Major League Soccer (MLS) and U.S. Soccer on Thursday announced an exclusive official data deal with Stats Perform, the revolutionary leader in sports AI and data.
Stats Perform will leverage its unique combination of the most trusted and granular sports data and advanced AI capabilities to create superior fan, spectator and bettor experiences for men's and women's soccer competitions in the United States through Stats Perform’s RunningBall, Opta and Integrity services.
“We’re delighted to announce we have been chosen as the exclusive global data partner for MLS and U.S. Soccer,” said Alex Rice, Chief Rights Officer at Stats Perform. “As a trusted partner of MLS for over 10 years and U.S. Soccer for three years, we look forward to delivering the highest quality data to create the best experiences for fans and bettors, while continuing to support the growth of soccer in North America.”
The agreement facilitated by Soccer United Marketing (SUM), U.S. Soccer’s partner for more than 15 years, grants Stats Perform the right to exclusively collect, analyze and distribute official ultrafast data and player data to global broadcast, media, betting and professional teams for all MLS, U.S. Open Cup and Men’s and Women’s National Team matches. For the first time, MLS and U.S. Soccer will also offer an official ultrafast data feed optimized for sports betting operators from all MLS, and select U.S. National Team and U.S. Open Cup matches.
The introduction of data and AI capabilities will help raise the profile of soccer in the United States and increase fan engagement, bringing fans closer to games, teams and players across MLS, the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team (USMNT), U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team (USWNT), and the U.S. Open Cup.
For the first time MLS and U.S. Soccer will also offer an official ultrafast data feed optimized for sports betting operators.
“Soccer United Marketing is proud to facilitate the execution of this expansive, long-term partnership between Stats Perform, MLS and U.S. Soccer,” said Chris Schlosser, SVP, Media. “We are excited to partner with Stats Perform to create MLS and U.S. Soccer’s first official data feed optimized for Sports Betting. As the betting landscape continues to evolve, it is important that quality and accurate data are available to power sports betting experiences and Stats Peform is a proven global leader in the creation of soccer betting data feeds."
The partnership also increases data coverage to over 3,000 U.S. Soccer Development Academy matches, which unlocks data-driven talent identification processes for the Federation and clubs, furthering U.S. Soccer’s strategic approach to improving player development.
“The partnership with Stats Perform further represents U.S. Soccer’s commitment to using data and technology to grow the game domestically,” said U.S. Soccer Director of Analytics and Research Ross Moses. “Data quality and coverage are central to our objectives to win and grow the fanbase, and Stats Perform has shown to be a leader in the space. With coverage of not only the senior national teams but also youth and club competitions like the U.S. Open Cup, we continue to push ourselves to find competitive advantages on the field and build our connection with fans off it.”
The Stats Perform Integrity Unit, which works with rights holders and the industry to protect competitions from corruption, will support MLS and U.S. Soccer in their innovative approach to preventing match manipulation and betting fraud through education, 24/7 global monitoring and intelligence, and performance analysis.
Stats Perform’s work with leagues around the world has proven consistent and accurate data plays an essential role in developing players and teams, driving new levels of attention and interest from media, brands, fans, fantasy and betting.
MLS and U.S. Soccer selecting Stats Perform demonstrates a desire to bring consistency across all levels of its competitions and provide both teams and fans with the best quality data and data-powered content.
