Elite and professional sport has entered a new era, one driven by wearable technology, advanced analytics and AI‑enabled performance monitoring. Tools such as GPS tracking, heart‑rate analysis, and sleep and recovery monitoring now play a central role in athlete development, competitive advantage and commercial success. This year’s World IP Day speaks directly to this evolution, highlighting how creativity and innovation, protected by intellectual property (“IP”) rights, continue to power progress in the world of sport.
What is performance data and why does it matter in sport?
At its simplest, performance data generates insights that can be used to measure and demonstrate value. The more complex reality is that, while data itself is not protected as IP, significant IP value lies in the devices, systems, technologies, databases, software, algorithms and analytical models used to collect, process, commercialise and generate user-specific outputs in respect of the data. In
