UAE Pro League Committee reveals details of its Sportradar partnership

The United Arab Emirates Pro League Committee (PLC) has revealed details of its newly formed partnership with sports data and technology company ‘Sportradar’.

The UAE’s main football governing revealed the details of the contract in a press conference attended by PLC Acting CEO Waleed Al Hosani, Sportradar’s Director of Communications and Public Affairs Alex Inglot and Director of Digital Sports APAC, Roko Coko.

According to the contract, the PLC will house Sportradar’s regional office and will be appointed as the company’s regional partner for the Middle East. In turn, Sportradar will provide statistics for all PLC competitions and contribute to its efforts to engage UAE societies in the football sphere, as well as utilising social media to expand the PLC’s competition followers.

Sportradar is expected to supply data and statistics about players’ playing time and performances as well as detailed match stats. The partnership between the PLC and Sportradar aims to provide a high-quality level of service to all Arabian Gulf League stakeholders, in addition to making verified official data about players performances available to coaching and scouting staff.

PLC’s Acting CEO Waleed Al Hosani said: “The agreement aims to develop the Arabian Gulf League system, especially in the area of data availability and engaging fans in the game. This project is an important part of the 2017-2020 strategic plan launched by the PLC, to develop smart technologies and maximise their adoption in organising and managing PLC competitions.”

Al Hosani added: “Increased technology adoption is one of the PLC’s objectives in the next few years to transform the Arabian Gulf League into a smart league.”

Sportradar’s Director of Communications and Public Affairs Alex Inglot commented: “Today’s football fans demand insights that feed their passion, inform their debates and that are available to them wherever they may be.

“This is true worldwide and is no less true here in the Gulf. It takes a progressive organisation such as the PLC to see these developments, identify the challenge and convert it into an opportunity.

“Our trend-setting partnership kicks off a collaboration that will ensure that fans, but also league partners, clubs and media, will have all the tools they need to analyse, understand and engage with some of the most exciting football played in the region.”