Tennis and the world of engaged data haven’t mixed well for the most part. A little Hawkeye here, a little smart court there and you have tracking technology. However compared to most other sports, tennis is in the dark ages. While golf has embraced fantasy as a way to engage a younger audience, fantasy tennis isn’t there.
However in recent months things appear to be changing. First the WTA Tour has looked to their partner SAP to increase the fan and player engagement with data both at events and in the mobile space, using all the information available in matches to better engage with fans and increase general interest in the game, their events and their players.
Then you have global data giant SportRadar looking to do even more work with their partner the International Tennis Federation to find ways to capture data and provide more engagement for fans at a host of international events big and small. The Swiss company and their work with some of the world’s largest sports properties could also be helping to lead tennis into the 21st century, and an announcement this week away from the court could help spur that along even further.
The news was that SportRadar, and its new US business SportradarUS, had become the official exclusive distributor of comprehensive statistics for the National Football League to digital outlets beginning with the 2015 NFL Season.
The deal gives Sportradar US, which had also signed an exclusive deal with NASCAR earlier in the year, access to NFL’s proprietary Next Gen Stats an initiative first introduced in the 2014 NFL season. It consists of real-time, location-based data such as speed, acceleration and distance traveled, for all players, in all games. This unique information, alongside GSIS, will be distributed by Sportradar US to give fans a closer look into the game, and allow them to experience it in ways never seen before. Insights from Next Gen Stats also will be available for fans in-stadium, at home, and everywhere else that NFL content is consumed.
“Coming right after our decision to rebrand SportsData as Sportradar US, this deal is an important milestone for our company and in particular underlines our commitment to securing a leading position in the U.S. sports data market,” said Ulrich Harmuth, President of Sportradar US added in a statement. “At Sportradar we pride ourselves on being both a development and a technology partner to leagues and customers. “
So how could an NFL, and a NASCAR deal, help tennis? Simply put, data is data and as organizations like football and racing get more attune to the consumer with innovative technology engagement, the pie gets bigger for all. Sportradar is all about mining new data sources to give media partners a better and more engaged experience, and what works for those sports could work very well for the ITF, already a Sportradar partner.
“There is no doubt that the announcement this week for Sportradar and the NFL will open more doors for other sports looking to engage in the digital space, and tennis is prime for a big step,” said Chris Lencheski, a veteran sports marketer now running the consulting firm Phoenicia in the US. “You look at tennis and see Hawkeye and wonder where all the other numbers are. As a fan I want more and I know it exists, maybe this spurs the ITF to better work with their partner to grow the game even more. If it’s good for other sports like golf, it has to be good for tennis.”
So can a deal with the NFL help move the digital needle in tennis. We shall see, but it seems like the right aggressive partner is already on the team.
