It only 'looks like' Tiger and Rory have left Nike!

Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy have made a startling move, leaving Nike behind and donning the colours of Under Armour...

But here's the twist—it's all happening in the metaverse. Yes, you read that right, avatars resembling these golf legends are now teeing off and taking on players like you and me on virtual golf courses.

Imagine the bewilderment over at Nike, and the golfers themselves might be scratching their heads. What if Under Armour decides to launch a real-world line of clothing inspired by the attire these virtual golfers are sporting?

It might seem far-fetched, but in the realm of sports biometrics, this alternative reality could become a formidable force sooner than we think.

Golfers, much like their counterparts in football, tennis, rugby, NFL, NBA, MLB, and more, are under the watchful eye of sports biometrics equipment. This technology can measure everything from a player's heart rate to the precision of their swing or stride.

What's concerning is that, in many cases, this data is changing hands without the athletes even realising it. And it's making its way into the secret chambers of bookmakers, influencing odds, and shaping the engines of e-gaming companies.

The profits generated from this data rarely find their way back to the athletes who provided it.

Instead, companies are cashing in by leveraging this data to fine-tune odds and enhance gaming realism. But what comes next is a leap into the metaverse, where sports stars can be cloned, given names that echo their real-world counterparts, and sent out into this digital frontier. Unless, certain steps are taken here in the real world, to prevent this from becoming a virtual-reality!

I've witnessed instances in the metaverse where cloned athletes are strikingly similar to their real-world counterparts. From the precise way they swing a driver to their moves on the football pitch, it's uncanny.

However, unless athletes take control of the data that's already circulating, there's nothing to prevent a metaverse game developer from using this pre-existing biometric information to clone and profit from an athlete's likeness.

Legal battles may undoubtedly ensue, but the critical factor in these litigations will be the origin of the biometric data. If developers can demonstrate that they acquired the data from a legitimate source, albeit without the athletes' knowledge, it could tilt the scales against the athletes in these legal disputes.

The solution lies in managing athletes' biometric data centrally and licensing its use in environments that align with their individual beliefs and values while preserving the commercial potential of their exceptional skills.

The process of collecting and aggregating this data draws parallels with the loyalty world, and I'm eager to engage with individuals from the betting, gaming, sports, or data industries who can shed more light on this evolving commercial landscape, as I'm becoming more and more integrated into the topic and looking at legitimate pathways to secure, manage and safeguard athlete data.

DM me or email craig@athfluance.com

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