Expanding the Appeal of Your Game

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Jun 23, 2014, 04:00 ET

LONDON, June 23, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

My local pub can bring in the crowds by putting sporting events on the big screen. The ongoing banter between fans brings an undertone of tension into a passionate atmosphere.

With any sport, I notice there are those who love proclaiming they know which side is going to win. It could be the optimistic die-hard fan or the life-long supporter in the corner who knows his team will be quashed, but humbly watches each game out of pure loyalty.

I've seen how the rise of on-screen statistics has created a new breed of armchair pundit. These crucial insights on the game bring about a deeper understanding to impress new supporters and seasoned followers.

There is a hunger among fans to know and understand the action. It's an area IBM has considerable expertise in, and is driving revenue to sports clubs.

With the rise of the smartphone, sports fans can have an in-depth realtime review of a match wherever they are. IBM's TryTracker has been developed with the Rugby Football Union. This feature showcases and visualises essential realtime statistics, and is available on the RFU website. For the RBS 6 Nations tournament, this increases website visits and enhances the fan experience.

TryTracker analyses historical performance data as well as current pitch action. Users can access insights, heightening their understanding of what to watch for in the match, showing how teams can improve chances of a win.

It's fair to say that TryTracker evolved from SlamTracker, IBM's realtime statistics and data visualisation platform for tennis. The feature is used for the Wimbledon Championships, driving millions of tennis fans to the official website. It's one of many ways IBM has boosted fan engagement.

Wimbledon's website and SlamTracker technology are hosted on IBM's cloud platform, able to cope with demand at a moment's notice. It's another innovation the Wimbledon All England Lawn Tennis Club has benefited from over their 25-year partnership with IBM.

For Rugby Union, where there are thirty players marauding on the pitch, more live data has to be taken into account. Thankfully, IBM's expertise and technical capacity can cope with this task.

Technology is being used to tell a compelling story to all fans, from the interested newcomer to the experienced expert. Pub arguments are never going to be the same again.

Discover new ways to enhance the fan experience with IBM's expertise. (http://bitly.com/1gaoba9 )

*The views of this blog are Robert Tickell's own

SOURCE IBM