Behind The Scenes At Opta, The Sports Data Company

In the kindest way possible, Opta is a soccer geeks dream-come-true. The sports data company headquartered in London is the hub of statistical data that is provided to companies worldwide. It is the engine that drives so much of the data to Sky Sports, The Guardian’s chalkboard, Twitter (via Opta Joe), most of the British national newspapers and to the Premier League clubs themselves such as Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham, Manchester City and others.

But not a lot is known about Opta, especially the way they collect their data as it relates to the beautiful game. How do they do it, how can they produce it so quickly (and effectively) and what type of information can Opta tap into?

In many ways, Opta is a company of the future. As soccer fans (and clubs) demand more in terms of statistics and embrace how data can enhance our experience, Opta will continue to play a key role in our love of the game.

World Soccer Talk’s Laurence McKenna recently spent the day at Opta for a behind-the-scenes tour of what happens at Opta Towers in London. He filmed how they analyze a game and record stats, as well as interviewed key personnel at Opta to better understand how the company differentiates itself from competition. Plus, McKenna gains some valuable insight into who is the mysterious man behind OptaJoe.