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- Data firm signed exclusive low latency deal in 2019
- Second Spectrum skeletal tracking is already used in Premier League
- New metrics and products for coaches and betting partners
Genius Sports will remain the official low-latency data partner of the Premier League, English Football League (EFL) and Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) until the end of the 2024/2025 season.
The sports data and technology specialist has signed a two-year extension to its deal with Football DataCo (FDC), the licensing company which represents the data rights of all three leagues, which was first inked in 2019.
As part of the extension, Genius Sports will deploy its Second Spectrum artificial intelligence (AI)-powered skeletal tracking technology at every single match in England’s second-tier Championship from next season.
Skeletal tracking provides the foundation for semi-automated offside technology (SOAT) by tracking every limb on players on the field in real time. While SOAT isn’t used in the English game, the technology has a range of use cases that go beyond officiating, including fan engagement and betting.
Second Spectrum’s computer vision tech can create new statistics and visualisations for broadcast and digital platforms, such as player speed and shot velocity, while it can also power accurate 3D replications of the entire field.
These recreations can enable new second screen experiences, virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) applications, and even entire metaverse environments that put players at the heart of the action. The data collected will also have value to Premier League clubs wanting to optimise performance or prevent injury.
Second Spectrum technology has been used in the Premier League since last year, powering new products for Genius Sports’ betting partners.
“Genius Sports and Second Spectrum continue to generate first class data and provide innovative solutions for a variety of Football DataCo’s stakeholders,” said Adrian Ford, general manager of Football DataCo. “The technology is improving all the time, extending the creative use of data to improve the presentation of English and Scottish football.”
“The Premier League is the most popular league in world sport and Genius Sports has created the fastest, most accurate and secure feed on UK football to power first-class products for sportsbooks around the world,” said Genius Sports chief executive Mark Locke. “We are delighted to extend our partnership to continue to power innovation and now to expand it to include our suite of AI-powered Second Spectrum tracking data technology for the EFL Championship as well as the Premier League.”
