WHOOP, NFL agree on wearable tech

WHOOP and the NFL Players Association yesterday announced a deal on an “Officially Licensed Recovery Wearable.”

The deal marks “the first time a players association in professional sports has partnered with a wearable technology company, providing NFL players easy access to, ownership of, and the option to commercialize their health data,” the company said.

WHOOP Strap 2.0 “will be distributed to every current and incoming NFL player to allow them to monitor their Strain, Recovery, and Sleep.”

The company said the players “will own and control their individual data,” and “will design custom licensed bands for the WHOOP Strap for personal use and commercial sale.”

The association and the company say they plan to “study the effects of travel, sleep, scheduling, injuries, etc. on recovery and generate reports to advance player safety and maximize athletic performance,” adding that “NFL players will have the ability to commercialize their WHOOP data through the NFLPA's group licensing program.”