Top Performing Sports Analytics Companies

If Ted Lasso could be bottled up and served courtside to athletes and teams all over, there would be a line at the cooler. Unfortunately, the fictional coach of an English football club isn’t available in beverage form. For now, there’s sports analytics: the hard science behind the magic that happens on the field (more Coach Beard than Lasso, you could say). Today we’re looking at the private companies seeking to improve outcomes for athletes, to expand the boundaries of sports fandom, and to make a profit.

                                                            Coach Beard, Ted Lasso, & Nathan from Apple TV+

History of Sports Analytics

Would you guess that sports analytics started with America’s favorite pastime, baseball? As someone who has always found the game a little dull (sorry!), I am pleased to report that the fans who know all the player stats and histories have taught me otherwise. The original metric came from Henry Chadwick in 1858 who invented the box score, an easy marker of players and team performance. Fast forward to 2003, when Michael Lewis put sportswriting on the bestseller list with Moneyball, later a movie starring Brad Pitt. The book examined how little-known player statistics were better indicators of success than the payrolls spent elsewhere. 

Global sports analytics is expected to expand at a CAGR of 31.2% and reach $4.6BN by 2025. Moreover, sports gambling holds a 13% share of the $800BN-$1TN gambling industry. Here are some of the top names from the industry shaping sports:

Sports Analytics' Top Performers

🏅  Kinduct collects data from every component of an athlete’s health and performance, combining in-game stats, injury history, and app inputs on sleep schedules and mood. The product is used by professional sports teams, the military, rehabilitation specialists, and even e-sport athletes (yes, gamers). The company was acquired by semiconductor maker Mcube, which produces chips for wearables and mobile devices. 

🏟️  Kitman Labs boasts the English Premier League, Detroit Lions, and Chicago Cubs, using the company's bespoke analytics platform. The start-up raised an $11.5MM round last summer out of its Dublin, Ireland headquarters.

🎫  Sports Info Solutions focuses more on American football and baseball, providing in-depth stats on player metrics. The Coplay, Pennsylvania private company is growing after an April fundraise from a mix of angels & private equity. 

🏆  WHOOP offers a membership for individualized training for those data buffs trying to level up in their sport. Athletes of all stripes can expect their wearable technology and personalized coaching to decrease injuries, reduce alcohol consumption, and improve sleep. The company founded in 2011 is valued at $3.6BN after this week’s $200MM Round F financing.

🏈  Hudl is a video analysis platform supporting 180K teams in 40+ sports. Last year, the company received $120MM in growth capital from Bain Capital to fuel global growth out of its HQ in Lincoln, Nebraska.

📈  Stats Perform is a platform for providing the best data for fans across media, betting, fantasy, teams, and leagues. The company's bread & butter are English football, rugby, and basketball, but it also works with cricket, American football, and baseball.