Big Data and Analytics In Sports: A Game Changer

Sports   |   
Published May 28, 2014   |   
Bernard Marr

If there is one area in which big data is literally guaranteed to be a game-changer, it’s sports.
Sports have for a long time been accompanied by a wealth of statistics – what’s different today is the amount of data and the multitude of ways that we have to analyze and interpret that data – and put it to work.
That could be to boost performance on the field, decrease injuries and recovery times, or simply make the game a more entertaining spectacle for the fans.

But the volume of data is going through the stratosphere too – every day companies, teams or individuals are coming up with ways to capture more data, and record more information about what’s happening on pitches and fields around the world.

This year Stats launched their SportVu service in every NBA stadium in America – installing six cameras at each location to accurately datafy the movements of every player and ball on the pitch. This and similar projects mean that most major teams now employ data specialists, dedicated to interpreting the facts and figures and making sure their teams get the most benefit from them.

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