When people think of advanced statistical methods in sports, the movie ‘Moneyball’ often comes to mind. The film showed a glimpse of what technological advancement entails. However, today, the sports industry is at the forefront of applying advanced analytics to change how the game is played by athletes and enjoyed by fans. Additionally, cutting-edge cloud computing and artificial intelligence help the sports industry increase revenue, improve player performance, prevent injury, and boost team performance quality. In this article at Built In, Alyssa Schroer explains the role of sports analytics in changing sports.
Can Sports Analytics Tell a Story?
The answer is yes. No one knows the data analytics role better than Oakland Athletics. The baseball team’s general manager Billy Beane used in-game statistics to identify undervalued players and led the team to the playoffs on a shoestring budget. This story inspired the book and, subsequently, a film, ‘Moneyball.’ Experts believe that sports analytics will allow front offices to evaluate players based on their fitness for a team rather than on an individual level.
Application of Sports Analytics
Performance Optimization
Gone are the days when professional teams or star athletes had a sponsor. In recent times, healthcare providers and insurers have been at the forefront of leveraging data and analytics to prevent injuries and improve athletes’ performance. With the increased adoption of wearables, edge computing, and AI, every individual can make better decisions as the play unfolds.
Fan Engagement
Sports organizations are utilizing technology to detect digital engagement patterns, such as online sports viewing. This allows them to understand what and when fans watch via online video views and app logins. Additionally, experts believe that social media is an excellent marketing ground for university teams to connect with millennials. Furthermore, university teams market tickets using data-driven campaigns.
Partnership Expansion
Sports are often built on partnerships — from sponsorship and advertising to player trading. With more data, teams can integrate sponsor engagement into ‘thanks for coming to the game’ emails based on fans’ profiles. Additionally, analytics helps marketers to display tailored advertising to a distinct group of fans.
To read more about sports analytics, click on https://builtin.com/big-data/big-data-companies-sports.
