STATSports has inked a landmark deal with the Chinese Football Association that could see as many as 50 million soccer players there monitored by its on-field performance technology.
The deal, which could expand STATSports’ APEX performance monitoring technology to as many as 70,000 pitches and 50,000 coaches in China by 2020, follows similar deals with U.S. Soccer and the Brazilian Football Confederation.
APEX is also used by teams across the English Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, MLS, and other in sports such as the NFL, NBA, Rugby Union and International hockey.
The Chinese deals stands out in part because of the government’s willingness to invest heavily in the expansion of soccer, a goal set forth by President Xi Jinping. Over the next 30 years, Xi wants the Chinese men’s team to first qualify for a second World Cup, then host the tournament, and then win one. (China has hosted two women’s World Cups, and the Chinese women finished runners up in 1999.)
Xi’s demand prompted heavy advertising spending by Chinese brands at the 2018 Russia World Cup, even though China’s national team wasn’t present, and it is now creating significant opportunities for soccer technology and development companies in the country.
“We are looking to improve our on-field performance of our national teams,” said Lido Du, head of National Team performance at the Chinese Football Association, in a statement. “We identified GPS player tracking technology as a crucial factor in facilitating this improvement. Big data has become an exceedingly important part of gaining advantage and self-improvement in today’s football world. Tracking data is an inevitable component in it.”
As part of STATSports’ multi-year deal with the federation, the company will provide its wearable tracking system to all national teams within the organization. Some teams have already used the system, which tracks athlete performance during practice sessions and games and provides real-time feedback to coaching staff and players, including Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao F.C., which won the Chinese Super League seven years in a row form 2011 to 2017.
The system measures and analyzes physical attributes of players and can provide details on metrics such as distance covered, speed, and acceleration. It can additionally provide insights on player load and the level of fatigue and injury risk.
“This agreement with the Chinese Football Association is another fantastic achievement for STATSports,” said STATSports Chief Global Strategist Jarlath Quinn. “Chinese football has received a great deal of coverage over the last couple of years and has made significant investments to ensure they can compete at the highest level in years to come.”
“This means the Chinese Football Association can tailor each training session to ensure that players reach peak condition come matchday, giving them the opportunity to perform at their best on the biggest stage.”
To service the growing number of new soccer players in China, the government is investing in new facilities and starting to include soccer in school curriculums.
SportTechie Takeaway
While soccer is already the world’s most popular sport, China’s focus on the game’s development is a win for not only STATSports but for the sport as a whole. China is one of the world’s biggest consumer markets, and President Xi Jinping’s interest significantly elevates soccer there. That will create opportunities for wearable and analytics companies that can improve soccer in China and help the men’s national team qualify for Qatar 2020.