Data in sport: a masterstroke
Data management in the world of sport is a real revelation. Not only because of its contribution to improving tactical strategies, defensive efficiency, designing personalised training plans and predicting and preventing injuries, but also because it is an opportunity for improvement beyond the playing field. Optimising decision making in many things that happen around each match: online and offline ticket sales, grandstand occupancy, merchandising sales in the store, real-time social media activity, etc.
Furthermore, in the world of sport, every second counts, so defining and making the most of every move, every stroke and every movement is crucial to ensure victory. It is also a way to improve athletes’ performance and health.
More than 8 million pieces of data per match: the challenge of data management in sport.
The Bull Market on data, as the Sports Business Journal describes it. And no wonder. Until a few years ago, it was understood that data is important for the sports world. Even if it was not yet clear how to apply it.
With such a flood of data, we must use tools to help us interpret and make good decisions, to improve our positioning match after match. Moreover, the human eye is only capable of retaining 30% of what happens during the game. Thus, data is an ally, an opportunity for revolution in the sports industry. We must not leave it aside.
The human eye is only able to retain 30% of what happens during the game. Data management in sport is an opportunity for revolution in the industry.
That’s the reason why many teams are hiring Big Data specialists to make sense of the data and, thanks to them, gain a competitive advantage over other teams and clubs. In a sporting event such as a football or basketball match, more than 8 million pieces of data can be generated.
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Besides, we are facing a reality of a growing digital environment in which, in addition, there is a source of data generation from artificial intelligence cameras. The horizon is full of new developments and options. And this data has a big impact on sport, not only in the way athletes play and study their moves, but also as a way to get closer to the fans, to connect them more with the players (via digital trading cards, video games, NFT, sports betting…). The appetite for using data, in short, is a reality.
Moneyball: data takes centre stage in Hollywood
The use of data in sport has also reached the cinema screens. You may be familiar with the movie Moneyball, starring Brad Pitt. This 2011 film recreated Billy Beane’s work as general manager of the Oakland Athletics (baseball team). The film shows how computer-based statistical methods were used to coordinate the players. The goal? To build a highly competitive team using as little money as possible.
Undoubtedly, Moneyball becomes a cinematic testament to how the data revolution in sport not only transforms stadiums, but also reaches Hollywood narratives, cementing the idea that, in sport and beyond, good data management is key to unlocking innovative strategies and achieving big goals.
Sports strategists: data as a lever on the pitch
The world of sport has been transformed by the intelligent use of data. From the courts to the strategy boards, data has become the distinctive lever that turns the game on the field into a masterstroke.
Every statistic, every analysis, every prediction has become an essential tool for teams seeking excellence. The adoption of sports analytics enables strategists not only to improve their decision-making, but also to shape the future of sport, taking it to new milestones of performance and excitement.
We have seen it both in the cinema and in the reality of the stadiums. It is clear that the role of data as an enabler of sporting success is far from secondary. Data is certainly the driving force that redefines the game, strategy and victory. It is a lever for winning games, but also for shaping a new era of innovation and competitiveness in the exciting world of sport.
To sum up, with every click and every analysis, sports strategists write a new chapter in the history of the game, where data in sport is not just a tool, but the master key to unlocking the potential of athletic performance.
