U.S. Soccer Taps Opta as Official Live Match Data Provider

Opta, the provider of live, detailed sports data, has reached an agreement with the U.S. Soccer to become the Federation’s Official Live Match Data Provider. As part of its ongoing effort to make soccer the preeminent sport in the U.S. by developing  players, coaches, and referees, and by connecting to fans in more meaningful ways, the three-year deal will support the development and identification of youth players in the United States, the performance analysis of Men’s and Women’s National Teams, and the integration of data-driven digital content to further engage U.S. Soccer fans. The relationship officially kicked-off at the start of the year.

Opta will collect and manage data for all Under-16/17 and Under-18/19 U.S. Soccer Development Academy matches, and Youth National Team matches, forming an objective, data-grounded pathway for the improvement and identification of top youth players in the country.

The agreement also includes data collection and management for all Men’s and Women’s National Team games, and data and video analysis tools to further each team’s performance analysis.

“This deal represents a deeper commitment to our data-driven decision-making,” says U.S. Soccer spokesperson Neil Buethe. “Not only does this significantly improve our analytical capacity at the senior international and professional levels, but for the first time we will create timely and relevant data, on an ongoing basis, around our youth environments, including the Development Academy. We’ll also be able to further develop our fan offerings by incorporating a new level of stats into our web and social channels. So we’re pleased to team with Opta in unlocking these opportunities.”

U.S. Soccer will now have access to ProVision, a data and video analysis tool from TruMedia, Scout7, and OptaPro, for all U.S. Soccer matches, across all ages, as well as Opta’s full breadth of the international leagues and tournaments, scoping the globe for opposition analysis and international performances of national team players.

The collaboration will help with creating new and compelling opportunities to engage fans, using Opta’s detailed live statistics on digital and social channels. The gradual integration of the Opta data feeds and widgets across U.S. Soccer’s digital properties will feature new match centers, with player and team statistics, for fans to dive deeper into each performance across Men’s and Women’s National Teams.

“We’re very proud to work with U.S. Soccer, and further our dedication to the region alongside our league relationships”, says Oliver Miller-Farrell, Perform spokesperson. “For both organizations, and soccer in the United States, this signals the importance of data in the continued growth of the sport. With the level of analysis from the range of youth players, up to the select few at the senior level, this will bridge the gap and offer new insights into performance along the pathway. The access to Opta’s deep data will also elevate media exposure around the nation’s players and matches, giving fans and sponsors a fresh look at the game.”

Based in London with an office in New York City, Opta has major data partnerships within the sport, including domestic partnerships with Major League Soccer (MLS), United Soccer League (USL), North American Soccer League (NASL), and National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), as well as around the globe with the Premier League, Football League Championship, and A-League. The company was acquired by digital sports content and media group Perform in 2013.