Clifford Chance

Player Power v Data Monetisation - Sport's new battleground?

25 June 2021

The global industry recording, analysing and utilising athletes' performance data was valued at close to $1 billion in 2020 and is expected to reach $5 billion by 2026 . However, until recently, despite the data arising from athletes, it has been sport's other stakeholders who have unlocked its value.

Events over the last year, including Project Red Card and Kevin de Bruyne's new contract with Manchester City (the current English Premier League Champions), suggest that the balance between the major stakeholders in sport (including clubs, sponsors, governing bodies) and athletes is shifting.

This is particularly true under emerging tech regulation, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR) and its local implementing legislation, which directly empowers athletes to take control and ownership of their own performance data.

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