Data and analytics driving sports on and off the field

It’s nearly impossible to watch a sporting event without a discussion of how analytics have been applied to help teams gain an edge.

Data and advanced metrics are driving decision-making off the field as well.

A Thursday morning panel discussion at Aria as part of CES delved into how leagues and venues are collecting and applying analytics to enhance the fan experience and increase revenue.

“There’s a lot of open data in social and through other channels you can use to learn how people are engaging and what’s their favorite part of the event,” AEG Director of Digital Media Matt Lawler said during “The State of Sports Analytics” panel. “We regularly work to try to understand what does and doesn’t work as you’re innovating content and creating products and experiences.”

Even a racing league like Formula 1, which has a fan base notoriously resistant to change, has taken big steps forward by embracing modern methods of data collection.

Matt Roberts, F1’s Director of Research and Analytics, said the organization had little to no data on its customer base just two years ago when Liberty Media acquired it.

A few early surveys, a method of collection growing more and more antiquated, found upwards of 80 percent of those attending the track said they were purchasing merchandise, but an investment in sensor technology told F1 officials only about 40 percent were actually visiting retail locations on site.

More importantly, it gave them keen insights into what was working for the consumers.

Roberts said they realized those attendees who visited the fan engagement areas at the tracks were reporting a far more positive experience and were then more likely to return.

“By gaining this insight, we’ve really been able to make sure these fan activations are in the right place so more people are using them and more people are having a great time,” Roberts said. “It’s been one of our most successful initiatives.”

That doesn’t mean numbers and data can determine everything.

Another positive development for F1 has been the addition of a fastest-lap point, which keeps teams and fans engaged even late in races when a winner appears inevitable long before the checkered flag.

“Our fans have been around the sport for a long time and they always say they hate change and love it as it is,” Roberts said. “We had a lot of detractors saying it’s just a gimmick and we don’t want it. That’s the feedback we had, but we went with it. Now, it’s definitely helped the excitement of the sport.

“Now it’s polling at 80 or 90 percent positive with our fans now. If you just believe the data, you may not have done it, so data has to be part of a bigger picture.”

The more the technology advances, the more data will be culled from the consumer and their habits.

Both Lawler and Roberts acknowledged that will mean more opportunities to monetize that information for teams, leagues and venues, but said it will also create a more customizable and enjoyable experience.

Operators will know not only when fans arrive in a venue, but also how and through which entrance and when they like to go to the concession stand and what they like to order. Service can then be more focused on the customers’ actual habits.

Lawler knows not everyone will be thrilled about that.

“That’s the state of our digital data world right now,” he said. “But what I wish I could do is get people comfortable with telling us more through their device without it seeming very deep state. The mobile signals that get sent can tell you a lot about behavior, but I opt out of a lot of that stuff and I know other people do that as well.”

Both believe more and more decisions will be driven by data, but math will not rule the sports world behind the scenes.

“We don’t just need people to come in and look at spreadsheets,” Roberts said. “It’s an easy skill to read numbers. An ideal person is an analyst with good experience you can put in front of someone as well. That’s a combination skill not a lot of people have. To be able to understand the complexity but also explain it in layperson’s terms is very important.”

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on Twitter.