Real-time soccer stats remind businesses to be nimble and me to forget my time on the pitch

Real-Time Soccer Stats Remind Businesses to be Nimble – and me to Forget My Time on the Pitch

Premier League-Oracle Tie-Up Illustrates Analytics Lessons for Business

Although some lucky English football fans supporting the home side  will be let into stadiums this month, those of us who follow the beautiful game in the Premier League from further afield are eagerly enjoying the finish to this season and really looking forward to mid-August, when the Premier League starts its 2021/22 season with a more usual complement of crowds. With players, coaches, and fans from all over the world we can be sure that millions more will tune in to watch each game on television around the world from their homes or pubs.

Like a lot of kids who dreamt of playing at that level and spent many years playing at home in my native Ireland, I’m joining you in a big sigh of relief that the worst strictures of the pandemic appear to be behind us. As a technology manager, I’m looking forward to seeing how Oracle’s on-screen, in-match data analysis can add to our enjoyment of the matches.

The Premier League will work with Oracle and its existing data providers to produce stats and charts during global broadcasts and on the web. The technology, called Match Insights—Powered by Oracle Cloud, will analyze live data streams to show viewers the probability a team will win or draw its match, its likelihood of scoring in the next 10 seconds, and visualizations of the different formations teams use in and out of possession. Oracle already delivers that kind of real-time data analysis for the premier sailing league, SailGP, and will soon to Formula 1’s Red Bull Racing Honda team.

The same kind of detailed information, delivered in real time, that enhances the appreciation of broadcast viewers, live spectators using their smartphones, and team managers, can benefit businesses as well. When I was CIO at a global bakery conglomerate more than a decade ago, we would have loved this idea. We needed to ship heaps of croissants, rolls, pain au chocolat, and other frozen fare to thousands of corner stores each day, depending on what we thought was going to sell given the weather, or even local sporting events. Being able to react quickly to the data is nirvana in business, and we didn’t have tools like these.

It’s safe to say when I was an aspiring goalkeeper on some Dublin teams in the ‘80s and ‘90s, we didn’t either. I’m sure my favourite English team, Leeds United, would have loved these insights back when Don Revie, Jack Charlton, Billy Bremmer and all the other famous names were in their heyday.

Here’s a better example: Deutsche Bahn, Germany’s national railroad that connects the country’s big cities, small towns, and points beyond, is rolling out performance management software from Oracle to better connect the daily work of its teams to its broader goals of winning market share from planes, and trucks while still meeting internal climate goals. 

Digging into the data quickly also matters, whether you’re a Premier League manager trying to decide who to substitute, or a fan poring over statistics to fuel your hobby.

England’s top league is home to globally popular clubs such as Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, and Arsenal, (I specifically didn’t mention Chelsea as our head of field marketing is a big fan) and every fan around the world will know the names of Everton or Burnley or Leicester or West Ham and all the other great club names as the matches are viewed around the world, including the far-flung markets of China and India.

I’m looking forward to seeing how real-time insights enhance fans’ enjoyment of next season’s games – and would love to hear from you on how your business is reacting to its data feeds as well.