Soccer players will have the chance to collect, control and monetise their data gathered on and off the pitch courtesy of a new long-term partnership between global players union Fifpro and Sports Data Labs.
Fifpro’s plans for a centralised player data management platform to give its members greater control over how their personal information is used and commercialised first emerged in July 2023.
Pressure from players to be compensated for the use of their data has increased in recent years, given that information is now gathered for everything from in-house performance applications and betting firms to scouting platforms and video game developers. Players also want greater control to ensure statistics aren’t incorrect and can be easily updated if so.
This open platform from Fifpro and Sports Data Labs, which has a similar agreement in place with the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA), aims to address these various demands from players. It will act as an aggregator of data and let athletes maintain a master record of information, while also enabling players to better understand their physical performance and leverage their data to unlock more money-making opportunities on their terms.
“We are delighted to enter this long-term partnership with Sports Data Labs and embark on an important initiative that will change the landscape of data usage and distribution,” said Fifpro commercial director Andrew Orsatti.
“Our platform will allow players to regain control of their personal data, while safeguarding and managing this information throughout their careers and creating new value across the entire ecosystem around professional football.”
Mark Gorski, Sports Data Labs chief executive, added: “We are proud to partner with Fifpro and empower footballers globally with the technology-based tools to collect, control, and unlock new value with their data.
“By democratising player data in ways that build larger longitudinal data sets and puts the individual athlete at the epicentre of how their data gets used and shared, we will ultimately enable significantly more value to be created in the football ecosystem. This includes powering an entirely new understanding of the principal biological drivers of human performance in football at all levels, including youth and amateur, as well as new use cases that will support players in achieving their data-driven goals.”
SportsProMedia
