Put very simply, Sports Tech is where technology and sport connect. Sports Tech can be embraced in a variety of ways by all those involved in the sporting experience be it clubs, athletes, governing bodies, sponsors, rights-holders or spectators.
Technology has brought about huge changes to the sporting world in the past decade. Our market-leading pedigree in both sports, technology & communications, intellectual property and privacy & data protection gives us a unique position from which to guide our clients in the industry through critical transitions as they start to navigate the opportunities and challenges that the digital world and technological advances have presented to sport.
We work with clients to plan, implement and manage important technological developments to ensure fans are getting the best experience, sports are being played fairly and clubs, venues, and sporting governing bodies are commercialising their businesses as much as possible.
Some examples of how we assist clients in Sports Tech are set out below.
Developing and implementing new equipment and software whether that be for athlete performance/analysis/management or to monitor fair play during sporting competitions.
Implementing technological systems to make it easier for fans to watch and engage with sport through OTT services, VR, AR, the Metaverse, etc.
Advising on venue safety e.g. using location based data to track and manage the crowd and capacity of a venue as well as general optimisation of sports venues.
Advising on the regulatory issues around the trading in NFTs.
We were one of the first law firms to engage in esports law, built on our unique pedigree in sports, media, gaming and technology (learn more about our esports offering here).
Case studies
Advising the Federation Internationale d’Automobile on both the commercial and regulatory implications of the introduction of new, cutting edge technology into Formula One cars.
Advising a Premier League football club on a major digital transformation project, including ticketing, marketing, hospitality, events and e-commerce.
Advising a major financial institution in relation to its creation of a sports-related NFT (which comprises unique data relating to a digital image, hosted off-chain) being made available via a prize promotion.
Advising a global tennis governing body on the implementation of a digital athlete management system, including detailed data analytics and reporting functions.
They are very knowledgeable in this area, not only navigating the issues domestically but also the implications internationally as they have a global reach."
