Big Data: the game changer
We often hear
about how data is being used by players to boost performance or even in the
form of wearable technology. But data can be used in many other ways
With the Rio
Olympics, this has been yet another big year for an increasingly data-rich
sports universe. Previous high-profile global sporting events like the 2014
Fifa Football World Cup and the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup had already pushed
the boundaries of digitalization in the sports world. Not many, for instance,
would be aware that a leading German technology giant helped the German
football team win the 2014 Fifa World Cup in Brazil through the use of a
software system called ‘Match Insights’.
Similarly, regular sporting
events like the English Premier League (EPL), Formula One or the Indian Premier
League (IPL) have begun storing and leveraging big data to win the ultimate
prize in their respective sporting discipline.
We often hear about how data
is being used by players to boost performance or even in the form of wearable
technology. But data, as we show below, can be used in many other ways:
Game day analysis: Coaching and scouting of current or
new talent, recommending the ideal winning strategy or team combinations,
pinpointing the movements of a particular football player or identifying the
kind of balls that a batsman in cricket is susceptible to get out to, are some
of the common practices of leveraging data—a strategy also highlighted in the
popular Hollywood movie on baseball, Moneyball.
Broadcast sports
production: This is
probably the most recurring and commonplace data-driven activity in sports
considering we see it all the time. The data generated for spectator
programming such as replays, player/team statistics, cool game facts and other
relevant real-time data sourced by broadcasters adds more value to viewers.
Broadcast and digital
distribution: This is
the distribution of content across multiple broadcast channels and the use of
social media and consumer-generated content in the broadcast. It also includes
the use of metrics to identify what is “making waves” and on what basis to
charge advertisers.
Advertising: As is the norm these days, the
promotional and commercial aspects around huge sporting events, irrespective of
whether it is on-field and broadcast, as well as the associated metrics are big
opportunities to use advertising to not only build a brand, but to also build a
dedicated following as well.
Fans: Undoubtedly, the lifeline of sports.
They could be spectators at the event, or even viewers at home or on the go.
With popular media platforms like Hotstar and Cricinfo.com providing real-time
match coverage and score updates, the consumption of sports has evolved beyond
the traditional TV.
These cases simply enforce
the mind-boggling reach and multiplicity of digital technologies today—for
every 100 people in the world, there are 95 mobile phone subscriptions, 40
Internet users and 25 social media users. What took the telephone 75 years to
reach 100 million global users since its invention has taken the likes of
Facebook (4 years 6 months), WhatsApp (3 years and 4 months) and even popular
gaming applications like Candy Crush Saga (1 year 3 months) far less time to
reach the milestone.
The opportunities, therefore,
are aplenty in the sporting arena for technology companies to partner and work
with various sports leagues and teams across the globe to create and provide a
unique experience for fans.
Consider the case of an
Australian technology firm Ecal that has signed a deal with the English Premier
League for the 2016/17 football season. Ecal will create a ‘Premier League
Digital Calendar’, which will allow fans across the globe to integrate
interactive schedules for their favourite teams into their personal devices—be
it mobile or desktop.
A lot of the programming
expenses are going into live sports because of the interest and value in
watching it live. The building of die-hard fan communities to interact is
another aspect with immense revenue generating potential. In fact, an upcoming
area for fan experience is monitoring fan behaviour—the more reactive a stadium
or team is to the live fans, the more passionate the experience becomes and the
more likely it translates into extra revenue for the sporting team.
It’s worth noting, though,
that irrespective of how far team owners go to create that exceptional
experience for their fans, it’s the match day performance of their team that
counts the most. In sports, you want to acquire the best player just like in
any other business where you want to hire the best worker. It begs the question
of how to do that in order to get the best outcome and optimal performance. The
answer is data.
Regards
Pralhad Jadhav
Senior Manager @ Library
Khaitan & Co
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