Stats Perform, the international sports data technology provider, has been unveiled as a partner of the Northern Super League (NSL) professional women’s soccer competition in a three-campaign tie-up.
Through a deal publicized today, Stats Perform becomes the official and exclusive data partner of the six-team NSL, with the inaugural edition beginning on April 16.
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The agreement entails Stats Perform collecting data from each NSL league fixture for the next three years and then distributing it via various methods.
Detailed data from every “on-ball event,” including metrics such as Expected Goals and Expected Assists, will be captured and then distributed via both feeds and Stats Perform’s range of products, such as the OptaAI Studio product launched by Stats Perform last July.
Stats Perform has said this means various broadcasters, rights-holders, and publishers can generate data-based stories and insights throughout the season.
The deal will also see the league and its member clubs receive access to the Opta Search function, which is part of OptaAI Studio, meaning all league-associated content creators will be able to use the official Opta data collected by Stats Perform to generate their content and insights.
The Opta data will be used to create a range of “data visualizations,” such as touch and shot maps, Stats Perform has claimed.
Christina Litz, president of the NSL, has commented: “We are thrilled to have Stats Perform on board as our official data partner. When we talk about detailed performance data in soccer, Opta is the gold standard."
The NSL is the brainchild of former Canada national women's team player Diana Matheson, who is now the NSL's chief growth officer, and was first unveiled as a concept in late 2022.
The new competition is owned equally by the clubs, with Matheson's group (Project 8) also holding an ownership share.
Last week, a commercial deal with BMO Financial Group, the North American banking firm, was announced.
Steve Xeller, Stats Perform’s chief revenue officer, added: “Seeing a fully professional women’s soccer league launch in Canada is an incredibly exciting development for the sport in North America and we see considerable potential in working proactively with the league’s head office to help the competition grow, using the power of AI and data-led storytelling to build fan communities across the continent.”
In terms of recent soccer deals, late March saw Stats Perform and Concacaf, soccer’s governing body across North America, Central America, and the Caribbean, disclose a multi-year deal covering data and betting streaming rights.
