NBA Dallas Mavericks Owner Mark Cuban is "surprised and disappointed at a decision" by the Australian Football League to award a player-GPS tracking and data services contract to Champion Data, according to Pierik & Stensholt of THE AGE. Cuban is among shareholders of Catapult Group Int'l, "which has lost the contract despite insisting it has ongoing contracts with the AFL and all 18 clubs for another two years." Institutional shareholders have encouraged Catapult to consider suing the AFL, "but it is understood management would prefer to see what happens now it believes some AFL commissioners have taken an interest in the issue." It is believed Cuban was surprised by the AFL's decision because he does not feel this is the direction major leagues and clubs around the world are taking. Champion Data is 49% owned by the AFL, and has two of the league's senior execs as directors. The AFL said it was the football operations department that made the final recommendation for Champion Data, which will partner with Irish company STATSports and U.S.-based Zebra Technologies to provide training and matchday information (THE AGE, 9/1).
