A Guide To Using young people's data in sport

Over the last two decades, there has been an industry wide acceleration, in sports, towards collecting and processing athlete personal data. This trend shows no signs of slowing and, indeed, as discussed in our previous article found here[1], continues to grow with the industry valued at close to $1 billion in 2020 and expected to reach $5 billion by 2026^[2]. 

At the same time, global sporting events, like the Olympics, highlight the fact that young persons are competing at the highest levels, on a global stage - with an athlete as young as 12 years' old medalling at Tokyo 2020. Furthermore, stakeholders have found increasing financial incentives for active engagement with younger fans and athletes to create loyalty and interest at the earliest stages. 

Whilst there is a patchwork of legislation in place to protect the personal data of minors – the levels of compliance across the industry are, at best, varied. This article examines some of the drivers for the use of data of minors in sport and the compliance requirements particularly under the GDPR, the UK GDPR and the Information Commissioner's Office's (ICO) Children's Code. It also provide some key considerations for stakeholders in sport looking to use the data of minors. We look at:

• Minors' Impact on Sport
• The Stakeholders In Sport That Use Minors’ Data
• How Data Is Being collected And Used
  • Scouting Networks
  • Academies and Selection
  • Fan Engagement
• How GDPR Applies To Children
• A UK example: The ICO's Children's Code
• Key Takeaways For Sports Industry Stakeholders