UK based Eleven Sports Media continues to evolve – where next?

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Founded in 2009, Eleven Sports Media continues to have a huge impact on the world of sport, particularly football.

The UK company provides a range of in-stadium products, that give fans a better engagement experience at the stadium.

The company’s development team built both its StadiumTV and StatTV platforms, which are a big part of the match day experience for over 500,000 fans in the UK.

The StadiumTV platform has over 1,800 screens and is now showcased at over 50 sporting venues, making Eleven the biggest media network in UK sport.

Its StatTV and StatTracker channel brings live stats to stadiums and official club social media platforms.

While their products continue to garner widespread attention, brands associated with the company are allowed to engage with these huge audiences across the football landscape.

Eleven have provided various partners with comprehensive activations, including PR support, detailed campaign reports, social media amplification and organised marketing opportunities.

The company has had critical success with its Partner Programmes setup, with their model recognised as the best in the Football Business Awards.

Eleven have a partnership with the London Stadium as well as clubs such as Newcastle United, Rangers Football Club and Leeds United.

The company believes the expertise and knowledge they have is a huge asset in a commercial partnership programme.

“We realised that many brands failed to have a predefined activation plan when they were partnering with clubs,” CEO of Eleven Sports Media, Matt Cairns, told fcbusiness.

“They were spending money on acquiring rights but then didn’t have a plan in place to fully activate that sponsorship and make it work.”

Eleven identified that there was little structure to most commercial partner programmes, therefore they implemented an organised tiered structure.

The use of segmented LED with their proprietary inventory, as well as a strong focus on applying activation strategies, help brands pinpoint the commercial opportunities they can capitalise on.

“We’ve sold or facilitated over 300 partnerships in the last 12 months and everyone has had built in activation which has been delivered by Eleven.

“We advise each partner on the exposure to be gained from the media buy, but also ensure that their campaign is amplified by helping the partner celebrate the partnership and ultimately raise the profile of the brand by taking their association with the club beyond traditional football audiences.”

Many start-ups lack the resources to take advantage of commercial benefits in a partnership, so Eleven has tried to address this.

By arranging an end-to-end solution, Eleven takes accountability to ensure partnerships are fully activated.

“For a partner programme to have true commercial success, it goes well beyond having the correct list of assets.

“There are dozens of variables which will result in success or failure, at Eleven we believe that it is that attention to detail which sets us apart from anyone else in the industry,” added Cairns.

Eleven gives clubs access to in-depth insights, campaign analysis and sales training to improve aspects of each partnership.

The use of Eleven’s Insights department has already given clubs the opportunity to achieve their highest commercial numbers in a partnership.

“Although clubs have commercial teams, many don’t have that dedicated resource around insight that we have where they can really delve into that next level of commercial insight,” added Eleven’s commercial manager, Jordan Wilson.

“We found that we were delivering it so successfully for ourselves it made sense that clubs should get this too and they’re finding it really valuable.

“It also gives us that next level of insight when creating new partnerships, ones that are meaningful and built on something.”

Cairns adds: “When a company is investing in a high-level sponsorship it can achieve certain goals by a standard associated set of rights, but it won’t achieve the true value unless it is harnessed and leveraged by the brand to the point it becomes ingrained in every part of the organisation.

“We understand that and have got a proven track record in delivering this service.”

With over ten significant UK Clubs already using the model, the Eleven Partner Programme is looking to explore its possibilities in Europe and other areas.

Is this a viable proposition to those in Australian football circles?

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The Athlete Management System changing the Data Game

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Image Credit: Teamworks

In today’s high-performance sports landscape, data is a game-changer, and the Teamworks AMS has been regarded as the gold standard in Athlete Management Systems (AMS)

Teamworks is a company dedicated to helping athletes, and the people who support them, reach their full potential through innovative technology.

The company is built by athletes, for athletes, and exists to serve and support the world of sport.

Since its founding in 2006, Teamworks has experienced strong and steady growth.

By continually investing in its team and bringing together top-tier tech companies through strategic acquisitions, Teamworks has been able to offer even greater value and service to its customers.

What started in Durham, North Carolina, has now grown into a global presence—spanning 11 countries and supporting athletes and elite sports organisations around the world.

As of 2025, the company has grown to over 450 employees and has secured $165 million in funding.

The company offers a variety of products and services, however, it’s one of their products, the Teamworks AMS that is changing the data game.

Teamworks AMS is part of the Teamworks Performance lineup, which also includes Teamworks Nutrition (formerly Notemeal).

Together, these connected tools help practitioners and sports scientists provide personalised, well-coordinated care for athletes—boosting performance while helping to prevent injuries.

Teamworks’ AMS helps integrated and multidisciplinary sports performance teams deliver personalised and unified support to elite athletes.

By bringing all the data into one place, it gives coaches and specialists a clear, real-time picture of each player and the team as a whole—so they can make smarter decisions that drive performance every single week.

Teamworks AMS focuses on three key areas to support athlete performance: keeping athletes ready, reducing injuries, and driving long-term development.

Keep Athletes Ready to Perform

By bringing together data on workload, fitness testing and nutrition, users can create tailored programs that help each athlete stay healthy, prepared, and performing at their best.

Reduce Injury Risk and Support Recovery

Integrating performance and medical data makes it easier to identify athletes at risk or in recovery. Foster collaboration to speed recovery and help the athlete return to peak performance.

Develop Each Athlete’s Potential

Leverage data to create personalised development plans built around each athlete’s strengths and areas for improvement—supporting growth both physically and mentally.

Teamworks AMS aggregates performance, health, and medical data from over 100 connected wearables and technologies—giving users more time to focus on analysis and action.

Through the use of the Teamworks AMS app, athletes can build custom, visually rich dashboards to spot trends, make smarter decisions, and help boost performance while reducing injury risk.

So why should Australian soccer clubs and organisations use Teamworks AMS?

In a sport where every detail matters—player readiness, injury prevention, and long-term development—Teamworks AMS offers a cutting-edge solution that will Australian soccer clubs elevate performance and stay competitive at all levels.

Soccer is fast-paced, physically demanding, and leaves little room for unpreparedness.

Teamworks AMS pulls together data to create tailored programs that keep players fit, fresh, and ready for matchday.

With a long season and tight schedules, injury risk is constant.

Teamworks AMS integrates medical and performance data to help identify early warning signs and streamline return-to-play strategies.

This collaborative approach ensures better communication at clubs between coaches and medical staff—minimising downtime and maximising impact on the field.

Whether nurturing academy talent or refining senior players, Teamworks AMS helps coaches and performance staff build data-driven Individual Development Plans.

These plans are tailored to each player’s strengths and weaknesses, supporting both physical growth and mental resilience—critical for consistent performance in competitive soccer.

With the A-Leagues, NPL, and youth academies continuing to grow in professionalism and player expectations, Australian soccer clubs need tools that keep pace.

In a world where performance is defined by precision, Teamworks AMS stands out as the gold standard in athlete management—empowering teams with the data, tools, and insights they need to unlock peak potential and stay ahead of the game.

ESA’s Game-Changing Technology for Injury Recovery and Player Growth

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Credit: Elite Skills Arena

Elite Skills Arena (ESA) has created cutting edge technology that is revolutionising injury rehabilitation and player development in football.

ESA is a company that designs and provides advanced football training technology used by top clubs and academies around the world. 

Founded by Eddie Mitchell in 2014, ESA creates innovative tools that help coaches track performance and develop players more effectively.

By combining smart tech with insights from leading coaches, ESA delivers data-driven solutions that improve training and sharpen key skills on the pitch.

When the company first settled on the idea of a circular wall with moving targets, the plan was to create an indoor space where players could work on their technical skills.

What started as a simple concept quickly took shape—so much so that the very first prototype was built in a backyard just to see if it would work.

That early test led to the launch of the first product and the creation of the now-iconic arena that remains a core part of what ESA offers today.

Currently, ESA offers three main product lines: the ICON range, the Wall range, and the Wireless range.

Each one has seen great success with professional clubs, academies, major organisations for marketing and events, and advanced training centres around the world.

Today, ESA products are used on six continents, and they’re getting close to a major milestone—1 million games played with their equipment.

But there’s one product in particular, the Wireless Circuit, that’s revolutionising injury rehab and player development in football.

Now ESA first tested the Circuit concept at Ipswich Town and Southampton Football Clubs in the UK.

But it was FC Barcelona who asked for a wireless version, eliminating the need for connecting cables.

The Wireless Circuit is made up of lightweight, cable-free modules — the Rebound, Pass-Through, and Gate — each featuring LED lights and vibration technology to give instant performance feedback.

Using motion sensors, the modules track passing, movement, and dribbling, while built-in modes recreate tactical game scenarios, making it a powerful tool for both training and recovery.

Since its introduction, the Wireless Circuit has been used extensively by Barcelona’s medical team during pre-season and injury rehabilitation.

Stars like Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez, Sergio Agüero and Ronald Araújo have benefitted from its data-driven approach, which benchmarks fitness levels and reduces the risk of re-injury.

The club has used the Wireless Circuit for the later stages of rehabilitation which has allowed players to build up match sharpness without being exposed to the danger of full-contact training.

Following the success at FC Barcelona, the Wireless Circuit has been making waves in the global sports world, having been nominated for Best Technology for Injury Prevention or Rehabilitation at the prestigious Sports Technology Awards.

With more than 50 installations across the globe, it’s quickly becoming a go-to choice for clubs and academies looking for reliable, cutting-edge solutions.

With injuries on the rise in elite football and top players spending more time on the sidelines, Premier League clubs are paying closer attention.

Leicester City FC, who’ve been interested in ESA technology for a while, recently added the Wireless Circuit to their sports science program to help monitor player fitness and support injury recovery.

After a successful demo in September 2023, they’ve started using the Rebound, Pass-Through, and Gate modules to help keep first-team players healthy and make rehab smoother and more effective.

Now the Wireless Circuit could offer substantial benefits to soccer clubs and organisations in Australia due to its unique combination of technology, portability, and proven performance outcomes.

Clubs from grassroots to A-League level can often face challenges in managing injuries, especially with limited access to advanced rehab facilities.

The Wireless Circuit enables low-risk, high-impact recovery by allowing players to rebuild match fitness through targeted, non-contact drills. This is particularly valuable in a sport where muscle and ligament injuries are common.

Also, with clubs becoming increasingly data-focused, the Wireless Circuit’s built-in motion sensors and instant feedback allow coaches to track a players movement, passing and dribbling

This gives coaches a more scientific, structured approach to player development, something especially useful in youth programs and academies.

So, as football continues to evolve, ESA’s Wireless Circuit stands at the forefront, offering a smarter, safer, and more effective way to train, recover, and develop the next generation of players.

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