NICHOLASVILLE, Ky.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The National Softball Association (NSA) and the Baseball Players Association (BPA) are pleased to announce Time Inc.’s (NYSE:TIME) Sports Illustrated Play (SI Play) as the official technology partner of both organizations. As a result, the dedicated softball and baseball communities of the NSA and BPA—including over 225,000 players, as well as their families, friends and league administrators—will benefit from SI Play’s digital and social platform and tools. The next generation of the SI Play platform will be released later this month.
“The addition of Sports Illustrated Play and Tourney Machine strengthens our ability to meet the needs of our directors, leagues and tournament teams in all of our programs,” said Hugh Cantrell, CEO of NSA/BPA.
As the NSA’s and BPA’s official technology partner, SI Play will support both organizations with its comprehensive platform that delivers an unprecedented utility, content and social experience. The full-service technology enables youth sports administrators and coaches to manage a wide range of activities, such as online registration and payments, calendars and scheduling, professional website creation and team and roster management—all with the click of a button. Other features include integrated background checks, team- and league-wide communication tools, tournament management, data and analytics and team gear and fundraising.
“We are excited about our new partnership with the National Softball Association and the Baseball Players Association,” said SI Play CEO Jeff Karp. “Hugh and his team have created a wonderful environment for thousands of baseball and softball players, their families and friends. As coaches and parents of young athletes ourselves, we understand the dedication and commitment required. We’re going to work very closely with the organization to make its league and team operations easier, more efficient and even more rewarding for everyone.”
Launched in 2015, SI Play works with National Governing Bodies (NGBs) and youth sports organizations to create leading-edge products and services that elevate and celebrate the games for everyone. SI Play currently supports more than 10 million monthly active users with digital products and services, and it has official technology partnerships with nine youth sports NGBs. Tourney Machine, which was recently added to the SI Play family, has managed more than 780,000 games across 8,000 tournaments, including participation from 393,000 teams and 3 million players, since its debut in 2013.
Later this month SI Play will extend its platform offering by releasing the most robust and player-friendly app that is all about simplifying and celebrating the sports lives of players, coaches, families and fans. It provides users the best scheduling and notification tools, including real-time posts, updates, live game scoring and communication/chat capabilities with other parents and team members. The app also promotes the social sharing of content and in-game moments, allowing users to generate content and stories, as well as curated content from Sports Illustrated and Sports Illustrated for Kids.
ABOUT SI PLAY
SI Play (www.siplay.com) brings together industry leaders in sports software around a simple yet ambitious goal: to connect the world of youth sports. Since its launch in July 2015, SI Play has gained tremendous momentum and now supports more than 10 million active users each month across a wide range of sports, geographies and age ranges through its digital products and services, and it has official technology partnerships with nine youth sports National Governing Bodies. The company provides the platform and tools to fuel the passion for sports and ensure a rewarding experience for all participants.
ABOUT TIME INC.
Time Inc. (NYSE:TIME) is one of the world's leading media companies, with a monthly global print audience of over 120 million and worldwide digital properties that attract more than 150 million visitors each month, including over 60 websites. Our influential brands include People, Sports Illustrated, InStyle, Time, Real Simple and Southern Living, as well as more than 50 diverse titles in the United Kingdom.
ABOUT NSA
Established in 1982 by Hugh Cantrell in Lexington, Kentucky. The National Softball Association is a full-service organization that offers a division of play and a level of competition that youths through adults can enjoy.
ABOUT BPA
Established in 2000 by Hugh Cantrell in Lexington, Kentucky. The Baseball Players Association is a full-service organization that offers a division of play and a level of competition that all baseball players can enjoy.
