One of Ireland’s sports technology success stories entered a new chapter today with confirmation that Sony has acquired a majority stake in STATSports, the Newry-based performance tracking company whose wearable devices are used by many of the world’s leading teams.
Founded by Alan Clarke and Sean O’Connor, STATSports grew from a small Northern Irish start-up into a global leader in athlete monitoring.
Its GPS vests and sensors have become a familiar sight on training pitches from the Premier League to the NFL, trusted for the precision data they provide on speed, load, distance, and performance.
Now, the company joins the ranks of Sony’s expanding sports technology portfolio, which already includes Hawk-Eye Innovations, Beyond Sports, KinaTrax, and Pulselive. The acquisition brings together Sony’s strength in optical tracking and data visualization with STATSports’ expertise in wearable technology.
It creates what many see as the foundation for a next-generation, hybrid athlete tracking system.
In announcing the deal, Sony described it as a strategic move to “enhance the integration of wearable and optical data to provide richer insights for teams, leagues, and fans.”
While financial details were not disclosed, the acquisition is understood to represent a significant investment and endorsement of STATSports’ innovation and global reach.
From early adoption by the Irish national teams to global partnerships with Manchester United, Juventus, and the US Soccer Federation, STATSports has consistently been at the forefront of elite performance technology.
The deal is a major vote of confidence in the island of Ireland’s growing technology ecosystem, particularly in Newry where STATSports employs more than 100 people.
The partnership with Sony is expected to support further growth in engineering, R&D, and international market expansion.
Sony’s sports division, meanwhile, has been steadily assembling the pieces of a comprehensive data and analytics platform. With Hawk-Eye providing officiating and optical insights, Beyond Sports adding real-time visualization and virtual rendering, and now STATSports delivering wearable data, Sony is positioning itself as one of the most powerful integrated data providers in global sport.
The deal underscores the strength of innovation emerging from the intersection of sport and technology here, a space that continues to punch above its weight on the world stage.
From kit suppliers to analytics firms, and from grassroots to global, the country’s contribution to sport’s digital transformation continues to grow.
