sportec Solutions will utilise Vieww technology in a deal that will run for an initial five years, beginning next season (2022/23), to encompass all Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 games including relegation play-offs and Super Cup fixtures, as well as DFB competition matches. 

Vieww is a FIFA-inspected provider of goal-line technology and video assistant referee access, supplying next-generation officiating systems for football and other major sport federations. 

It utilises advanced smart camera technology, which is continuously synchronised to a microsecond. In addition to fully automatic goal detection, all cameras provide 200 HD images per second for analysis and verification of critical goal area scenes. 

The majority acquisition will allow global sports federations to benefit from continued investment into, and development of, a cutting-edge and comprehensive video officiating system, as well as future integration between Vieww’s officiating services and camera technology, and Sportec Solutions’ advanced data capture and analysis ecosystem. 

In addition, Sportec Solutions and Vieww will tap into Deltatre’s market-leading fan engagement and technological expertise, and work in partnership to expand its products with a focus on developing innovative, engaging solutions around officiating, and future-proofing leagues’ owned data and video ecosystems. 

Andrea Marini, CEO, Deltatre: “This agreement is testament to the growth and development of Sportec Solutions and underlines the ambition we have for the company. 

“We know there is an incredible pace of development in this space, which is why we’re delighted to be working with a forward-thinking and talented team at Vieww. We believe we’re bringing together best-in-class data provision and a leading officiating system. We are looking forward to the next Bundesliga season, where we’ll see this capability in action.” 

Hendrik Weber, MD, Sportec Solutions AG: “We are delighted to integrate Vieww’s expert team and market-leading technology into the Sportec Solutions organisation. The opportunities afforded by a fully integrated data and officiating ecosystem, coupled with Deltatre’s fan engagement expertise, represent a significant and exciting evolution in our proposition for leagues and federations.” 

Florian Götte, MD, DFB Schiri GmbH: “We believe this is the beginning of an exciting partnership. We focus on providing a reliable referee assistance technology, that is based on our needs for refereeing in professional football. Besides that, we want to develop existing technologies and innovative solutions to further improve refereeing on and off the pitch. We are looking forward to our partnership with Sportec Solutions.” 

Founded in 2016 and based in Munich, Germany, Sportec Solutions is a joint venture between global sports and entertainment technology provider, Deltatre, and Deutsche Fußball Liga (DFL). Sportec Solutions offers advanced gathering, storage, analysis and distribution of detailed, live match data to clubs, licensees, partners, and clients. 

In November 2020, Deltatre acquired majority shareholding of Sportec Solutions. As part of that agreement, its offering, which is concentrated in Germany, became available to the international market. To learn more about Sportec Solutions and Vieww, please click here

About Sportec Solutions 

As a joint venture between Deltatre and DFL Group, headquartered in Munich, Sportec Solutions develops next-gen solutions in the fields of match data and sports technology. It delivers products and solutions that enable international sports properties to truly maximise the potential of their owned data ecosystems. Sportec Solutions offers the most advanced gathering, storage, analysis, distribution, and analytics of live match data to clubs, licensees, partners, and clients. It also collaborates with renowned companies and scientific institutions to enhance its product development through expanded data processing. 

About Vieww 

Vieww specialises in the development, installation and operation of camera-based systems for digital real-time image processing in the professional sports sector. This includes FIFA licensed goal line technology as well as a complex video referee assistance system (VAR) with virtual offside line (VOL). Vieww develops innovative software technology solutions with the highest standards of reliability, speed and flexibility for real-time support in sports. 

The Engelhardt Family and Elsässer & Rolfes will stay minority shareholders in Vieww. Through this construction the former player Simon Rolfes owns indirectly a minority equity in Vieww of less than 1/8. He has not, and will not, hold an operational role within the company. He has signed a contract confirming this. This matter had been externally audited by an independent company and is contractually secured as requested and approved by DFL. 

About Deltatre 

Deltatre is the global leader in fan-first video experiences. Named in Fast Company’s prestigious annual list of the ‘World’s Most Innovative Companies for 2020’, Deltatre’s market-leading product and services portfolio has helped redefine the way the world consumes sport, media and entertainment by offering specialist innovations in over-the-top streaming, websites and apps, graphics, data, officiating systems, user experience, and product design. Over its 35-year history, the company has grown to employ more than 1,000 staff who are globally distributed across its hubs in 19 key cities. 

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Football Australia Expands Mental Skills Program for Match Officials Amid Sustained Focus on Referee Retention

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Image Credit: Football NSW

Football Australia has confirmed a second national webinar for match officials, led by sports psychologist Dr Liam Slack, extending a referee development series introduced after strong engagement with an initial session on managing match-day pressure.

The upcoming session, themed “parking with purpose,” will focus on decision-making strategies designed to help referees process on-field calls and reset attention quickly across a match that can present hundreds of individual decisions. Dr Slack, who also consults with The Football Association and the AFC Referee Academy and previously spent over a decade as a performance psychologist with the Professional Game Match Officials Limited in England, brings substantial elite-level experience to a program open to officials at every level, from grassroots to professional.

The theme builds on work Dr Slack has already delivered within Australian officiating. He recently led a session with Football Australia’s National Referee Academy on the same concept, framing the ability to consciously park a decision and refocus on the next phase of play as a trainable skill rather than an innate trait, one that separates officials who reset quickly under pressure from those who don’t. He has also addressed more than 100 Football Australia elite match officials and staff on developing a stronger match-day mentality, an indication of how embedded this psychological framework has become across the officiating pathway rather than remaining a one-off intervention.

The expansion of the webinar series reflects a broader shift in how football administrators are approaching referee attrition. Rather than treating retention purely as a recruitment or pay problem, the program signals an institutional acknowledgment that the psychological demands of officiating, particularly the compounding pressure of split-second decisions under public scrutiny, are a material factor in whether officials remain in the game.

It rests alongside other measures adopted across Australian football in recent years, including visible identification programs for junior referees and structural reviews of referee departments at state federation level, all aimed at the same underlying issue: a shrinking pool of match officials relative to demand.

Football Australia has not detailed metrics for assessing the program’s impact on referee numbers, though the recurring engagement of an internationally credentialed specialist across multiple tiers of the officiating pathway suggests sustained institutional investment in the approach.

Arsenal FC announce Saint Lucia as new destination partner

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Image credit: Saint Lucia Tourism Authority

Starting in the 2026/27 season, the deal will see Saint Lucia become Arsenal‘s Official Destination Partner.

 

Global reach of a football giant

As one of the most popular clubs in the world, Arsenal’s influence expands far beyond the boundaries of North London.

And with its latest partnership, alongside the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority (SLTA), the reigning Premier League champions will help to promote the Caribbean island to the UK market.

Furthermore, the agreement will see additional benefits for both parties, including the development of an Academy Hub in Saint Lucia, brand visibility at the Emirates Stadium for both Premier League and Women’s Super League games, and more.

“We are entering an exciting term as Arsenal’s Official Destination Partner, aligning with a club that has a loyal, global supporter base,” said Saint Lucia’s Minister for Tourism, Commerce, Investment, Creative Industries, Culture and Heritage, Dr. Ernest Hilaire via media release.

A partnership extending from one side of the Atlantic to the other, uniting communities through football.

 

Sport and culture go hand-in-hand

This isn’t the first time, however, that Saint Lucia Tourism Authority has ventured into the commercial world of global sport.

In the past, for example, the organisation built firm relationships with several other iconic outfits including the New York Yankees (baseball), Toronto Raptors (basketball), Toronto Maple Leafs (ice hockey) and Brooklyn Nets (basketball).

But with an iconic club like Arsenal the latest addition to the lost, it further proves that sport, culture and commerce are by no means seperate entities.

In fact, in a deal such as this, all three can grow and thrive.

Arsenal are one of several clubs to establish ties with tourism boards and destination groups across the world. Notable partnerships include:

  • Manchester City and Visit Abu Dhabi
  • Fulham FC and Visit Mongolia
  • Manchester United and Visit Malta

Exposure for international tourism boards at Premier League grounds holds immense economic potential, thus a key aim in the alliance between Saint Lucia and Arsenal is to drive the island’s economy through tourism.

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