The partnership will also result in the extension of a STEM programme to support 1,200 school children in the North East of England, where Sage’s global headquarters is based
Sage, the leader in accounting, financial, HR and payroll tech for small and mid-sized businesses, is partnering with Sportable, a global data collection and analytics platform, to bring deeper, AI led insights to the world’s biggest sports.
The strategic marketing partnership follows Sage’s role as Insights Partner to some of the world’s biggest sports brands and builds on its commitment to unleash potential through data, as it does every day for millions of SMB customers.
Sage and Sportable will develop a global sports index, bringing together millions of AI led insights generated across the sports world by Sportable technology. It will provide open access for anyone to identify trends and better understand key indicators of high performance and game strategy. The first index will be rugby focused, launched alongside the Women’s Six Nations in March. Future versions are planned for soccer, American football and more.
The partnership will also result in the extension of a STEM programme – called Tackling Insights – to support 1,200 school children in the North East of England where Sage’s global headquarters is based. Using the AI capabilities within the smart ball, Sage, Sportable and the Newcastle Rugby Foundation, aim to tackle the STEM talent gap within the UK.
With the enhanced funding, Tackling Insights will be delivered to twice as many year eight school children from underprivileged areas. It also helps to expand Sage’s ambition in the North East to create a diverse and engaging tech talent pipeline through its STEM and digital skills initiatives.
Sportable specialises in advanced technology that tracks balls and players across a number of sports, including rugby, Australian rules football, American football and soccer. Its proprietary hardware is underpinned by AI and Machine Learning, which turn thousands of data points into real time, automated insights on how players and the ball move during a game and in training.
The Gilbert x Sportable Smart Ball, for example, used in elite professional level rugby games since 2022, works with wireless beacons around the field to show live game data, such as how far the ball is kicked or passed, and how much territory a team gains as they attack. The technology helps players, coaches and teams use these insights to make performance improvement, tactical and recruitment decisions, while broadcasters and fans benefit from immediate game analysis.
Sage will access the vast amount of data gathered by Sportable’s expanding presence in the sports world and add to its existing portfolio of sports brands, as it helps to deliver business and sports analytics at scale.
Cath Keers, Chief Marketing Officer of Sage, said: “Every day, Sage surfaces insights for customers that help them make the best business decisions. We know sporting success relies on the same blend of insight and instinct, so we’re excited about the potential of this partnership. Our brand scale and Sportable’s AI data expertise is a great combination and we look forward to collectively bringing new insights to life across the sports world.
“Thanks to this partnership, the extension of our STEM programme will mean more young people in our hometown will be empowered through sport to consider a career in STEM. By utilising smart ball technology, and leveraging the core values in sports, such as teamwork, respect, discipline, and sportsmanship, we aim to foster a passion for STEM education and aid schools in delivering engaging and fun programmes of support.”
Commenting on the partnership with Sage, Dugald Macdonald, Co-Founder and CEO of Sportable, said: “We are proud to announce this collaboration between Sportable and Sage. We first worked with Sage in 2022 after deploying the Smart Ball with our partners at Six Nations Rugby, which Sage went on to present during the 2022 Autumn Nations Series and beyond.
“The Sportable team has created a fantastic, applied technology product that is proven to bring new levels of insight into elite sport both from a performance and fan engagement perspective. To have an opportunity to further bring that to life in partnership with an organisation like Sage, and usher in an accelerated period of growth and learning as a result, is truly exciting.”
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