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SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS SHOWS UP IN ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST POPULAR MOBILE GAMES FOR A SPECIAL TAKEOVER

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The world of Brawl Stars meets Bikini Bottom as the Nickelodeon animated series SpongeBob SquarePants celebrates its 25th anniversaryIn-game takeover runs from September 5th to October 2nd, with iconic characters such as SpongeBob, Patrick, and Mr. Krabs reimagined as popular BrawlersThe partnership gives Brawl Stars players the perfect dose of nostalgia, alongside launch content featuring actor, fan, and WWE legend John CenaDownload Brawl Stars on iOS or Android to enter Bikini Bottom in the Brawl Stars universe now

PRESS KIT

HELSINKI, Sept. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Brawl Stars, one of the world’s most popular mobile games*, has partnered with Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePants to mark the show’s 25th anniversary by reimagining the world of Bikini Bottom inside the game.

 

Supercell, the developers of Brawl Stars, identified SpongeBob SquarePants as the perfect fit for the game’s humourous, high-energy action.

As part of the takeover, iconic SpongeBob SquarePants characters have been reimagined as Brawlers, including a muscle-bound El Primo SpongeBob and other fan-favourites such as Patrick, Mr. Krabs, Squidward and Sandy. Brawls will take place on the new Bikini Bottom game map and special, temporary power-ups will provide increased damage, like the Krabby Patty, Clarinet and Kelp Soda. Meanwhile, themed game modes bring fresh gameplay and chaos, such as in Jellyfishing where players battle to catch…you guessed it, jellyfish.

Supercell has teamed up with John Cena to helm its hilarious launch commercial. Known for his prowess in the wrestling ring, Cena brings his signature energy and charisma to the commercial, where he’s seen relaxing on a yacht and enjoying a session of Brawl Stars when his phone falls into the ocean.

John Cena said: “As a long time fan of Supercell games and having watched SpongeBob for years, there was definitely a nostalgic component that drew me to the partnership. SpongeBob inside Brawl Stars is absolutely wild and I’m all for it – it’s the epic entertainment tag team fans have been waiting for!”

Frank Keienburg, Brawl Stars General Manager, said: “Bringing SpongeBob into the world of Brawl Stars has been on our radar for a while. The worlds of Bikini Bottom and Starr Park complement each other well and considering our community’s love for SpongeBob memes, we were confident our players would like to see a collab happen! It’s been super fun to see our team bring this to life and be part of this special 25th anniversary for the SpongeBob franchise.”

Doug Rosen, SVP, Games and Emerging Media, Paramount, said: “Bringing SpongeBob SquarePants into Brawl Stars is an exciting opportunity to unite two beloved franchises with vibrant communities. We know fans will love playing as the cast of characters from Bikini Bottom in the fast-paced world of Brawl Stars and we can’t wait to see how they play and explore.”

Players worldwide can download Brawl Stars on iOS or Android, joining SpongeBob and the rest of Bikini Bottom for a splashing good time.

For more information, please contact supercellEMEAhub@wearetheromans.com.

Notes to Editors
* Brawl Stars has amassed over 1.3 billion downloads, grossed over $2bn in lifetime revenue and topped the app store download charts in 66 countries in 2024 alone.
Brawl Stars is available for download on both iOS and Android devices.

About Supercell
Supercell is a game company based in Helsinki, Finland, with offices in San Francisco, Seoul, and Shanghai. Since its launch in 2010, the company has brought six games to the global market: Hay Day, Clash of Clans, Boom Beach, Clash Royale, Brawl Stars and Squad Busters. Supercell’s dream is to create games that as many people as possible play for years and that are remembered forever.

About SpongeBob SquarePants
Since its launch July 17, 1999, SpongeBob SquarePants has reigned as the most-watched animated series for 22 consecutive years, while generating a universe of beloved characters, pop culture catchphrases and memes, theatrical releases, consumer products, a Tony award-winning Broadway musical and a global fan base. SpongeBob SquarePants is one of the most widely distributed properties in Paramount Global history, seen in more than 180 markets, translated in 30+ languages, and averaging more than 90 million total viewers every quarter. SpongeBob SquarePants was created by Stephen Hillenburg and produced by Nickelodeon in Burbank, Calif.  The character-driven cartoon chronicles the nautical and sometimes nonsensical adventures of SpongeBob, an incurable optimist and earnest sea sponge, and his undersea friends.

About Paramount Consumer Products
Paramount Consumer Products oversees all licensing and merchandising for Paramount, a leading global media and entertainment company that creates premium content and experiences for audiences worldwide. Driven by a diverse slate of consumer brands, Paramount Consumer Products’ portfolio is based on content from platforms including Paramount+, CBS (including CBS Television Studios and CBS Television Distribution), cable networks (including MTV, Nickelodeon and Showtime), and Paramount Pictures. Additionally, the division operates Paramount Game Studios. With properties spanning animation, live-action, preschool, youth and adult, Paramount Consumer Products is committed to creating the highest quality product for some of the world’s most beloved, iconic franchises. To view our range of consumer products and Paramount branded apparel, visit ParamountShop.com.

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SOURCE Supercell

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Texas Athletics and McCombs School of Business Launch New Bevo Lab, Bringing Together Sports, AI and Analytics

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Dell Technologies, Google Cloud and SHI International join Texas Athletics to power a first-of-its-kind hub for sports intelligence, data analytics, research, and talent development

AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — University of Texas Athletics and the Business of Sports Institute (BOSI) in the McCombs School of Business, in cooperation with Longhorn Sports Properties, today announced the launch of Bevo Lab, a unique collaboration that will serve as higher education’s premier sports intelligence platform and living laboratory—bringing together sports, technology, data analytics, and artificial intelligence (AI) to elevate human performance while expanding hands-on learning opportunities for students.
 

Joined by Dell Technologies, Google Cloud, and SHI International, Texas Athletics is building the premier sports intelligence platform in higher education, creating a standard of excellence that spans 21 intercollegiate teams and over 500 student-athletes. Bevo Lab will leverage AI-driven research and data analytics to deliver real-world solutions to help athletes and coaches become more efficient in their training and preparation while developing a pipeline of students with hands-on experience for sought-after careers in technology and sports analytics.

“With the help of our nationally ranked academic leaders and cutting-edge technology brand sponsors, Bevo Lab will become the global benchmark for innovation in sports AI and data analytics, making Texas Athletics the most data-driven athletic program in the country,” said Chris Del Conte, vice president and Folger Family Athletics Director at The University of Texas. “What starts here changes the world, and this vision will transform collegiate athletics. There is no bigger stage, no more powerful brand and no better time than now to lead in this new evolution of sports technology.”

Del Conte will officially announce Bevo Lab today at Texas’ Business of College Sports Summit.

Named for the university’s esteemed and powerful live mascot, Bevo Lab will be a part of BOSI, an academic and research center in McCombs that combines business education, on-field/on-court performance analytics, applied research, and industry participation. The lab will engage as many as 40 student researchers annually in managing the modeling and data projects under the direction of acclaimed sports data analyst, author, and BOSI executive director Kirk Goldsberry, Ph.D.

“The AI and emerging technologies provided by our industry partners will empower our students and researchers to deliver improved efficiency and increased speed in data analysis to boost performance and improve success,” added Goldsberry. “Bevo Lab will reinforce Texas as a leader in sports analytics and AI and will serve as the blueprint for the future of sports.”

Key innovations driving the Bevo Lab:

Bevo Lakehouse: A unified data warehouse that consolidates previously siloed sports-specific data such as game film and wearable technology into a single platform—starting with football, before expanding across all 21 varsity sports.Predictive AI & analytics models: Custom machine learning frameworks, including “transfer AI” for roster evaluation, designed to give coaches actionable insights for game strategy, scouting, and player development.Tailored front-end applications: Intuitive visual and natural language interfaces built specifically for the distinct daily workflows of athletes, coaches and athletic executives.Next-generation skills training: A hands-on program for UT students to gain AI skills and deploy live applications alongside athletic teams. Through a first-of-its-kind Google Public Sector ambassador program, students will also get to work directly with engineering teams, gaining high-stakes industry experience to launch careers in tech and sports analytics.

Dell Technologies: Powering a New Era in College Athletics

Dell Technologies is deepening its decadeslong relationship with The University of Texas as the premier founding sponsor and the Official Technology Infrastructure Sponsor of Bevo Lab. Building on a broad history of collaboration that spans groundbreaking research at the Texas Advanced Computing Center and technology innovation across Texas Athletics, Dell is providing the secure AI-ready infrastructure that powers Bevo Lab, enabling students, researchers, coaches and student-athletes to transform data into actionable insights, accelerate innovation and elevate human performance.

“Bevo Lab represents the next chapter in Dell Technologies’ longstanding relationship with The University of Texas and our shared commitment to innovation,” said Geraldine Tunnell, chief marketing officer, Dell Technologies. “By providing the secure, AI-ready infrastructure that powers this initiative, we’re enabling students, researchers, coaches and student-athletes to turn data into insight, accelerate innovation and unlock new possibilities for human performance. Together, we’re helping shape the future of sports analytics, research and education.”

Google Cloud: Pioneering AI Breakthroughs from Campus to Game Day

Google Cloud joins Bevo Lab as the Official Cloud Provider and Enterprise AI Provider, establishing a secure, powerful data foundation built for the future of collegiate athletic performance. By leveraging Google Cloud and Gemini, Google’s advanced multimodal, agentic AI, student researchers and athletic staff members can quickly unify vast athletic datasets to generate real-time sports intelligence. Google Public Sector’s Rapid Innovation and Specialty Engineering Teams will collaborate directly with UT coaches and students to prototype new sports technology while mentoring future sports and technology leaders. In fact, early collaboration with Google Public Sector has already introduced AI-driven workflows that save UT coaches more than 15 hours per week in game preparation, giving them critical time back to focus on strategy and player development.

“As a proud UT alum, I am thrilled to see my alma mater leading the charge at the intersection of collegiate sports, academic research, and artificial intelligence,” said Matt Renner, president and chief revenue officer of Google Cloud. “Bevo Lab will establish a new global benchmark for sports innovation, directly enhancing how the Longhorns will train, game plan, and compete on the field while providing a premier launchpad for the next generation of tech and sports analytics leaders. By putting our advanced data analytics platforms and Gemini models into the hands of UT students, coaches, and researchers, we are building a secure foundation for sports intelligence that will define the future of the industry.”

SHI International: Uniting Strategy and Integration for the Win

Founding sponsor SHI will serve as the strategic technology and solutions integrator of Bevo Lab, translating Texas Athletics’ vision into a secure, scalable technology architecture. Drawing on its deep expertise across IT infrastructure, cloud, AI and cybersecurity, SHI will orchestrate the partner ecosystem, ensuring multiple technologies across Bevo Lab operate as one unified platform for sports innovation that will evolve with the university’s athletic performance and provide research and workforce development opportunities for students managing the data analytics projects.

“For nearly four decades, customers have trusted SHI to bring together the right technologies, partners and expertise to build, manage and secure some of the world’s most complex IT environments,” said Jack Hogan, vice president of Advanced Growth Technologies at SHI International. “As the strategic technology and solutions integrator of Bevo Lab, we are thrilled to turn best-of-breed infrastructure, cloud, data, AI and security technologies into one trusted, scalable environment that enables Texas Athletics, coaches, student-athletes and researchers to achieve greatness on the playing field, in the lab, in the classroom and throughout their post-college careers.”

Strategic Collaboration Across Athletics and Industry

Longhorn Sports Properties, the Austin-based division of college media and technology leader Learfield, assisted in the development of Bevo Lab and secured its founding corporate sponsors.

“Bevo Lab is a cutting-edge collaboration that will make a tremendous positive impact on our coaches, our student-athletes and the university,” said Lucas Motta, vice president of Longhorn Sports Properties. “We are excited to lock arms with Dell Technologies, Google Cloud and SHI as leaders within their industry, and together we will help power Texas Athletics to even more championships while preparing our students for the new era in the tech workforce.”

Bevo Lab will be housed in Innovation Tower adjacent to the UT campus and in the heart of Austin’s Innovation District. A dedicated microsite that details Bevo Lab and its research will be available at texaslonghorns.com/bevolab.

About Dell Technologies
Dell Technologies (NYSE: DELL) helps organizations and individuals build their digital future and transform how they work, live and play. The company provides customers with the industry’s broadest and most innovative technology and services portfolio for the AI era.
 

About Google Cloud
Google Cloud offers a powerful, optimized AI stack—including AI infrastructure, leading models like Gemini, data management capabilities, multicloud security solutions, developer tools and platform, as well as agents and applications—that enables organizations to transform their business for the Agentic Era. Customers in more than 200 countries and territories turn to Google Cloud as their trusted technology partner.

About SHI International
SHI International is a $16 billion transformational technology solutions integrator serving the needs of more than 17,000 corporate, enterprise, public sector and academic customer organizations around the world. It helps companies achieve business goals through the use of technologies ranging from software licensing and end user computing devices to innovative cloud and edge solutions. With over 7,000 employees worldwide, SHI is the largest Minority and Woman Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) in the U.S.

About Learfield
Learfield is the leading media and technology company powering college athletics. Through its digital and physical platforms, Learfield owns and leverages a deep data set and relationships in the industry to drive revenue, growth, brand awareness, and fan engagement for brands, sports, and entertainment properties. With ties to over 1,200 collegiate institutions and over 12,000 local and national brand partners, Learfield’s presence in college sports and live events delivers influence and maximizes reach to target audiences. With solutions for a 365-day, 24/7 fan experience, Learfield enables schools and brands to connect with fans through licensed merchandise, game ticketing, donor identification for athletic programs, exclusive custom content, innovative revenue generation solutions, student-athlete marketing initiatives, and advanced digital platforms. Since 2008, it has served as title sponsor for the acclaimed Learfield Directors’ Cup, supporting athletic departments across all divisions. 

Media contacts:
University of Texas Athletics: John Bianco, john.bianco@athletics.utexas.edu, 512-471-1346

Longhorn Sports Properties/Learfield: Tammy Purves, tammy.purves@learfield.com, 404-932-3266

McCombs School of Business: Judie Kinonen, Judie.Kinonen@mccombs.utexas.edu, 409-356-3324

Dell Technologies: Lauren Mauro, media.relations@dell.com.

Google Cloud: press@google.com

SHI: Kaitlynn Cooney, SHI-PR@walkersands.com

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SOURCE Learfield

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XbotGo Named World’s No. 1 Consumer Team Sports AI Tracking Camera Brand

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XbotGo recognized as the market leader in consumer team sports AI tracking technology based on 2025 unit sales.  

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Oct. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — XbotGo is proud to announce that it has officially been recognized as the World’s No. 1 Consumer Team Sports AI Tracking Camera Brand by China Insights Consultancy (CIC), a premier independent market research and consulting firm.  

The certification, issued in October 2026 under research registration number ⁠CIC-2026-985176⁠, is based on a comprehensive evaluation of global unit sales volume throughout the 2025 calendar year. The market research specifically measures consumer-grade camera devices designed for team sports, such as basketball and football, that leverage advanced computer vision and artificial intelligence algorithms to automatically track athletes and capture dynamic gameplay without manual operation.  

“This global market recognition is a powerful testament to the hard work of our engineering teams and the trust our community places in us every day,” said Dr. David Tan, CEO of XbotGo. “From everyday parents and local youth coaches to elite amateur athletes, our mission has always been to make professional-grade sports analysis and hands-free recording accessible to everyone. Being named the global sales leader proves that our vision is resonating worldwide.”

The XbotGo Falcon series combines ultra-sharp 4K resolution, intelligent multi-player tracking, instant highlight creation, and seamless livestreaming capabilities into a compact, subscription-free device. By eliminating the need for a dedicated camera operator, XbotGo empowers teams and families to preserve and analyze every pivotal moment effortlessly.

To learn more about the XbotGo Falcon and explore its award-winning AI tracking technology, visit xbotgo.com.

About XbotGo

XbotGo was founded in 2021 by Dr. David Tan—a computer vision expert, hardware innovator, and devoted soccer dad. Like every parent on the sidelines, he found traditional cameras either too complex or too costly to capture his child’s moments on the field. That frustration sparked a vision: to make sports recording accessible to all through AI. Today, XbotGo is a global AI sports technology company owned by Blink Tech, headquartered in Silicon Valley, California, with R&D centers across Silicon Valley, Beijing, Shenzhen, and Suzhou.

Media Contact:
XbotGo
Gabriel Roxas
PR@xbotgo.com

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DataBeyond Showcases PICKINGMAN in Global Livestream from Operating Waste-Sorting Facility

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DONGGUAN, China, Oct. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — DataBeyond showcased PICKINGMAN, its embodied AI robot for mixed municipal solid waste sorting, during the robot’s first global public livestream at 8 a.m. Beijing time on October 22. The broadcast took place at the Liaobu Municipal Solid Waste Integrated Treatment Center in Dongguan.

Built for Waste-Sorting Conditions

The broadcast demonstrated the robot working on an operating sorting line, highlighting the application of embodied AI to demanding industrial tasks involving mixed materials, dirty conditions and repetitive manual labor. PICKINGMAN began operating at the facility on September 22.

PICKINGMAN features dual arms with a total of 14 degrees of freedom, IP65-rated dust and water protection, and a maximum picking rate of 3,600 picks per hour. Designed to support continuous 24/7 operation, it can sort recyclables including PET bottles and trays, PP containers, PE items, aluminum cans and glass. It coordinates perception, decision-making and motion control to identify and pick target materials on a moving conveyor.

Project Results

Jointly developed by DataBeyond and Guangdong Dongshi Environment Co., Ltd., the Liaobu project combines robotic picking with AI optical sorting and other processing equipment. According to project data, the complete sorting line can process 50 metric tons of mixed municipal solid waste in four hours, achieving approximately 35% waste reduction and 25% resource recovery. Previously, sorting recyclables from the same volume required four skilled workers working for eight hours.

The integrated line separates recyclables for downstream recovery before residual waste is compressed and sent for further treatment, connecting resource recovery with existing waste management operations.

Workforce Benefits and Next Steps

For operators facing recruitment and retention challenges, robotic picking offers an alternative to repetitive manual sorting. The project aims to reduce workers’ direct contact with waste and enable personnel to focus on equipment inspection, production coordination and other technical roles.

“During the livestream, we identified areas where the robot still needs improvement,” said DataBeyond’s Mo Zhuoya. “Bridging the gap between R&D and industrial deployment requires engineering experience. We will accelerate product iteration and conduct longer global livestreams.”

About DataBeyond

DataBeyond develops AI-powered optical sorting equipment and robotic solutions for recycling and solid waste processing. The company integrates AI and multisensor technologies to improve material separation and support resource recovery.

Media Contact

Felix WU
marketing@databeyond.com

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SOURCE DataBeyond

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