When Olympic skier, NFL athlete, and seasoned tech entrepreneur Jeremy Bloom was named CEO of X Games, the premier global action sports competition, last December, one of his first initiatives was to team with Google to create the first AI judge. Introduced at the X Games in Aspen just six weeks later, The Owl was born. Riding the momentum created by The Owl’s successful debut, Bloom is announcing the launch of The Owl AI, a groundbreaking artificial intelligence platform built to bring unprecedented fairness, transparency, and immersion to the global sports ecosystem. The company is backed by an $11 million seed round, led by S32 (founded by Google Ventures creator Bill Maris), with additional participation from Menlo Ventures and Susa Ventures. To lead the new company, Bloom has brought on the former Head of AI at Google Cloud, JoshGwyther as CEO.
“When we launched The Owl in Aspen, the mission was clear: to modernize and elevate how sports are judged, experienced, and understood, using the power of AI. What I didn’t anticipate was the immediate surge of excitement among all the stakeholders including athletes and also other leagues. It was obvious that we were on to something big and necessary,” said Bloom. “Bringing Josh, who is one of the top AI minds in the world, to the frontline of sports marks a major moment, not just for The Owl, but for the entire world of sports technology. Josh’s expertise, paired with my athlete-first vision, will enable us to redefine fairness, engagement and the future of competition.
With its Google lineage, S32 is the perfect partner to help launch this groundbreaking company. As the creator of Google Ventures, Maris has backed numerous iconic companies and founded S32 in order to help catalyze the next wave of AI-driven disruption.
“At S32, we invest in bold ideas led by visionary teams and Owl AI is exactly that,” said Andy Harrison, CEO & General Partner, S32. “By fusing elite athletic insight with cutting-edge AI, Jeremy and Josh are building more than just a new layer of fairness in sports — they’re reshaping how the world experiences competition. We’re proud to back a platform that elevates the integrity and accessibility of global sport.”
More Than Just Judging
While Owl AI made headlines at X Games Aspen this year by successfully predicting podium finishes in the Men’s Snowboard SuperPipe and delivering live, multilingual commentary on ABC, its vision extends far beyond judging. The technology is built to serve as a new layer of intelligence and objectivity for athletes, fans, coaches, and officials alike — across all sports.
In an era where the sports betting market has exploded from $400 million in 2018 to over $16 billion in 2025, there’s never been a more urgent need for trusted, unbiased officiating systems. Owl’s AI capabilities help deliver exactly that: real-time scoring, referee assist tools, and video review enhancements that remove human bias and elevate competitive integrity.
However, Owl AI goes well beyond judging. It also enhances fan engagement and education as it acts as a global storytelling engine, offering localized commentary in dozens of languages, trick explanations for new fans, coaching insights for aspiring athletes, and second-screen experiences that make every viewer feel closer to the action — whether they’re in Tokyo, São Paulo, or Salt Lake City.
About The Owl AI
The Owl is the world’s first end-to-end AI platform designed to bring fairness, clarity, and immersion to judged and referee-influenced sports. Built by elite athletes and top technologists, The Owl delivers real-time scoring, global commentary, and intelligent insights — transforming the athlete, fan, and league experience forever.
What’s Next
After its successful beta at X Games Aspen, The Owl AI is expanding into additional sports and is already in conversations with major leagues and rights-holders about how its platform can be deployed across broadcast, coaching, betting, and officiating environments.
The integration of AI technology to X Games continues the growth and innovation the leagues has experienced under the stewardship of MSP Sports Capital, which purchased X Games from ESPN in 2022. Since taking over and hiring Bloom as CEO, X Games is undergoing a period of transition that is highlighted by a commitment to innovation and excellence in action sports. Coinciding with these changes has been a period of tremendous growth, including a 113% increase in streaming audiences and 2.4 million new social followers over the past two years.
About X Games
Since its inception in 1995, X Games became the leading action sports competition and lifestyle brand, spotlighting the world’s best action sports athletes against the backdrop of each individual host city. Over the past 30 years, X Games has organized the world’s premiere action sports events around the globe, complemented by top musical performances, year-round content and fan experiences.
About MSP Sports Capital
MSP Sports Capital is a global private investment firm that invests in teams, leagues, and other businesses in the sports ecosystem. MSP Sports Capital, A PORTFOLIO COMPANY OF THE NAJAFI COMPANIES, was founded by veteran investor-operators, Jeff Moorad and Jahm Najafi, whose expertise span the world’s largest sports leagues, including MLB, NBA, NFL, F1, and European football. MSP Sports Capital is headquartered in New York.
About Section 32
S32 is a venture capital firm investing at the frontiers of technology. Founded by Bill Maris, the team has deep experience building iconic companies. Our goal is to accelerate the discovery, development, and distribution of revolutionary technologies that improve the human condition. We invest across the entirety of technology. This includes artificial intelligence, enterprise software, cybersecurity, fintech, quantum computing, computational biology and biotechnology.
