Data and sports – the ultimate all-rounder

We know that data has the power to improve performance across industries. Today, I will focus on the impact data can have on one of my favourite topics – sport. We are seeing many exciting use cases for how data can go beyond just improving athletes’ performances but drastically improving the operations and experience for everyone involved, including sports organisations and their fans.

Data is the new gold in sports

Data plays a crucial role in enhancing the sports experience for everyone involved. For starters, data is essential for teams looking to win medals, games and races, or in other words, all teams. Competitions and matches are won on split-second decisions, and having the latest information at our fingertips and ready to be used is crucial to do so.

Data is also essential to protect players physically and mentally. Thanks to smart devices like heart monitors or watches, we have more information than ever before on every aspect of a player’s performance, their genetics and their state of mental health at all times, inside and outside of the court. This quantitative data, combined with qualitative data from interviews and expert analysis, helps sports organisations provide tailored care for each of their players.

Finally, data can also be used to enhance the fan experience. Loyal fans love to get detailed information about their teams and will take any opportunity to feel closer to their favourite players. However, not all fans are the same, nor do they engage with sports and their favourite teams through the same mediums. Teams and sports organisations have lots of data on fans’ preferences, and making the most of it can inform what type of tailored content they would enjoy the most and is more likely to keep them engaged.

Data in action: Malmö Redhawks case study

Qlik started working with the Swedish hockey team Malmö Redhawks almost a year ago to provide the team with detailed analyses of each player’s performance and well-being. To do so, Qlik partnered with sports analytics company Stretch On Sense to develop a cloud-based platform called Hat-TriQ, where all the data would be stored. This enabled coaching staff to make informed decisions, better facilitate reaching team goals, and protect players’ physical and mental health.

Qlik Cloud has also been used to feed live data from sensors on the players and Local Positioning System (LPS) in the arena to improve fan engagement by sharing live updates on the stadium jumbotron. For the first time ever in professional ice hockey, fans were getting live detailed analytics on different players shown alongside an image of the player on the big screen.

Data in action: Q36.5 case study

Qlik is supporting Q36.5 in its goal to become one of the top 5 cycling teams in the world. The team is constantly on the road and found that staying on course with the right information was a constant challenge. Qlik technology enabled them to track all professional cyclists, from continental right through to the World Tour level, and provide insights into their performance and results.

Having detailed breakdowns of how each cyclist performs helps both athletes and trainers to make better, more informed decisions quickly. It doesn’t matter where cyclists and coaches are located in the world – data can be analysed and tracked at any given time using different devices.

Moving forward with data

Whether we are focusing on fan engagement, player mental health or winning the next championship, the future of sport is in the data. As we see from Qlik’s work with Malmö Redhawks and Q36.5, there is a lot to be learnt from how sports teams are finding new innovative use cases – both from a performance perspective and also operationally.

Once again, what is clear is that data, when used to its full potential, will take the sports experience to a whole new and exciting level for players, teams, and fans.