By Paul Nicholson
October 19 – Perform Group has bought sports technology company Scout7 adding a deeper level of sports data to its media and professional services businesses. Scout 7 will work closely with Perform’s OtpaPro, developing new “product set” of performance data and scouting solutions.
Ben Mackriell, Head of OptaPro, said: “Scout7 have been a key partner of OptaPro for a number of years and the relationship has enabled us to provide market-leading data and technology to football clubs in more than 14 countries.
“By aligning Scout 7’s technological expertise and industry knowledge with OptaPro, we will be able to provide clubs with enhanced tools that assist them in affecting on-pitch performance and scouting processes.”
Scout7 is a global leader in providing scouting, recruitment, player administration and management solutions, working with more than 230 different organisations worldwide including 17 Premier League clubs.
The sports data market is fast evolving and OptaPro and Scout7 have products that cross from media content to management analysis data of player performance. A Perform press release said the two will “work together to drive innovation that enhances performance and recruitment processes at all levels of the game.”
Lee Jamison, Scout7 managing Director, said: “Since 2001, we have been the market leader for scouting management solutions in football, supporting clients of varying size and infrastructure in professionalising their player recruitment and assessment processes. Now as part of Perform, we will be working in parallel with another industry leader, OptaPro, to continue to drive and innovate in a fast-moving industry… our clients can look forward to strong technology partnerships and cutting-edge products, driven by the evolving requirements of the industry, to support and enhance their information management and evaluation processes.”
Perform Group has grown rapidly with acquisition a key part of its growth strategy. Perform paid £40 million for Opta in 2013 and has a turnover of about £260 million. No figure has so far been released for the acquisition of Scout7.
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