Running Head: THE POTENTIAL FOR PROFIT IN SPORT ANALYSIS IT 1

The Potential for Profit in Sport Analysis IT

Matthew Watanabe
University of Texas
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Abstract
As technology continues to advance in virtually every field, an increasing number of applications

for new and innovative technologies have been introduced. The creation of new technologies

also creates the potential for new commercial offerings within a myriad of different areas. This

paper focuses on the connection between commercial enterprise and the information technology

(IT) of sport analysis. IT serves to minimize the amount of data processing previously required

of human coaches. Due to global technological development, IT that pertains to sport analysis

has become cheaper, faster, and smaller. This paper explores developments in sport analysis IT

such as video-based analysis, artificial intelligence (AI), and virtual reality technology (VR).

Because technology relating to sport analysis has experienced so much development, some

companies have already begun to offer sport analysis as a product. This paper attempts to

encourage individuals such as powerful corporate leaders or self-employed entrepreneurs to

invest into sport analysis IT.

Keywords: sport analysis, technology, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, video-based analysis,

commercialization
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The literature describes the developments unique to each technology and includes sport

related applications. Existing commercial sport analysis technologies will also be referred to

when applicable. Technological developments will be evaluated in terms of practicality in sport

analysis and will prove the opportunity for commercial enterprise in sport analysis IT. The

methodology section of this paper will describe the methodology used to locate research

applicable to the goal of this paper. The following section of the paper will list the findings that

were retrieved from previous research. The next section will discuss the existence of a

connection between commercialization and information technology in sport analysis. The future

research and limitations section will accentuate the limitations of the research conducted and

suggest a couple areas of future research. The conclusion section explains multiple reasons why

there is a connection between commercialization and information technology in sport analysis.

The conclusion will also encourage entrepreneurs and established business owners to consider

developing information technologies for commercial use in sport analysis.

Background Study

A number of commercial enterprises are in the business of marketing information

technology services towards the average athlete or coach attempting to conduct sport analysis

(Barris & Button, 2008). While these companies often claim that their products will

revolutionize sport analysis, some may consider if those claims are unfounded or the technology

is simply unnecessary. Significant literature exists that pertains to the technologies being

developed by private sport analysis enterprises. The literature in this paper reviews three major

technologies in sport analysis and individually analyzes each technology. The first technology

undergoing development is video-based analysis. Video-based analysis emphasizes the use of

video when providing information and feedback to athletes and coaches (Mackenzie & Cushion,
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2012). Second is artificial intelligence (AI). AI recognizes patterns and learns information that

can be applied in future situations (Schapire, 2001). Third is virtual reality technology (VR). VR

immerses the user in a completely virtual environment that has the potential to simulate real-life

situations (Psotka, 1995). An abundance of literature also connects sport analysis IT to

improvements in biomechanical and notational analysis. Biomechanical and notational analysis

form the two components of sport analysis (Hughes & Bartlett, 2002). Biomechanical analysis

refers to the study of optimal athletic movement (Nechita, 2009). Notational analysis in sport

describes tactical or strategic patterns in a team setting (Bartlett, 2001). Although there is much

literature connecting IT and sport analysis, little research has been conducted regarding the

viability of commercial interests for sport analysis IT. The goal of this paper was to determine

the existence of a connection between commercialization and information technology in sport

analysis.

Methodology

This paper reviewed research by implementing a systematic review process (Okoli &

Schabram, 2010). The systematic review process utilizes a reproducible and structured method to

investigate research findings. By following the process, research was conducted for articles

regarding sport analysis and information technology. The first step in the process is to determine

a topic of genuine interest that can be discussed in relation to information technologies. Second,

the topic is broken down into criteria and entered into a search engine that is used to explore

several volumes of information. The criteria for search engines are made up of keywords that are

subsequently entered into Google Scholar and included the following keywords: sport,

information technology, development, biomechanical analysis, notational analysis, and sport

science.
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Research

Video-based Analysis

Technological innovation in today’s society has rapidly advanced over the past 40 years

(Pierce & Delbecq, 1977). Video-based analysis in sport is greatly affected by this trend (Wilson,

2008). The following factors afford athletes and coaches greater access to progressively

exceptional video-based analysis technology. The evolution of software associated with video-

based analysis allows the overall quality of sport analysis to improve significantly. Each

successive innovation pertaining to computing power has increased (Mack, 2011). Each

innovation also decreases in price (Venkataraman & Haftka, 2002). These factors have made

video-based analysis technology more accessible and allowed commercial interests to develop

their own video-based technology (Glazier, 2010).

Video-based analysis relies on a recording device such as a camcorder to capture video

that is used for a number of different purposes meant to improve the individual athlete as well as

the entire team (Wilson, 2008). Video cameras are used when gathering footage and have

enjoyed noticeable development. In the past, coaches were forced to rely on analog video

recordings such as the Video Home System (VHS), requiring significant amounts of time to be

spent using an editing suite that made managing separate clips incredibly difficult. The rise of

digital recording cameras has made recording, editing, and sharing content a simplistic process

(Ives, Straub, & Shelley, 2002). The digitization of cameras has also allowed cameras to connect

with computers and take advantage of the computer’s advanced software editing capabilities

(Barris & Button, 2008). Digitized video recordings allow for the implementation of an

assortment of software programs and give the coach the opportunity to better present and analyze

individual clips.
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Video-based Hardware.

The quality of digital video cameras has altered the quality and utility of recordings

(Liebermann et al., 2002). The shutter rate of digital video cameras has increased significantly

and enables the camera to capture high speed movements with clarity. Cameras with frame rates

as high as 200 frames per second can capture the swing of a baseball bat within dozens of

frames, allowing the athlete to analyze the most minute details of his biomechanics and

determine what improvements must be made. Other improvements in video technology hardware

have made cameras smaller, cheaper, and more durable, encouraging their widespread use

throughout the sport industry, including on the field of play itself (Brown, Dilley, & Marshall,

2017). Cameras can be mounted onto athletic equipment or even the athlete itself as a means of

capturing specific perspectives that are useful in biomechanical and notational analysis.

Video-based Software.

While video-based software reflects the bulk of the major improvements in video-based

technology (Brodie, Walmsley, and Page, 2008). The advent of automatic tracking systems and

3D video analysis have allowed coaches to explore notational analysis within the context of sport

analysis. Corporations including Oxford Metrics and Charnwood Dynamics have made these

technologies available to a wider array of users and emphasized the minimalization of the

technology needed to conduct analysis (Liebermann, et al., 2002).

Automatic tracking systems follow players as they move across the field through the use

of cameras and video-based software (Barris & Button, 2008). These software systems are able

to identify specific players by grouping certain pixels together based on color or estimating the
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players’ trajectory. This allows analysts, who can be coaches or players, to view the entire field

of play and observe how players move and interact with one another. Those interactions can

provide notational data to the analyst who can then make decisions critical to the game strategy

(Hughes & Bartlett, 2002). An example of this involves changing a soccer team’s defense

patterns after reviewing information provided by automatic tracking systems.

Automatic tracking systems are also capable of processing and calculating object and

player kinematics (Wilson, 2008). For instance, information can be collected about a ball or

player’s acceleration from their center of mass over the course of a recording. Another function

of automatic tracking systems is to perform situational recognition (Ariki, Kubota, & Kumano,

2006). For instance, systems can identify whenever a soccer player scores a goal by tracking the

movement of the ball in relation to the player and the goal (Yow, Yeo, Yeung, & Liu, 1995).

When leveraged correctly, this information can be used to provide feedback on players’

biomechanical techniques and track statistical progress, allowing coaches to make physical

corrections to player movements and update exercise schedules as a means of making athletes

stronger and faster.

Artificial Intelligence

The persistent growth of computing power has allowed artificial intelligence (AI) to

reach new heights (Minsky, 1961). AI’s main function is to learn, process, and employ

knowledge, much like the human brain it attempts to replicate (Novatchkov & Baca, 2013). In

sport analysis specifically, AI is meant to collect data, recognize patterns and critical

information, and produce suggestions for the user, most often an athlete or an entire team. Those

suggestions can have a significant impact on the team or athlete’s development off the field and

can translate into success on the field of play.

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Artificial intelligence in sport analysis has observed noticeable progress over the past

twenty-five years, most notably with the shift towards Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs)

(Bartlett, 2006). ANNs are able to gain knowledge from prior experience. Since then, ANNs

have developed their learning methods and have been increasingly considered an asset of

importance for sport analysis (Perl, 2004). In more detail, ANNs are now better able to associate

a single pattern of behavior with a grouping of related behaviors through the use of vision or

inertial sensors and self-organizing maps (Avci, Bosch, Marin-Prianu, & Havinga, 2010). This

allows individual and group efforts to be analyzed for biomechanical or notational patterns based

on stored parameters, best referred to as performance indicators (Hughes & Bartlett, 2002). For

instance, ANNs can identify groups of performance indicators such as a volleyball team’s

preferred patterns of setting and spiking or the characteristics of an individual weight lifter. The

ANN then relays feedback outlining strategies to counter that pattern or adjust biomechanical

movements, respectively (Yan & Li, 2000). These applications of AI can unlock vast amounts of

potential for athletes across the world.

Virtual Reality Technology

Virtual reality (VR) technology is another useful coaching tool and may eventually

surpass the efficacy of video-based technology (Bideau et al., 2010). The advent of virtual reality

technologies geared towards sport analysis has given coaches another method for reviewing

individual player performance in terms of biomechanical and notational analysis. The increase in

cheaper and faster technology is allowing virtual reality technologies to become more powerful

and accessible, similar to video-based technologies. Although the name “virtual reality” implies

that the technology solely relies on systems designed to generate a digital interactive simulation,

virtual reality technologies within the context of sport analysis actually require the use of other
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seemingly unrelated technologies. Virtual reality draws heavily from motion capture technology

and animation software in order to deliver a more comprehensive sport analysis implementation.

Motion Capture Technologies

When applying virtual reality technology to sport analysis, the athlete’s movements must

be captured precisely so that subsequent animations accurately reflect those motions (Bideau, et

al., 2010). Motion capture technology has markedly improved as the technology relies on the

development of better cameras, a concept previously mentioned in this paper (Liebermann et al.,

2002). Increases in camera shutter rates also increases the number of frames captured per second,

providing a smooth and viewable video. Using current technology, infrared cameras can capture

players wearing markers on their bodies and accurately depict the player’s body parts within the

confines of a 3D representation. The combination of GPS and inertial motion unit (IMU) data

has allowed for the capture of a player’s 3D movement and kinematics using a process known as

fusion motion capture (FMC) (Brodie et al., 2008). FMC is able to record the orientation of an

athlete’s limbs while also collecting data regarding position, velocity, and acceleration

throughout the recording. While instrumental for virtual reality technology, recordings collected

from motion capture technology can be useful in isolation; a biomechanical analysis can be done

in order to review and improve how a player attempts to perform a specific athletic movement

(Anicio de Magalhaes, Vannozzi, Gatta & Fantozzi, 2015). Oxford Metrics Group’s Vicon

publicly sold motion capture technology was able to record a rugby player’s attempt to dodge an

opposing player (Bideau et al., 2010). The trackers placed on the player were able to generate a

3D humanoid representation that could be viewed on a computer as a recreation of previously

recorded movements.

Animation Software and Virtual Reality

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Virtual reality as a method of sport analysis relies on the use of animation software to aid

in the creation of the virtual reality environment (Bideau, Kulpa, Vignais, Brault, & Multon,

2010). After players are recorded, their performances can be further digitized using animation

engines such as the Manageable Kinematic Motions (MKM) engine that combines Cartesian and

angular data to create realistic yet virtual athletes. Once an athlete’s performance has been

digitally recreated, it can be added into the VR simulation while MKM can modify any aspect of

the recreation. This allows athletes using VR technology to practice against a host of unique

opponents and identify areas of improvement with regard to athletic biomechanical analysis. To

expound on a previous example, a rugby player would be able to continuously practice his ability

to evade digital opponents through the use of VR and could review his technique using motion

capture technology.

Discussion

The research has shown that there are considerable advantages relating to the use of

information technology in sport analysis. Technology has been adhering to Moore’s Law since

the law’s inception, becoming faster and smaller (Mollick, 2006). These benefits have allowed

sport analysts to capture new perspectives and improve the capture of existing ones (Brown et

al., 2017). Capturing athletic movement allows for the utilization of video-based analysis and

virtual reality in sport analysis (Liebermann et al., 2002). Artificial intelligence in sport analysis

also relies on the acquisition of athletic movement (Bartlett, 2006). Developments in video-based

analysis, VR, and AI have already found applications in sport analysis (Glazier, 2010). Analysts

are now able to follow athletes moving on the field of play and even place video-based

technology on the field of play itself. The literature proves that IT has positive consequences on

sport analysis (SOURCE). Recent technological developments have also allowed technology to
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become cheaper (Mollick, 2006). Cheaper technology introduces an opportunity for private firms

to create and sell innovations profit. Firms such as TKS, Inc currently sell sport analysis

programs such as TRAKUS, a video-based analysis system (Barris & Button, 2008). Based on

the literature, a link between private enterprise and sport analysis IT exists and continually grows

stronger.

Limitations and Future research

Although tremendous progress had been made in the development of information

technology for sport analysis, there is still much room for growth in existing as well as new

fields. Technology in all fields has become cheaper, allowing for its increasingly widespread use

(Stoneman & Diederen, 1994). However, explicit numerical data concerning the effect of

cheaper IT on sport analysis has not been researched. Further research must be done to better

define the effects IT has on sport analysis. Another limitation of this paper was the lack of

quantitative research linking commercialization and sport analysis IT. More research must be

conducted to further define the relationship between commercialization and sport analysis IT.

One more limitation is the lack of research regarding the difficultly of creating and managing

homemade sport analysis programs from scratch. Research surrounding this topic would

elaborate upon the practicality of selling pre-constructed sport analysis programs.

Conclusion

Despite the need for further research into the subject, sport analysis in its current state is

heavily influenced by information technology (Carling, Bloomfield, Nelsen, & Reilly, 2012).

Moore’s Law has significant impacts on information technology including faster, cheaper, and

smaller technologies (Venkataraman & Haftka, 2002). The sum of those impacts makes it easier
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for coaches and athletes to review prior performances with increasing amounts of detailed

information. It is now possible for individual and group performances to be reviewed for

biomechanical and notational improvements with greater precision and ease than ever before.

The technology itself is increasingly performing the role of the coach, analyzing patterns and

providing suggestions. The increasing interdependence between sport analysis and information

technologies is creating the potential for commercial involvement in the distribution IT in sport

analysis. The cheap yet powerful nature of the technologies discussed in this article would allow

companies to sell offerings at lower prices and appeal to a consumer base that may not have the

ability or desire to develop their own technologies. The payoff of capturing even a small portion

of the sport analysis market would provide large profits. For perspective, in the academic year of

2014-2015, 125 of the NCAA’s Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) athletic programs collectively

produced a median total revenue of $63.7 million (Noll, 2018). Although more research and

development are needed, individuals ranging from seasoned corporate leaders to untried venture

capitalists must consider IT in sport analysis as a new venture with a new stream of revenue.

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