Sports data company Genius Sports says a new data partnership with the Football Association of Singapore will underpin a “digital transformation drive” at the sports body.
Genius Sports will gather team and player statistics at pitchside at all Singapore Premier League games. The stats will be delivered to fans via live updates on the league’s website and social media channels.
The partnership begins tomorrow (Saturday), the first day of the 2020 league season, with the Community Shield match between Hougang United and Tampines Rovers.
Genius Sports’ data collection and distribution tools will be integrated into the FAS’s competition management platform. Genius said this meant historic data records of every game would be created and administrative processes would be simplified.
Jonathan Wong, director of commercial and marketing at the FAS, said: “The partnership with Genius Sports, who have a stellar track record in live data collection, will enrich our efforts to continually enhance the fan experience in the Singapore Premier League.
“This partnership will provide, for the first time ever, real-time match statistics for the tournament, which will enable our fans to feel closer to the action as well as their favourite clubs. In addition, it will also complement our existing digital marketing efforts and help to showcase the league as a modern and forward-thinking one.”
Mohamed Feizel, senior commercial partnerships manager for Asia at Genius Sports, said: “Coming shortly after our official incorporation in Singapore and first streaming deal in Asia, this partnership with the FAS is the latest exciting step in Genius Sports’ rapid growth in the region. The FAS has recognised that a dedicated live data strategy is essential to how all modern sports connect with fans around the world, create new revenue and drive their digital transformation.”
Genius Sports operates globally, gathering sports data via partnerships with rights-holders and monetising it via deals with betting operators, rights-holders and media. It also provides ‘integrity services’ to rights-holders and betting operators, looking out for suspicious betting patterns. Like other companies in the space, such as Sportradar, it has also expanded into providing streaming platforms for rights-holders, on the back of the acquisition of Belgium-based streaming and performance analysis company Oppia Performance.
A detailed look from SportBusiness at Genius’ move into the streaming space, and an interview with commercial partnerships director Sean Conroy, can be found here.
It has data partnerships in Asia with rights-holders including the Asian Football Confederation, the Asian Volleyball Confederation and the Philippines Basketball Association. In January, it announced an extension of its deal with the Philippine SuperLiga (PSL), under which it is providing a live streaming platform for the club volleyball competition, its first such deal in Asia.
