Dutch Soccer League Teams Up With SAS Analytics

CARY, N.C., Oct. 12 — The KNVB (Royal Netherlands Football Association) has added analytics leader SAS to its roster. Under a new four-year agreement, the Dutch soccer league will use SAS to expand KNVB’s ability to collect and analyze data to better serve its fans.

“The KNVB is committed to a lifetime of soccer for everyone. That’s why it is extremely important to develop a deep understanding of both soccer players and fans,” explains Jean-Paul Decossaux, Commercial Director of Professional Football at the KNVB. “We needed a technology partner to make this happen and we found SAS.”

Using SAS Analytics KNVB will be able to uncover different soccer target groups. This enables it to offer more personalized service to individual players, volunteers or fan. “We also hope to gain new insights and discover additional services we can provide in the future,” adds Decossaux.

“Working together with the KNVB, SAS will contribute to a more personalized soccer experience for various target groups,” said Karel Kinders, Managing Director SAS Netherlands. “Like other organizations, the KNVB has massive amounts of data available. Applied analytics will enable the KNVB to better serve players, loyal fans and volunteers and also evaluate which activities it can improve. Analytics will play a dramatic role in the development of the KNVB”

SAS has a considerable portfolio of sport analytics customers in North America including Major League Baseball’s New York Mets, the NBA’s Orlando Magic, the NFL’s Washington Redskins and the National Hockey League’s Toronto Maple Leafs.

Said Kinders, “Now we can use this knowledge and experience to drive football in the Netherlands to even higher levels.”

About SAS

SAS is the leader in analytics. Through innovative analytics, business intelligence and data management software and services, SAS helps customers at more than 75,000 sites make better decisions faster. Since 1976, SAS has been giving customers around the world THE POWER TO KNOW.

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Source: SAS