WSL and Mercury13 bring in tech partners to enhance women's game. WSL has partnered with Sportable, while the Mercury13 multi-club ownership group has teamed up with Catapult. England's top-flight Women's Super League (WSL) and Mercury13, the multi-club ownership group dedicated to women's soccer, have announced technology-focused partnerships with Sportable and Catapult, respectively. The WSL said it will become the first soccer league in the world to implement connected smart ball technology through its tie-up with sports technology and data science firm Sportable. The company will work with WSL Football, the league organizing body, and its official ball supplier Nike to integrate the connected ball technology into the brand's match balls, with player-tracking systems to be deployed in WSL matches. Additionally, clubs will be given the option to utilise it within training. From the beginning of the 2026-27 season, Nike, WSL Football, and Sportable will expand the project by creating a fully connected data ecosystem available for training sessions with athlete and ball-tracking technology operating at every WSL match. The data available across training and competition will include information on ball speed, spin, flight, high-intensity efforts, contextual workload, team shape, tactical patterns, and off-the-ball actions. Across the league, Sportable's Connected Ball and player-tracking system is already being adopted and used consistently by several WSL clubs, with additional teams onboarding ahead of a full, league-wide rollout at matches. Sportable CEO, Dugald Macdonald, said: "It is a privilege to work with Nike and support WSL Football on a project that will meaningfully impact the progression of the women's game. "The opportunity to create a consistent, data-rich view of performance, from training pitches to stadiums, is truly groundbreaking, and we are excited to help unlock the next level of insight for teams across the league and their fans via an enhanced, data-rich, broadcast experience." Sportable's technology has already featured in American football and rugby union, with the firm working alongside global ball brands, leagues, and federations. The company's Connected Ball and tracking solutions have been used across major competitions such as the Six Nations, where Sportable's Smart Rugby Ball is used. Meanwhile, sports technology firm Catapult will become Mercury13's exclusive official elite sports performance analytics and GPS partner, alongside a non-exclusive role as official thought leadership partner under a multi-year agreement. The deal spans all Mercury13 clubs and builds on Catapult's existing work with English second-tier side Bristol City Women. The model will now be extended to FC Badalona Women (which Mercury13 acquired earlier this month) for both first teams and academies, and FC Como Women academy. The investment group first entered the soccer ownership space with the acquisition of Como Women in March 2024 and followed that up with a deal to buy Bristol City Women last year. The collaboration with Catapult will "implement a female-led, women-specific performance model that integrates athlete monitoring, sports science research, and coach education across the Mercury13 platform." Catapult will deliver a "fully integrated performance system", including wearable devices, analytics platforms, centralised data management, and on-site practitioner support. Mario Malavé, co-founder and co-CEO of Mercury13, said: "From day one, its ambition has been to build clubs designed specifically around the needs of women athletes. "Partnering with the team at Catapult allows us to embed world-class performance technology and research across our ecosystem, tailored to the realities of the women's game. By implementing an integrated model spanning athlete monitoring, coaching education, and long-term player development, we are strengthening professional standards and laying more durable foundations for elite women's football." Give your business an edge with its leading industry insights.

Catapult Sports raising $150m to fund acquisition of german soccer intelligence platform IMPECT.

Catapult Sports Ltd announced the acquisition of IMPECT GmbH, a leader in soccer analytics, for up to €78 million. The acquisition will be funded by a fully underwritten institutional placement to raise A$130 million and a non-underwritten Share Purchase Plan targeting A$20 million. The acquisition aims to enhance Catapult's platform with IMPECT's proprietary analytics, driving data-driven decision-making in professional sports. Completion is expected within 15 business days.