It is that time of year again. Millions of tennis fans around the world rejoice as the grand slam fast is broken, and the world’s top virtuosos battle over the last fortnight in Melbourne. 2014 is a special year for the Australian Open; followers from all corners of the globe will be able to see […]
Numbers.
Statistics.
Analytics.
Sports fans possess an obsession over numbers beyond the box score like never before. Stats represent the only quantifiable metric to justify any sports debate. When the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference grows in attendance each and every year, this event shows the breakthroughs and fascination within numerical research. Even ESPN has attempted to bring this interest to the mainstream with a show like Numbers Never Lie.
The NBA Stats page, which was officially opened up to the public in November (this site had been available to the media since February with the requirement of a password), has truly delivered a product that will instill pride in hard core fans and envy in other leagues. This new stats page has absolutely everything. Anything […]
When American Andy Roddick lost to Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro at the US Open yesterday, his defeat ended his career as a tennis player but did not diminish the public’s fascination with him. The match sent the Twittersphere into a frenzy–and analysis of the results reveals some surprising truths about social media. According to IBM’s […]
How well do you know your fans? The answer to that question is what will determine profitability and success for sports franchises in the very near future. The last decade brought a tsunami wave of new technology into the home: HDTV, hi-speed internet, DirecTV, LCD flat screens, you name it. That all of a sudden made watching from home a solid alternative to actually going to a game for most fans. Teams responded by investing hundreds of thousands of dollars in infrastructure. We saw the most beautiful stadiums in the world built, larger than life LCD screens and increased Wi-Fi connectivity. Basically, teams did these things because they “thought” fans would want it. That’s where things are beginning to change....
