NASL teamed up with Opta
The North American Soccer League (NASL) announced has teamed up with Opta the world’s leading provider of live, detailed sports data, for a three-year partnership that will bring fans, media, and the rest of the soccer community closer to the statistical side of the league than ever before.
Opta will manage and deliver statistical analysis for all of the NASL league, cup, and postseason matches, and that data will be reflected through the company’s full range of in-depth widgets on all league and club websites. Live match centers and individual and team analysis will track all of the usual statistical categories, as well as a multitude of ultra-specific, in-depth data points that will give followers of the league a perspective that they haven’t had before.
“Our supporters rely heavily on digital and social media outlets to follow their favorite club, and this new partnership with Opta is a major step towards delivering a better experience to everyone that follows the league,” said NASL Commissioner Bill Peterson. “We’re excited to see all of the new improvements in place, and we anticipate a great response from the supporters and the media.”
The partnership will feature a number of elements that go beyond web integration, including press box statistics distribution, social media interaction, and media outlet integration. Additionally, each year, Opta will analyze and release data from five matches that took place in the legendary era of the NASL – a time period which featured the likes of Pelé, George Best, and Johan Cruyff.
“The Legendary Era of NASL is one of the greatest times in soccer history,” Peterson said. “Those great players and supporters are a big reason why the game is growing like it is today. We are always striving to protect their legacy and their place in history, so it’s great to have something like this to keep telling their amazing story.”
Based in London, but operating stateside out of New York City, Opta already has a number of major data partnerships within the sport, including the Barclay’s Premier League, Football League Championship, Bundesliga, Major League Soccer, and A-League. The company was acquired by leading digital sports content and media group Perform in 2013.
We are delighted to agree to a partnership and will increase our North American soccer coverage,” said Angus McNab, Perform VP Content, North America.
At the North American soccer market is one of the most exciting on the planet, and we’re thrilled to add the NASL to our portfolio. Opta has been at the forefront of data-driven analysis in soccer, and we look forward to working with Commissioner Peterson and his team to do this for many years to come.
McNab went on to add, “The additional analysis of five legendary NASL games each season is really exciting, and I think that it will be a great celebration of the league’s rich heritage. Overall, this partnership is great news for the fans, who surely will have a lot of fun exploring the new NASL match centers, powered by Opta’s widget technology.”
The new statistical changes to the league’s websites will go live in the weeks leading up to the season. The content below, which comes straight from Opta’s analysis of last year’s NASL Final between the New York Cosmos and Ottawa Fury FC, is a preview of the type of data that fans and media can come to expect moving forward.
