The rising value of data in sports
Building better fan experiences with numbers and new technology
There’s a scene in the movie ‘Moneyball’ where the character Peter Brand shows the results of his analysis to his boss, Billy Beane. (Brand is based on Paul DePodesta, the assistant to the general manager Beane of the baseball team the Oakland A’s.) The analysis is of baseball statistics — following the statistician Bill James’ principles of sabermetrics — done to assemble an affordable team that can still be a championship contender. In this pivotal scene, Brand says:
‘It’s about getting things down to one number. Using the stats the way we read them, we’ll find value in players that no one else can see. People are overlooked for a variety of biased reasons and perceived flaws.’
The film, an adaptation of a book with the same title by Michael Lewis, tells the real story of a struggling baseball team that was reborn, under Beane and DePodesta, with the use of an evidence-based recruitment strategy.
The Oakland A’s popularised big data in sports. Baseball has since led the way in the use of analytics in sport, but today data is used in a plethora of ways by sports teams and leagues all over the world.
Statistics are more prevalent now than they were in 2002, the year the A’s won 20 consecutive games, breaking the league wins record of 19 at the time. Sophistication in the collection, and analysis, of data has also increased significantly.
It has progressed in some sports from looking at simple data points such as number of shots taken to predictive modelling on the movement of players, and the granularity of passing. AI and machine learning have become important to this.
How is data being used in sports?
Other than recruitment, the two most talked about applications for data are in player safety and development.
Embedded sensors in smart clothing, for instance, offer real-time tracking of a player’s physical status. Companies such as STATSports, 21st Club, and Catapult Sports have been forging ever closer partnerships with sports organisations.
STATSports, for example, a sports data specialist based in Northern Ireland, supplies many Premier League and elite football clubs around the world with GPS devices which players wear to track their activity during training and competitive matches.
Clubs can now gain insights into their players’ health easily, being able to make more informed decisions, such as when to rest players. They can track their squad’s performance much more accurately from the moment a player joins. (Clubs also have access to a wealth of data about potential players before signing them.)
Catapult Sports, a leading analytics company that provides performance technology to over 1500 teams worldwide, has embedded sensors in practice shorts with features such as GPS, accelerometer, gyroscope, and microprocessor technologies. This has helped to drive decisions on player rest and even prevented injuries during the Golden State Warriors’ 2015 championship season.
By combining multiple data sources such as GPS, sensors and video, coaches can process key situations in the game better, identify patterns, and manage players accordingly. Information on player performance ultimately helps in-game strategy and training.
Teams in the US are adopting data analytics at different rates depending on the sport. Baseball (MLB) is still leading the way, with 97% of teams employing analytics consultants. The NBA is following with an 80% employment rate in this role.
As the number of dedicated analysts grows and teams invest millions in departments for them, general managers such as Billy Beane are able to make decisions based on more comprehensive information about their squads.
Some of these practices have made their way into amateur sport. Products such as Fitbit have long popularised the use of personal tracking. Surfing app STACT gives users athlete stats and compares them to rivals. It works for fans of the sport as well as athletes and event organisers.
The running, swimming, and cycling, app Strava features GPS tracking and presents users with performance stats at the end of their activity. A recent trend has fitness enthusiasts sharing their stats on social media, or using them to compete with friends. (Strava calls itself a ‘social network for athletes’, as it allows users to post pictures and leave comments in-app.)
Recording time, calories, heart rate, distance, and other data is now a normal aspect of a morning run — additional proof of how data and technology have infiltrated twenty-first century sport.
As mentioned above, the use of data has become a key part in scouting and player recruitment, with many clubs drawing on analytics to find potential targets, and to assess whether, and how, they might fit into an existing squad. The Financial Times notes how elite clubs are ‘signing fewer but more suitable players, [which] suggests such [data analytics] tools are having an impact.’
Many in football used to be quite sniffy about data in the sport, suggesting that there was too much fluidity in football as a sport for data to make an impact. The Financial Times underlines that advances in data technology have converted most sceptics.
New technology has further expanded the utility of data to other areas of sport. In a previous article, we touched on how technology is changing fan experiences at sports venues like never before. Teams and venues are also using data, apps, beacons, and digital innovation, to improve operations and fan experiences.
How has fan adoption of data changed the way people follow sports?
Fans frequently consume statistical analysis of their favourite teams and players. Sports broadcasters use this to give viewers a wider understanding of the action. Sports analysts and commentators draw on data to support their opinions with facts and numbers.
Sports broadcasting, social media networks and apps that provide sports stats all have their share of responsibility in the way fans are presently consuming analytical content. The growth of such sites and feeds as StatsBomb, Zonal Marking, and Fanalytics, demonstrates the high amount of fan interest in data and analytics. Opta has become a central part of the conversation in football.
In broadcasting, pre-game, half-time and post-game reports are brimming with footage of teams and consequent in-depth analysis of player performances, plays and predictions based on data.
Usually, a group of pundits will present and discuss this data, cement their personal opinions on it, and give viewers a broader understanding of what’s happening in the game or match in question.
Social media plays a huge role as a favourite second screen for games. Fans use social media networks primarily to browse live commentary by analysts and other fans, to share their own views, and to search for specific news. This includes finding and sharing highlights of spells in the game they deem meaningful, liking interesting or funny takes on a compelling in-game moment.
Every sports league and organisation has its own social media account and they take advantage of it as much as they can with relevant content for their fans. A lot of that content, especially during and after games, is statistical.
Frequently, the biggest sports leagues in the world such as the Premier League, Champions League, NFL, NHL, NBA and MLB tweet about specific player stats, records, and other lists of impressive stats for users to engage with.
The popularity boost of sports data in the smartphone era has led to the development of hundreds of apps dedicated to this, as well as sports news apps and team/league apps that include stats sections, highlights and live commentary.
Our strongest interest, as an agency that places user experience first, is how fans of sport are being drawn to this, and what they’re getting from the surge of data and analytics.
Much of this development has been about providing information to fans to contextualise what they are watching; about showing what is behind elite sporting performance. Another important aspect to this is the opportunity to unlock the huge amount of data and footage leagues have, which many fans simply enjoy.
All of this has probably contributed to the growth in the number of fans that participate in fantasy sports leagues and sports betting.
Fantasy sports is a competition based on the statistical performance of real-life players. With the increase in smartphones, these have evolved into a daily format, as mobile devices facilitate regular check-ins for participants, boosting fan interest in the game. This is further encouraged by broadcasters on American leagues such as the NFL, going over weekly results in fantasy points and offering advice to viewers rooted in analytics.
On a similar note, online sports betting has become a worldwide trend. In the UK, Europe’s leading sports betting market, people regularly bet on football matches. Prediction options include the correct score, total number of goals, next goalscorer, team to score first, and many more.
In football, as in other major sports, working out the odds appeals to fans that generally enjoy the analytical side of things. Betting presents an opportunity to act on their personal expertise — and stake money on that expertise.
How are new technologies influencing a new experience in sports venues?
As fans consume more analytical content than ever due to technological advances, possibilities open up for sports leagues and teams to create better fan experiences.
We’ve talked about how these organisations use social media to share data, but there are other opportunities that might attract spectators and improve attendance numbers inside arenas and stadia.
One of the most challenging aspects of this is successfully captivating younger fans, who have been quicker to embrace new technology than their older peers.
Part of this has resulted in clubs becoming much more savvy in providing data coverage to fans. The NBA team Sacramento Kings own a massive data and command centre where they manage, among other things, social media stats and fan information. Through the team app, they can follow users’ preferences and habits, so that they cater to fans from the moment they arrive at the arena.
Deep machine learning is driving much of this, but one of the most relevant applications of technology in venues is the exclusive views of multi-angle instant replays, accompanied by a wide range of live team and player data.
This information is the main opportunity to help fans understand or gain a better knowledge of what’s happening in front of them.
Major League Baseball, for instance, has announced adding an AR feature to its official app. Fans at the stadium will be able to point their mobiles towards the field and instantly receive a comprehensive stat sheet of each player.
From arm strength to catch probability, on-base percentage to batting averages, fans are given every possible piece of data regarding the unfolding action. At its core, the app turns sitting fans into sports media analysts, even showing them the speed and trajectory of every single hit.
3D displays on top of the field has also been used in sports broadcasts to show statistical information from the game while commentators discuss it, borrowing a presentation of stats more associated with those in sports video games. (See video below.)
Similarly, the NBA has partnered with startup NextVR to offer basketball fans courtside seats — in virtual reality. As of the 2018–2019 season, this feature is part of the NBA League Pass subscription. The NextVR app will show at least one game per week, and is available for download on every major VR platform. Fans can watch full games, anywhere they want (as long as they own a VR set) ‘closer’ to the action than ever before.
The biggest challenge in the application of these technologies is, however, presenting them in a way that doesn’t distract.
At Ostmodern, we believe that creating engaging experiences for users is more valuable than simply revelling in the tech itself. We apply this way of thinking into our products, prioritising what makes a proper immersive use case as opposed to exciting features with little value in the overall experience.
As it usually happens, the main focus shouldn’t be on the possibilities of these new technologies and particularly live data, but how they’re used and shown.
High-tech sports venues, league apps and social media should take advantage of the fact that fans are loyal to their teams and often use numbers when talking about sports.
What they can’t forget, though, is that not everyone will want this, or at least not constantly. It’s imperative to contextualise data in a manner that appeals to all types of people, from casual watcher to fanatic.
This personalisation of data hasn’t yet been used, but it’s a matter of time, as newer venues explore fan tracking to improve experiences. Revealing stats in AR would be even better if the app had a full understanding of what the fan wants to see, or learn, depending on their interest in different areas of the game.
When fans are at home, comfortable, watching a game in a home theatre setup, there are all kinds of commentary that may reduce the need for displays of stats on the screen. Instead, they can watch programmes that explain all game data to them, letting them know what’s important to notice while watching. That’s what venues are up against.
Data is everywhere in sports, and that shouldn’t be overlooked when building engaging experiences. As Peter Brand at the start of this piece suggests, an important part of following any sport is being able to contextualise a player’s value. This comes from the stats. It’s a game within a game.
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