Ali Farag hails profit-sharing plan for PSA players
By SEAN REUTHE – Squash Mad Reporter
The Professional Squash Association (PSA) has today confirmed a groundbreaking partnership with global technology provider Sports Data Labs that will see squash become the first professional sport ever to make in-game physiological data assets available for commercialisation.
Using Sports Data Labs’ proprietary data capture and tracking technology in what is the first ever season-long agreement of its kind in professional sports, the PSA will receive real-time human data throughout the 2018-19 PSA Tour season.
The data will be incorporated into the sport’s official broadcasts to enhance the viewing experience, while simultaneously being made available to commercial partners such as sports betting companies and organisations established in the health and wellness industries.
In addition, players will be given access to the data to help them with performance analysis and training, while earnings from these commercial opportunities will be split between the PSA, Sports Data Labs and the PSA’s athletes using a revenue share model – the first of its kind ever to be incorporated in professional sport.
“Sports Data Labs have extensive experience of capturing and monetising athlete data and this partnership will help position squash at the forefront of using physiological data in professional sports,” said PSA COO Lee Beachill.
“We trialled Sports Data Labs’ technology at various points during the 2017-18 season and the data highlighted the true physical demands of squash, along with proving that our athletes are among the fittest in the world.
“We are excited to incorporate this data into future tournament broadcasts which will bring a new dimension to the sport, and we are perfectly placed to explore the numerous commercial opportunities that will come about as a result of having access to this data.”
PSA Men’s President and World No.2 Ali Farag said: “It is great news that we are finally partnering up with Sports Data Labs officially. The work they have done over the past season through the trials is tremendous. It really showcases the severity of our sport.
“The tangible data proving that squash players play for a few consecutive minutes over the 180+ bpm heart rate acquired by Sports Data Labs has definitely raised the profile of our sport and this can definitely have a positive effect on the growth of our game.
“It is extremely important to keep moving forward, and with the way sports and life in general are heading, there’s no way of growing without embracing more & more new technologies. This is certainly a positive step for squash and I am really looking forward to a brilliant future ahead with Sports Data Labs.”
Sports Data Labs Chief Executive Mark Gorski said: “We are thrilled to partner with the PSA and pioneer how in-game physiological data, and assets derived from that data, can be utilised for real-time performance applications and commercial use cases in professional sport, including sports betting. We look forward to providing our turnkey solution for the 2018-19 season and creating entirely new value for PSA stakeholders.”
About Sports Data Labs
Sports Data Labs provides the technology infrastructure to enable in-game capture, analysis and distribution of real-time human data for athlete and team consumption, as well as other business and consumer applications. Sports Data Labs had previously provided over 80 hours of real-time human data content captured across 50 matches on three continents for the PSA during the 2017-18 season.
Sports Data Labs’ agnostic platform enables the PSA to utilise the best technology available at any given time, while providing sensor companies with an easy pathway in professional sports. Sports Data Labs and the PSA aim to make the PSA a testing ground for new technologies as they come to market.
For more information on Sports Data Labs, visit www.sportsdatalabs.com or follow them on Twitter: @sportsdatalabs
Article by SEAN REUTHE (PSA PR and Media Manager). Edited by ALAN THATCHER.
Picture courtesy of PSA