PA Sport and SIS win data contract

Press Association Sport will continue its eight-year data partnership with English and Scottish football after being awarded exclusive worldwide data collection, management and supply rights for the top professional leagues.

Football DataCo, set up by the Premier League and Football League to provide data services, granted the contracts following a competitive tender process which also sees Satellite Information Services (SIS) given the exclusive rights to supply football data into the betting sector.

The deal covers data from the Premier League and Football League in England and the Scottish Premier League and Scottish Football League for the 2010/11 to 2012/13 seasons.

In addition to collecting and databasing data from grounds, Press Association Sport will have the worldwide supply rights to the information. They will work with STATS, the Chicago-based sports information provider, as an exclusive data supply partner in North America and Japan.

PA Sport has worked with Football DataCo on gathering and supplying data since DataCo’s formation by the football leagues in 2001. The new deal will see the company capturing richer live data from games than ever before using Amisco technology. There will also be a greater focus on digital product development with the aim of increasing the reach of English and Scottish football data across the world.

SIS has provided television and data services, including the delivery of sports data, to the betting industry for over 20 years. There is no other supplier with a network in place which is capable of delivering data to the whole of the betting industry on the same scale.

Neil Doncaster, Chief Executive of the SPL, said: "The sale of our data is an important part of our business and is worth in excess of six figures on an annual basis. These deals should drive that business forward and should bring in more revenue – revenue that can be re-invested into our member clubs."

David Folker, General Manager of Football DataCo said: "The relationship between Press Association Sport and DataCo/ the Leagues set a template for sports handling the specifics of their own data sales and development – a template being used elsewhere in the sporting world. 

"The bid process was extremely competitive with all bids of a high calibre – the Leagues were pleased by the depth and scope of interest in partnering on data, as this is still a relatively new area of commercial operation. We are also excited by the prospects of the new relationship with SIS a market leader in the provision of sporting data to the betting industry, this marks a new departure in the development of DataCo."

Ian Campbell, Managing Director Press Association Sport, said: "We are absolutely delighted and privileged that football has placed such faith in our ability to collect, manage and monetise its data worldwide. The DataCo relationship is at the heart of our business and we will do all in our power to repay that faith by not only meeting, but exceeding expectations."

David Holdgate, Chief Executive of SIS, added: "Advances in technology are nowhere more evident than in the broadcast and betting industries, both are areas in which football is highly valued content and both are areas in which SIS is a leading supplier. We are tremendously excited at the prospect of working directly with Football DataCo and look forward to continuing with and building on our relationship with Press Association Sport."