The NFL has entered into a partnership with the Amazon Web Services division of internet company Amazon.
AWS, Amazon’s cloud computing business, will serve as an official technology provider of the NFL as part of the agreement, the length of which was not disclosed.
AWS’s machine learning and data analytics services will be used to enhance Next Gen Stats, the NFL’s player-tracking system. It is hoped AWS’s technology will help elevate the fan experience for NFL supporters through the provision of a broader range of advanced statistics.
Next Gen Stats captures real-time location, speed and acceleration data, which will be analysed by AWS and used to contextualise players’ actions across NFL Media properties, game broadcasts, third-party digital platforms and in-venue displays. Data is also used by the franchises themselves.
Matt Swensson, vice-president of emerging products and technology for the NFL, said: “The NFL continues to look at technology to grow the sport of football to the millions of fans who engage with us throughout the year. Next Gen Stats is already revolutionising the game of football by exposing a variety of advanced statistics that enhance our broadcasts and other operation.
“By powering Next Gen Stats with AWS, we’ll be able to kick off our 2018 season with even more impactful and meaningful content, uncovering deeper insights into the game of football than we’ve ever done before. We chose AWS because of its combination of advanced cloud offering, powerful machine learning capabilities, and experience operating at the scale we need.”