Over the next 10 years the role of sports rights owners will continue to change fundamentally.
And that change is being driven by data. 
Data is becoming as important to the global economy as oil and as valuable as gold. But it remains tricky to extract and complex to use effectively.
Sport sees data as a conduit to reaching Utopia…. a ‘one to one relationship’ between sports fans and governing bodies, teams, event owners and even athletes.
The rationale underpinning this strategy is logical and valid: cutting edge data analytics enable rights owners to better understand customers, allowing for more personalised products and services, leading to higher sales and greater customer loyalty.
So, it follows that those sports organisations which prove most adept at understanding data and developing effective strategies are those which will succeed.
This report is about the challenges facing rights holders, sponsors and other stakeholders in the use of data analytics in a sports marketing context.
Read Understanding the Sports Data Challenge
In ‘Understanding the Sports Data Challenge’ author Richard Gillis delivers deep insights into the world of data and the way it is impacting the sports economy.
As a former managing partner of the Havas Sports entertainment agency Cake, Gillis is an industry insider and his authority and understanding of the subject matter are reflected in the report.
Understanding the Sports Data Challenge is the result of deep research, professional experience and interviews with leading figures in the sector. It includes a number of case studies.
It is in two sections. The first delivers insight into the role of data in sport and business, the processes of collection and analysis and the issues around strategy development.
In the second Gillis scrutinises the role and impact of data on a fast-changing sports eco-system and in the context of evolving global business patterns and the operations of the data-hungry FAANGS which dominate the space.
Critically it challenges received wisdom and current thinking on the way that sports stakeholders relate to data and with each other.
It’s no exaggeration to say that the ability to understand and use data effectively and profitably will help determine who are sport’s big winners and losers over the next decade.
And the fact is that there isn’t a choice.
Who’s it for?
Understanding the Sports Data Challenge is essential reading for anybody who plays a commercial role in any sports body or organisation involved in sport.
- Governing bodies
- Clubs
- Venue owners and operators
- Sponsors
- Agencies
