Where Sports Tech and Music Tech Overlap
It’s May in Indiana, which means a few things around Rock Paper Scissors’ head office. The Indiana Pacers are back in the Eastern Conference Finals (and just stole Game 1). It’s race week for the Indianapolis 500. And this year, it means Rock Paper Scissors is expanding across the entertainment Venn diagram.
At RPS, we’ve spent the better part of 20 years helping music tech companies bring their stories to life. From AI-powered creativity tools to platforms redefining how artists reach fans, we’ve been on the front lines of a fast-moving, culturally charged sector that sits at the crossroads of entertainment and technology.
People know us, we know them. It’s the heart of what we do here. But we’re also leveling up. We’ve introduced marketing services and I’ve been given latitude to explore where my personal expertise lies.
Which is why we’re stepping into a new arena: sports technology.
This isn’t a pivot — it’s an expansion. And it’s a natural one. The more we’ve immersed ourselves in both spaces, the more we’ve seen the massive Venn diagram overlap between music tech and sports tech. We’re not just talking about superficial similarities, we’re talking about shared challenges, shared opportunities, and shared cultural stakes.
And with a lifelong sports fan on our team (hi, that’s me), this move is more than strategic. It’s personal.
Live Events Bring People Together
Let’s start with the obvious overlap here in our Venn diagram of expertise: both music and sports revolve around live experiences.
Whether it’s a sold-out arena tour or a buzzer-beater in the playoffs, these are the moments that fans remember and carry with them – that shape their interests and how they spend their money. Behind every tour and every season is a network of technology, data, logistics, and storytelling. We understand that the companies building these tools often face similar challenges.
We’ve worked with companies solving problems for artists large and small (both the companies and the artists). Those same needs — performance optimization, audience engagement, content delivery — are fueling innovation in sports tech too.
Think: real-time data overlays for fans, VR experiences that put viewers courtside, or software that helps athletes manage recovery like a touring artist manages their voice.
Rights, Data, and Ownership
Another major crossover point is the world of rights management. In music, we’ve helped clients navigate storytelling about the complex world of publishing, royalties, and AI-generated content. Artists need to understand how their IP is being used, and they need tools and representation that protect their value.
In sports, the conversation is shifting in the same direction.
From NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) deals for college athletes to the rise of creator-athletes on YouTube and TikTok, the question of who owns what — and how it’s monetized — is front and center. Add in biometric data from wearables, and you’ve got a whole new frontier where privacy, profit, and performance collide.
We understand this landscape deeply. Because we’ve already been in it.
Tech That Elevates Talent
The best music tech doesn’t replace artists — it enhances their art.
The best sports tech does the same for athletes of all ages and skill levels. Whether it’s software that improves mental resilience, hardware that prevents injury, or platforms that build deeper fan relationships, these tools exist to help talent perform at their peak.
And the role of PR in both cases? Clearly illustrating how what they are building is in service of the artist or the athlete.
We specialize in telling stories that put creators, whether musicians or athletes, at the center. We humanize technical breakthroughs. We translate features into benefits. We don’t just pitch the tool; we pitch the transformation it enables.
Why RPS, Why Now
We’ve spent years building our expertise at the intersection of tech, culture, and performance. RPS as a whole for 26 years and this particular staff of publicists for nearly five years together.
We’ve helped startups scale into platforms. We’ve helped engineers speak the language of journalists. We’ve launched products, shaped thought leadership, and built bridges between creators and the tools that serve them.
Now, we’re bringing that same playbook — and a deep love of sports — to a new wave of innovators.
We know how to work with companies who are moving fast and changing the game. And we know that in sports, just like in music, the narrative matters as much as the numbers.
Calling All Sports Tech Innovators
If you're building something new in the sports tech world — whether it's about athlete performance, fan experience, rights management, or beyond — we want to hear from you.
We know what it’s like to work in an industry that’s part business, part culture, and 100% competitive. We know how to take complicated, under-the-hood tech and turn it into a compelling story that resonates with athletes, fans, and investors alike.
We’re not coming into sports tech from the outside. We’re bringing years of experience from a parallel universe, one that’s more similar than different. With a sports expert leading the charge, we’re ready to help you own your story and grow your impact.
Music tech taught us how to work with creators, rights, and revolutionary ideas. Sports tech is the next chapter, and it’s one I’ve personally been training for all along.
We’re ready to get in the game. Who’s up next?
About Jonathan Streetman:
Jonathan brings together nearly a decade of newsroom experience and time in a multifaceted role at a small tech startup to shape compelling narratives for clients as a Senior PR Strategist at Rock Paper Scissors. He helps creative and forward-thinking companies share their 'why' through thoughtful, strategic media outreach. A lifelong sports fan and former small-town varsity athlete, Jonathan is especially interested in understanding the evolving sports landscape and helping innovative companies shape the future of the game. He lives in Carmel, Indiana, with his wife, Sarah, where he can be found watching the Colts, Pacers, and F1 no matter the time of the race.
About Rock Paper Scissors:
Founded in 1999, Rock Paper Scissors, Inc. is a PR and marketing firm composed of a diverse team of communicators, creatives, and business minds. We have represented thousands of entertainment tech projects from six continents. Our roster includes clients in music technology, Our roster includes clients in music technology, sports technology, entertainment technology, wellness tech, consumer electronics, innovative musical instruments and gear, AI music, consumer apps, and much more.
