Sports data and intelligence firm STATS has extended its partnership with the Associated Press for the next three years. The deal ensures STATS data will continue to be integrated into AP sports news content and images.
Media companies such as Yahoo, Microsoft, and NBC streamline content from the Associated Press that includes STATS intelligence and metrics. STATS and the AP maintain a long relationship that dates back to 2005 when the AP purchased STATS as part of a joint venture with NewsCorp. In 2014, the AP and NewsCorp sold STATS to Vista Equity Partners.
“When you merge best-in-class data with best-in-class journalism, you bring to market an unparalleled product with limitless potential,” said Brian Orefice, STATS’ Director of News and Data Production in a press release. “We’ve had an incredible run with AP during our explosive growth over the years, and we look forward to expanding on that foundation as our company’s core mission evolves.”
Since being founded in 1981, STATS has worked with professional sports leagues such as the NFL, the NBA, the WNBA, the NHL, and MLB. The company is headquartered in Chicago and acquired Bloomberg Sports in 2014.
“We are pleased to continue our work with STATS to offer media companies a streamlined way to receive quality sports data, news and photos,” said Ted Mendelsohn, the AP’s vice president of commercial and digital markets in the press release. “This collaboration is a win for our customers, who can use the multiformat content to tell comprehensive sports stories.”
SportTechie Takeaway
This extended relationship reinforces just how deep the AP’s integration with technology is becoming, especially with respect to sports coverage. Through a separate partnership with HERO Sports, the AP also provides game previews for all Major League Baseball games that are computer generated using automated data from Sportradar.