Stories from the Heart

By Lou Fargeot 

The heart is the core of sport. It’s where emotion meets performance, where mental strength drives physical achievement. At We Are Sweet, we see the heart as the connective tissue between raw athlete data and the powerful stories that bring fans closer to the action.

The Pathway to Storytelling: Data > Information > Insights

Turning raw data into stories requires a process. Data by itself is just numbers—owned by the athlete, but without much purpose. The data needs to be cleaned up, organised, and compared to give it value. This process transforms data into useful information, but that transformation takes time, effort, and investment. Only then can you extract insights that truly tell the story behind the performance.

Ownership and Value of Processed Data

Once raw data is processed, ownership becomes less clear. Multiple athletes, rights holders, and the technology companies involved have contributed to turning that data into insights. So, who truly owns those insights? Traditional sports organisations often guard their raw data, viewing it as a valuable asset. While some use it to enhance athlete performance, few are doing the work needed to close the gap between data and fan engagement. For many, athlete data remains just that—data, with plenty of untapped potential.

Innovation in Data Sharing

Challenger sports, new super leagues, and younger athletes looking to make their mark are leading the way in sharing data with fans. Ronaldo shared his heart rate by working with Whoop, and organisations like the Professional Triathletes Organisation (PTO) are providing real-time heart rate data during races. These examples boost fan engagement and show that sharing performance data doesn’t diminish an athlete’s edge. A rival athlete can’t simply copy someone else’s heart rate—it’s the training and preparation behind the data that makes the difference. As more sports see the value, younger athletes will continue to drive this shift towards open data sharing.

Show me the Money

Monetising data requires fans to be hooked, and insights need storytelling to make an impact. To achieve this, you need either AI trained with historical data and deep sports knowledge, or a team of domain experts. Both options come with high costs. AI must do more than recognise patterns—it needs to tell stories that feel human. Experts are few and often specialised, which is why multiple commentators are used in sport to provide broader insights. Organisations that invest now in training systems, capturing data, and processing it will be positioned to generate real value as the technology improves.

Focusing on Key Metrics

As data collection grows, so do the costs, which is why focusing on specific, critical metrics is essential. Rather than capturing masses of data, start small and meaningful. While scores and leaderboards tell part of the story, they offer limited insight into an athlete’s true performance or exertion. Heart rate, especially max heart rate percentages during a game, provides a clear, universal measure of both mental and physical effort. It’s an ideal starting point, offering insights that can be deepened over time with machine learning and future comparisons.

A Foundation for Future Innovation

Heart rate data is the accessible entry point, but it's just the start. As technologies advance, the insights we can extract from even simple metrics will become more sophisticated. Rights holders that begin capturing and storing data today will be positioned to unlock its full potential as tomorrow’s tools improve. Getting athletes to buy into this vision is essential, and providing financial incentives—whether through prize money, participation fees, or sponsorship deals—can ensure their support.

Winning the Attention Wars

In today’s attention economy, sport needs to engage, entertain and evoke feelings in its audience. Organisations that recognise and invest in the bringing fans closer to the action will stay ahead. Sport is live, intense, unpredictable and human. What better way to connect fans to the heat of the moment than with impactful stories that emanate from the heart?

At We Are Sweet, we’re committed to turning heartbeats into moments that resonate. By bridging the gap between raw data and fan experiences, we elevate sports to new heights, creating narratives that truly come from the heart.

Lou Fargeot is Co-CEO and Co-Founder of Sweet.