GeniusIQ brings AI-driven tech innovation to FIBA U19 World Cup

Originally published on SportBusiness.com

Groundbreaking tracking technology was showcased for fans, media partners, coaches and players during this year’s FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup in Lausanne.

With blink-and-you-miss-it action featuring elite athletes at the peak of their powers captivating a global following, basketball has long been considered to be an ideal launchpad for sport’s most progressive technologies. 

However, the AI-powered innovations on display during this year’s FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup in Lausanne, Switzerland, were truly groundbreaking even by the sport’s lofty standards. 

As part of governing body’s long-term strategic partnership with sports data and technology provider Genius Sports through to 2035, the U19 showpiece was the first-ever FIBA event to fully integrate AI-driven technologies. 

The offering included in-game optical tracking data for real-time player and team insights; augmented broadcasts integrating live tracking data to deliver immersive viewing experiences for fans; and rich performance insights for coaches and players to optimise training and game strategies. 

The solutions were powered by GeniusIQ, Genius Sports’ AI platform, which was unveiled with a promise of opening up a new dimension of data-driven storytelling and insights for coaches, players, fans and broadcasters. According to the feedback, the technology delivered.  

Data-driven storytelling 

“It’s all about laying the foundation for smarter decision-making and richer basketball experiences.” says Bart Prinssen, FIBA’s Head of Equipment and Venue Centre. 

“Coaches and players immediately recognised how the technology can assist them in the future – offering clearer performance insights, aiding tactical planning, and supporting player development.  

“Media partners and fans were especially enthusiastic, as this tech enables more immersive, data-driven storytelling and deeper fan engagement. 

GeniusIQ provided fans watching the games on YouTube with live metrics, including split-second shot probabilities, as well as shot and defender distance measurements. Indeed, a poll during one of the live streams found 75% of fans were in favour of such real-time updates for enhancing their live viewing experience.  

It is perhaps little surprise, therefore, that leaders in basketball – and other sports – believe there is significant potential to monetise such solutions in the coming years, from enhancing live broadcasts and digital platforms to creating new data services and fan experiences.  

“National Federations and clubs can explore licensing, sponsoring, media enhancements, performance analytics and scouting tools, and even subscription-based content,” Prinssen says. “It is about turning deeper insight into greater value for everyone in the ecosystem.” 

Deeper insights 

These deeper insights were brought to life during the tournament in Lausanne. 

From identifying American ace Caleb Holt as the top shooter in terms of estimated field goal percentage to singling out Serbia’s Savo Drezgic as the leading passer in potential assists per game, the technology offered numerous fresh perspectives on the action. 

“The modern basketball fan wants more than box score statistics shown at half-time,” Steven Burton, Genius Sports’ chief partnerships officer, says. “In an era of on-demand content, they increasingly expect insights and updates that help them to understand the inner workings of every player and team during the game.  

“Throughout the tournament in Lausanne, we also gave coaches live demonstrations of the GeniusIQ-powered performance tools that will be made available across world basketball. These solutions provide coaches and analysts with an incredible wealth of data-driven insights to optimise everything from training to post-game and opponent analysis.” 

A shared vision for innovation 

As Switzerland assistant coach Julien Vonovier noted, the depth of the available data is ideal for both scouting and performance analysis. The key to optimising the practical use of the technology, though, is that it has been developed and applied with Genius Sports and FIBA working hand-in-hand. 

Prinssen, who highlights how FIBA’s long-term partnership with Genius Sports is built on “a shared vision for innovation”, adds that the collaboration is “a clear example of how a governing body and a tech leader can work together” to develop the sport. 

“We’re not just adopting off-the-shelf solutions – together, we’re developing tools tailored to the needs of international basketball,” Prinssen adds. 

“At the FIBA Equipment & Venue Centre, our mission is to deliver groundbreaking, market-ready technologies every two years. We’re building the most advanced technical hub in the sport and are committed to helping our entire network – FIBA, national federations and leagues – benefit from it.” 

Exciting steps 

Over the past year, the partnership between FIBA and Genius Sports has led to the emergence of a suite of fan engagement, broadcast and performance tools through the GeniusIQ platform. However, Burton explains that there is plenty more to come after “fantastic feedback from both fans and coaches” following the FIBA U19 World Cup debut. 

For instance, tracking cameras are also now installed for Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL) games, leading to Genius Sports recently delivering a series of augmented broadcasts, as well as creating dynamic new sponsorship inventory for one of the LKL’s partners. 

“This is just the beginning for GeniusIQ enhancing world basketball, both on and off the court,” Burton adds. “FIBA is committed to making this technology available to its members worldwide and we’ve already taken some exciting steps forward. 

“Going forward, FIBA leagues and national federations can take their competitions to a new level with our technology, providing immersive experiences for fans and equipping their teams with the leading performance software in world basketball.  

“We are also paving the way for technology that can solve some of basketball’s most complex issues, including enabling coaches to review key plays from a player’s perspective and detecting events that can assist officials with key decisions, such as out-of-bounds calls.” 

Fully-integrated technology framework 

For Prinssen, while the U19s was a perfect testbed for the technology in a major event setting, with “the youth environment the ideal platform to explore new tools”, there is now a growing focus on expanding the technology across more FIBA competitions. 

“We’re also working to introduce the technology across a growing number of national federations and national leagues, helping them to modernise their competitions and enhance their data ecosystems,” Prinssen says. 

“Our long-term vision is a fully integrated technology framework across all levels of the global basketball structure. For this reason, we have in 2025 expanded our team to support national federations while they onboard this new technology. 

“At the Equipment & Venue Centre, we’re not just innovating for FIBA – we see ourselves as team players and facilitators, providing tools, expertise, and solutions that benefit our entire basketball community.”