WSG is the exclusive marketing and media partner of the AFC and STATS is the official data partner of the Confederation. STATS’s SportVU system is a player tracking technology that collects the positioning data of the ball, players and officials in real time.
“I am thrilled with this partnership as it will allow more TV viewers and website visitors in Asia and worldwide to experience a rich content beyond the standard TV and web coverage,” said AFC president Mohamed Bin Hammam.
James Clarke, WSG’s senior vice-president of content, said: “We are excited by the opportunity to add STATS’s rich data to the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2011 and give the event the depth of statistical insight it deserves. This is the region’s premier event and we are delighted that with the support of Samsung, we will be able to provide fans with a level of data and interactivity that is the equal of any other world-class event.”
STATS will also be powering the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2011’s online match centre and mobile application with statistical data, editorial, real-time commentary and pitch maps. This year’s tournament will run from January 7-29.
STATS executive vice-president Steve Byrd added: “Last year, we introduced SportVU during the AFC Champions League final with great success. We look forward to uncovering unique player and team attributes with SportVU player tracking throughout the entire AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2011 tournament.”
