Boston-based sports performance company WHOOP struck a deal with the NFL Players Association, giving all NFL players, including incoming ones, the ability to monitor their strain, sleep and recovery as the WHOOP Strap 2.0 wearable device will be distributed to every player.
As the first such deal of its kind between a professional players association and wearable technology technology, WHOOP will give NFL players access to and ownership of their health data along with the ability to commercialize it through the NFLPA’s licensing program. With the partnership, WHOOP is now the Officially Licensed Recovery Wearable of the NFLPA.
The deal with WHOOP is also the first through the players association’s new athlete-driven accelerator OneTeam Collective, which was launched in December.
“Every day, NFL players produce data that can translate into physiological and financial opportunities. We see partnering with WHOOP as the first step in harnessing this exciting technology,” Ahmad Nassar, President of NFL Players Inc. said in a statement. “We are excited to have WHOOP and its innovative, holistic monitoring technology serve as our first OneTeam Collective deal. Together, we’re paving the way towards a new frontier where athletes are empowered by data.”
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NFL players will have the opportunity to design custom licensed bands for the WHOOP Strap 2.0, which monitors and analyzes sleep, recovery and strain. Together, both entities will be studying the effects of injury, travel, scheduling and other variables on recovery as they build out reports to improve player safety and optimize performance.
The WHOOP wearable device, which was recently approved by Major League Baseball for in-game use, will have five sensors that measure data 100 times per second. The information will then be relayed to the company’s mobile and web apps for analysis and recommendations.
Led by the NFLPA’s Nassar, the OneTeam Collective trades an equity stake in startups and early-stage organizations in exchange for access to players and their intellectual property. Currently, there is a concerted focus on partnering with companies around data, media/content and wearables.
Added Los Angeles Chargers offensive tackle Russell Okung in a statement: “WHOOP and the NFLPA are putting the power of data directly in the players’ hands. I want to recover faster, avoid injuries, and have a longer career. This partnership has the potential to contribute to my health, which is imperative to my career in football.”