Tel Aviv, Israel Jun 2, 2026 (Issuewire.com) - Israeli Sports-Tech Innovator Brings Its Gamified Fan Engagement & Monetization Platform to Japan and the Wider Asian Market
PLAY LEAP, the Israeli sports-tech company behind the next-generation gamified fan engagement and monetization platform, today announced a strategic partnership with SmartCast Co., Ltd., a Yokohama-based technology consulting and engineering firm. Under the partnership, SmartCast will serve as PLAY LEAP’s exclusive representative in Japan, leading the platform’s introduction to Japanese sports clubs, leagues, and rights holders, and supporting its broader expansion across the Asian market.
The partnership combines PLAY LEAP’s globally proven, white-label fan engagement technology with SmartCast’s deep local market knowledge, technical consulting capabilities, and engineering network — giving Japanese sports organizations a fully supported path to deploy the platform, with end-to-end services from strategy and integration through to post-launch operations.
Japan’s sports industry is moving rapidly toward digital-first fan experiences. Yet clubs continue to face shared challenges: declining engagement outside match day, fragmented digital touchpoints, heavy dependence on traditional revenue streams, and limited access to first-party fan data. The PLAY LEAP – SmartCast partnership is structured specifically to address these gaps in the Japanese context.
Through this partnership, Japanese sports organizations will be able to:
- Adopt a globally proven platform already in operation with clubs and leagues in Europe, the US, and LATAM.
- Build 365-day, year-round engagement through ratings, predictions, polls, trivia, challenges, and user-generated content
- Own their first-party fan data rather than depending on third-party platforms
- Unlock new digital revenue streams through sponsor integration, in-game advertising, and merchandise sales
- Receive end-to-end local support from SmartCast — covering market design, stakeholder coordination, integration, and ongoing operations
Daniel Avidor, CEO and Co-Founder of PLAY LEAP, said:
“Japan is one of the world’s most passionate and sophisticated sports markets, and we have long believed that Japanese fans deserve experiences that match the depth of their loyalty. Partnering with SmartCast gives us the right local foundation — a team that understands both the technology and the cultural fabric of Japanese sports business. Together, we are bringing a proven, data-driven platform that transforms fan passion into measurable engagement and sustainable revenue for clubs, leagues, and sponsors.”
“Our vision is simple: ‘Game Day, Every Day, All Day.’ With SmartCast as our representative in Japan, we are localizing an entire engagement philosophy for one of the most important sports markets in the world, and using Japan as our gateway to the wider Asian region.”
Masahito Hatakeyama, CEO of SmartCast Co., Ltd., added:
“Japanese sports clubs are at a turning point. Fans expect personalized, interactive, and continuous experiences, while clubs need to diversify their revenue beyond tickets, media rights, and sponsorships. We chose to partner with PLAY LEAP because it is the most complete and flexible fan engagement platform we have evaluated — and because its white-label design respects the brand identity each club has worked hard to build.”
“As PLAY LEAP’s representative in Japan, SmartCast will go far beyond product introduction. We will provide end-to-end support — from market design and stakeholder coordination to technical integration and post-launch operations — so that every partner club can realize tangible results from day one. We are proud to help bring this innovation to the Japanese sports community.”
About PLAY LEAP
PLAY LEAP (LEAP Sports Digital) is an Israeli sports-tech company providing a B2B, white-label fan engagement and monetization platform for sports clubs, leagues, federations, and brands. Through a modular ecosystem of gamified experiences, PLAY LEAP helps organizations own their first-party data, deepen year-round fan loyalty, and unlock high-ROI digital revenue streams. The platform is sport-agnostic, device-agnostic, and scales from grassroots organizations to major professional leagues. Learn more at www.playleap.io.
About SmartCast Co., Ltd.
SmartCast Co., Ltd., based in Yokohama, Japan, provides technology consulting, technical matching, contract development, and engineer training services. Through its PLAY LEAP business line, SmartCast partners with leading international sports-tech companies to bring fan participation platforms to the Japanese and broader Asian markets. The company’s Japanese PLAY LEAP site was developed in cooperation with NTT TownPage Corporation’s D-LEAD service. Learn more at https://www.smart-cast.co.jp/
Media Contacts
SmartCast Co., Ltd. (PLAY LEAP Business Division)
Takaaki Murata
Head of PLAY LEAP Business Division
1-1 Tokiwacho, Naka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 231-0014, Japan
Email: takaaki.murata@playleap.io
Web: https://www.smart-cast.co.jp/play-leap
Media Contact
PLAY LEAP *****@fms-int.com http://www.playleap.io
