Tech in sports: How analytics has changed the pros

There’s no doubt that statistics and data play an important role in professional sports. Whether in soccer, cricket, or American football, superfans have always been interested in goals scored, passes caught, or wickets taken.

But the point at which the value of that data became apparent was the advent of “Moneyball” in the early 2000s, which revolutionized Major League Baseball.

Popularized by a 2011 film starring Brad Pitt, the clever use of discreet data by Oakland A’s general manager Billy Beane was a watershed moment for coaches and owners and altered the DNA of pro leagues in other sports.

Since then, however, things have moved on – so how does data inform and change sports today?

In this episode, Mike and Amit cover analytics as they kick off a three-part mini-series about tech in sports.

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Michael Wade is the TONOMUS Professor of Strategy and Digital and Director of the TONOMUS Global Center for Digital and AI Transformation. An expert in AI and digital transformation, he has published 10 books and more than 100 case studies and articles on topics such as AI strategy, digital innovation, and leadership.

Amit Joshi is a Professor of AI, Analytics, and Marketing Strategy. He specializes in helping organizations use artificial intelligence and develop their big data, analytics, and AI capabilities. An award-winning professor and researcher, he has extensive experience in AI and analytics-driven transformations in industries such as banking, fintech, retail, automotive, telecoms, and pharma.