Oracle set to transform Premier League analytics

The Premier League has chosen Oracle to be their official cloud provider, featuring groundbreaking match statistics for live broadcasts.

The Premier League has chosen Oracle to be their official cloud provider, featuring groundbreaking match statistics for live broadcasts beginning from the 2021/22 season.

The collaboration will create greater excitement for every game of the world’s most watched league. With brand new in-match statistics shown during all Premier League matches, this will unlock a greater understanding about what is happening on the pitch.

Oracle’s data and analytics, combined with their machine learning technologies will deliver powerful statistics in real-time to billions of viewers around the world each season. “Match Insights – Powered by Oracle Cloud” will display advanced player performance data for a global broadcast coverage, as well as the Premier League’s social media channels, which will be introduced from the 2021/22 season.

Machine learning models will be designed to generate immediate results related to data streams and real-time tracking data. The scope of this technology allows the collection of facts on each player in the Premier League, coupled with information from thousands of matches in the past.

Research has found how fans are interested in the integration of match data and analysis, with Oracle’s insights able to help tell more stories about Premier League matches, giving fans a data-rich experience. Match information will be available instantly as they need it, whether they are watching from home or at the ground on their mobile phones.

“We are always looking at new ways to bring the Premier League to life and enhance the analysis of the competition. Oracle is a global brand with a great track record of driving innovation, and we look forward to working together to bring new levels of engagement to fans around the world,” Premier League Chief Executive Richard Masters said.

“Match Insights – Powered by Oracle Cloud” are set to roll out with three different categories that all have their unique values in finding out more about what goes on during a game.

Average Formation – The positions of all players are tracked for when their team is with or without possession. The model can identify differences in how teams organise themselves and ways they structure their line up during attacking and defending phases. Throughout a match, fans will see how teams respond to an opposition’s tactics, giving a glimpse about the strategies utilised in different styles of play by leading coaches.

Live Win Probability – Presents as a statistic that delves deeper into a team’s performance by calculating the chance of a team going on to secure a win or draw – this is done by simulating the remainder of the match 100,000 times to achieve the best possible accuracy in predictions. The model has been built around four years of match data and assesses a range of factors such as if a team is home or away, the current score, penalties awarded, players on the pitch, red cards and time left in the match.

Momentum Tracker – This measures the likelihood of a team that is in possession to score a goal within the next 10 seconds. The results that are uncovered are based on data from thousands of historical games, as well as the last five events in the current possession (how a team is building up play). The model summarises the outcomes of passes, dribbles in possession, tackles and locations on the pitch where those instances take place.

“Combining Oracle’s machine learning expertise with the Premier League’s wealth of football data is a significant merger of technology and sport,” Ariel Kelman said, Oracle executive vice president and chief marketing officer.

“The margins for error in the Premier League are very small, so the data is crucial to discovering the meaningful moments and stories of each match. It’s those stories that unite fans and ignite their passions for the game.”

More Match Insights are expected to be added throughout the 2021/22 Premier League season and beyond, as the upcoming campaign is scheduled to start on August 14, 2021.

You can find out more about Oracle’s Cloud Infrastructure and Applications here.

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Piing: Revolutionising Fan Engagement at Live Sports and Events

Piing: Revolutionising Fan Engagement at Live Sports and Events

Piing is changing the way fans experience live events, offering powerful tools for sports clubs and organisations to turn passive spectators into active participants through large-scale, mobile-powered games.

Piing is a UK-based tech company that’s transforming fan engagement at live events by using smartphones to power huge, interactive games that bring crowds together in real-time.

The company was founded back in 2020 in Manchester, England.

Piing creates fun, interactive experiences that let crowds—from 30 to over 100,000 people—join in and play together using just their mobile phones, with no app downloads needed.

Their collection of easy-to-play, arcade-style games is built for big audiences and designed to spark energy and excitement.

These games are shown on giant screens at stadiums, festivals, and corporate events, turning fans into active participants in real-time competitions.

Some of Piing’s standout games include Pen-Kick and Quiiz.

Pen-Kick is a virtual penalty shootout that’s been played by fans in stadiums around the world.

Pen-kick was used in front of 53,000 fans at Ajax’s iconic Johan Cruyff Arena in Amsterdam where more than 4,000 fans joined in the virtual penalty shootout during halftime at the Ajax vs NEC match in 2023.

Quiiz is Piing’s massive multiplayer quiz game, which has even set Guinness World Records.

Piing also offers an innovative way to advertise at sports and live events around the world, connecting with fans through fun, memorable moments that stick with them long after the event is over.

One major milestone was becoming the Official Crowd Games Supplier for Manchester City, giving fans at both the Etihad and Joie Stadiums the chance to take part in interactive games before kick-off and during half-time.

Beyond the big screen, supporters can also enjoy Piing games in fan zones, hospitality suites, and even as part of the club’s Blue Carpet experience.

Back in December 2020, Everton FC teamed up with Piing for the first time to boost matchday engagement at Goodison Park where they used games and quizzes to encourage fans to stay in their seats and get involved during the action.

This activation ran across two Premier League matches and a Carabao Cup quarter-final.

These two collaborations highlight Piing’s role in transforming traditional fan experiences into interactive, community-driven events.

So how can Piing benefit Australian football clubs and organisations?

To start with, it’s a great way to boost fan engagement on match day.

Clubs in the A-League and across Australian football are always looking for new ways to connect with supporters beyond the 90 minutes on the pitch.

Piing brings the crowd together with fun, interactive games that happen live in the stadium—before the match, during half-time, or even after full-time.

For example, at a Melbourne Victory or Sydney FC game, fans could join in a virtual penalty shootout shown on the big screen, playing along in real-time using their phones and sharing the excitement with everyone in the stadium.

Another big advantage is that fans don’t need to download any apps to join in, making the whole experience super easy and hassle-free.

Piing works entirely through a web browser—fans just scan a QR code and they’re in instantly.

With so many people tired of downloading apps, and not everyone having the latest phones, this simple, no-fuss approach is perfect for the wide range of Australian sports fans.

One more reason Piing is especially valuable for organisations is the sponsorship potential it offers.

Australian clubs are always on the lookout for fresh ways to give sponsors new opportunities to connect with fans and Piing delivers this with branded in-game spaces and real-time data on how fans are engaging.

That makes it a powerful tool for local and national sponsors who want more than just passive ads—they want to actively reach and engage their audience.

In short, Piing offers Australian football clubs a fun, easy-to-use way to boost fan engagement, create new sponsorship opportunities, and enhance the overall matchday experience.

As live sports continue to evolve, Piing stands out as a smart, scalable solution that brings fans closer to the action, offering clubs and organisations a powerful way to modernise matchdays and build deeper connections with their audiences.

Genius Sports teams up with iSpot to power FANHub metrics

Genius Sports, the tech and data company that brings together sports, betting, and media companies, has confirmed a new strategic alliance with TV measurement experts iSpot.

Through this agreement, Genius Sports will gain access to iSpot’s powerful measurement tools, helping them track and verify how video ads perform across a range from traditional TV to popular streaming apps from wherever people are watching.

With this, Genius Sports clients can have the ability to identify audiences across platforms and gain metrics on the ROI as well as the influence of their media strategies on consumer behaviour.

Genius Sports Chief Revenue Officer, Josh Linforth, underlines how the new partnership with iSpot will guide brands to have a much clearer idea and to measure the impact of their campaigns across today’s multi-platform sports landscape.

“This partnership with iSpot represents a significant advancement in our ability to deliver measurable value to brands in sports. By integrating iSpot’s industry-leading measurement capabilities into FANHub, we enable our clients to understand the true impact of their campaigns across the fragmented sports viewing landscape. In an era where fans engage with content across multiple screens and platforms, this unified view of performance and outcomes will transform how brands optimize their sports-adjacent investments,” he said via press release.

iSpot’s VP of Business Development, Emily Wood, expressed excitement about signing a mutual deal with Genius Sports to help marketers tap into the valuable opportunities presented by loyal sports fans across streaming and digital platforms.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Genius Sports in order to help the broader media marketplace capitalize on the clear opportunity that exists with what are often loyal fans. Sports programming alongside the growth in sports books have unlocked a great deal of value for marketers over streaming and digital channels, and one of iSpot’s key missions is to help brands unlock and harness that value,” she said via press release.

Building on over 20 years of expertise and strong connections with more than 700 organisations, including having a solid presence in the global football industry, Genius Sports introduced FANHub last year. It is a simple, all-in-one platform bringing together programmatic and social media campaigns in one place for brands, agencies, leagues, and teams.

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