NEWS Sky Sports Agree Five Year Content Deal Extension
08th December 2011
Sky Sports has agreed a five year extension to its deal with Opta for detailed live performance stats during coverage of several sports.
The agreement will see Opta’s services continue on live Sky Sports as well as on skysports.com, Sky Text and Sky Sports apps available on mobile and tablet devices.
The Opta data includes detailed match, team and player statistics which are to be used in a range of sports including football, rugby union, rugby league and cricket. Viewers and users can enjoy a multitude of in game statistics and insights delivered on the first and second screen platforms.
A key area of application is within broadcast graphics and will see Opta’s on the ball X and Y co-ordinates utilised to create player pass graphics and heat maps, as well as detailed penalty data.
Piers Croton – Director, Sky Sports Digital Media: 'People expect the best sports coverage on Sky and this renewal will see Opta’s excellent services continue across our platforms.”
Opta have grown their own operational capabilities in line with the growth of Sky Sports since its inception. Aidan Cooney – CEO of Opta, ‘We have supplied Sky live sports data for over ten years and the outputs we have today have largely been defined by feedback from them.’
Karl Hogan – BSkyB Account Director also commented on the importance of the relationship to Opta. ‘This relationship is key to our business. Being a recognised global sports information brand, you want to work with the very best sports information publishers. Sky are certainly that, adding unrivalled credibility to the Opta brand in everything we do.’
