- An agreement based on technology and data
- IoT, AI and Big Data in professional badminton
- Business context and cost adjustment
Telefónica maintains its agreement with Carolina Marín while it thoroughly reviews its sponsorship and brand representation policy. The relationship between the operator and the Olympic badminton champion, in force since 2019, remains active in a context marked by the cancellation of the ambassador contracts with Rafa Nadal and Pau Gasol.
As Confidencial Digital has been able to confirm, the agreement with Carolina Marín responds to a completely different model: it is not a classic advertising sponsorship, but a technological alliance linked to product development and the group’s innovation narrative.
The continuity of this collaboration contrasts with Telefónica’s decision not to renew the contract with Rafa Nadal, in force since 2014, nor the global ambassador agreement with Pau Gasol, signed in 2023 and expiring in 2026.
An agreement based on technology and data
The agreement between Telefónica and Carolina Marín was formalized in July 2019 at the Higher Sports Council. Movistar became a technological partner of the athlete through LUCA, the company’s data unit. The objective is to apply advanced analytics to training and competition data to support the planning, strategy and decision making of the technical team.
The collaboration It is structured in three phases: automation of data acquisition, development of custom software solutions and incorporation of predictive algorithms on performance. This approach allows us to generate specific game metrics for Marín and his rivals, integrate the data into daily training and anticipate match scenarios.
The model turns the athlete into a living laboratory of innovation, aligned with Telefónica’s offer in areas such as Big Data, artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things.
Furthermore, in view of the renewal of the contract compared to that of Rafa Nadal and Pau Gasolit must be taken into account that Carolina Marín is going to have more media presence given that she is still active compared to the career of the other two, which has already ended.
IoT, AI and Big Data in professional badminton
The project includes sensors with an accelerometer, gyroscope and thermometer to monitor training. The information collected makes it possible to measure physical loads, detect fatigue and anticipate risks of injury. IoT, artificial intelligence and Big Data apply to both sports performance and recovery.
The technical team uses this data to prepare strategies based on real patterns of game. The technology facilitates automatic reporting, trend analysis and simulations that reduce uncertainty in decision making. For Telefónica, Carolina Marín is a functional showcase of its technological capabilities in a demanding and highly competitive environment.
Business context and cost adjustment
The redefinition of the sponsorship policy coincides with a moment of profound internal reorganization at Telefónica. The company closed an employment regulation file (ERE) that affects seven subsidiaries in Spain, with a total of 4,539 departureswithin its new strategic plan.
The labor adjustment is part of a roadmap aimed at reducing costs, simplifying the group and concentrating on businesses considered strategic.
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