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ARTICLE · 10 NOVEMBER 2026

The Data-Driven Athlete: Who Owns The Game Now?

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Only a decade ago, performance analysis meant a coach with a stopwatch, notepad and pen. Today, elite athletes are among the most closely monitored people on the planet. GPS vests track every sprint, wearables record heart rate variability and sleep, and AI platforms predict injury risk before a player feels a twinge.

United KingdomMedia, Telecoms, IT, Entertainment
David Hall
David Hall
Kate Oliver
Kate Oliver

Technology is transforming elite sport faster than the rules that govern it. For clubs, governing bodies and brands, the legal questions are no longer theoretical.

Only a decade ago, performance analysis meant a coach with a stopwatch, notepad and pen. Today, elite athletes are among the most closely monitored people on the planet. GPS vests track every sprint, wearables record heart rate variability and sleep, and AI platforms predict injury risk before a player feels a twinge.

Officiating technology decides matches, and computer vision turns every movement into a data point that can be analysed, sold or bet on. Sponsors and sponsorship deals lean on data as evidence to support product claims, among other purposes.

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