SPL, clubs embrace OptaAI in expanded Stats Perform partnership | OneFootball

The Saudi Pro League (SPL) has expanded its agreement with Stats Perform to ensure every top-flight Saudi football club and the league’s own media and digital teams benefit from new tools and performance insights, powered by Opta and OptaAI, to enhance on-field analysis and further deepen fan and sponsor engagement.

The extended, expanded agreement includes OptaAI-powered Opta Vision - Stats Perform’s richest performance data - captured from every Saudi Pro League, King’s Cup and Super Cup fixture played throughout the season, and made available to each club’s performance-analysis department.

Powered by Computer Vision and Generative AI, Opta Vision combines complete player tracking, on-ball event and aggregated fitness data, alongside multiple AI-enriched predictive metrics, enabling analysts to quickly identify new and pioneering performance traits at player and team level.

Opta Vision data from dozens of overseas competitions will also be made available to recruitment analysts working for Saudi Pro League clubs to enhance their data profiling of future players being scouted.  Each club will also have access to their own internal Opta Pro Hub software, where they can manage all daily scouting activity, including player reports and recruitment shortlists.

Fan engagement is set to be supercharged across official Saudi Pro League channels, with Opta feeds powering a wider range of new fan experiences, both pre-match and in-game. These include the stats hub on the official Saudi Pro League website and app, the official RSL Fantasy game and the syndicated world broadcast feed, which will be enhanced with rich data insights and graphics.

Live Opta data feeds will also be available to the Saudi Arabia Football Federation, official league partners and the media departments at every Saudi Pro League club, expanding sponsored content on their official websites and enabling them to produce and share data-driven stories to grow supporters across social channels.

Omar Mugharbel, CEO of the Saudi Pro League, said: “The Saudi Pro League has established itself as a leading force in football across Asia, recognised as the top [Asian Football Confederation] domestic competition. Aided by strategic partnerships, including our collaboration with Stats Perform, we harness innovative data solutions like live Opta feeds and Opta Vision data to enhance club performance analysis and scouting.

“This commitment to excellence drives our clubs' competitive edge and enriches fans, ensuring the SPL continues to set new standards with its partners in delivering unforgettable football experiences to a global audience."

Stats Perform’s Chief Revenue Officer, Steve Xeller, added: “We are delighted that the Saudi Pro League are the latest to expand their use of our services to include OptaAI-powered solutions. Our people, including our dedicated team in the region, will continue to work tirelessly to help ensure the SPL and its clubs continue to go from strength-to-strength, on the field and off it, for the benefit of their growing audience of millions of global fans.”

Launched last year, Opta Vision is now in use at dozens of leading leagues, federations and teams around the world.  Coverage expansion this summer means that Opta Vision data is now available for approaching more than 60 men’s and women’s competitions – a 35 percent increase on 2023-24.