NBC Sports Next acquires two European tech companies

NBC Sports Next has expanded its market share in Europe and Africa with the acquisition of Albatros Datenservice, a German company, and Digital Golf Solutions, a French company. Both are leading golf technology companies in Europe.

The companies will operate under the umbrella of BRS Golf, an Irish company that NBC Sports Next acquired in 2013.

The deal will bring about an expansion of NBC Sports Next’s product and technology team for international businesses and will extend its influence into the UK, Ireland, mainland Europe, South Africa and Australia and bolster the efforts of the two new brands under its umbrella.

NBC Sports Next has largely grown through acquisitions since it acquired GolfNow in 2008.

Albatros Datenservice offers technology solutions such as member administration, tournament management and point of sale management. From their offices in Karlsruhe, Germany, and Cape Town, South Africa, they service more than 1,500 clubs across the globe.

Digital Golf Solutions, based in Paris, is the owner and operator of the Mygreenfee tee time platform, which closely aligns with GolfNow, NBC Sports Next’s tee-time booking platform, and partners with more than 320 courses in France, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, and Sweden.

BRS Golf will continue to operate out of its offices in Belfast, Ireland, and is striving to have the Albatros product ready for customers in the UK, Ireland and Australia by 2024. Other features of the software offering will include reservations, point-of-sale, CRM, accountancy and hotel integrations, and competition management software with full World Handicap (WHS) integration.

“The synergies between BRS Golf and Albatros, and GolfNow and Mygreenfee extend beyond products to strategy, culture, and customer experience,” said Brian Smith, Co-Founder of BRS Golf and Head of International Growth & Acquisition for NBC Sports Next Golf. “The acquisition is a closely aligned partnership that enhances our mission to continue to develop golf operations systems built specifically for the ever-changing golf market.”