Matt Winkler Recap

On Tuesday, April 25, Matt Winkler spoke to the UMD Sports Business Society. Winkler was a panelist at this years ESPN MIT Sports Analytics Conference and has been in the sports analytics industry for over 15 years. Winkler spoke about a multitude of topics surrounding what he called the “third wave of the sports industry: strategy, analytics, technology & enterprises.”

Winkler explained the third wave of the sports industry as using design, strategy, technology, and data to create the ultimate fan experience. He said that over the past few years, the ultimate fan experience “has been blown up and put back together.” This has been due to the increase in technology and the ability of fans to access sports on the go. According to stats provided by Winkler, 79% of sports fans have used their device for watching or following sports. When asked if sports executives were worried about people not going to games because of the advent of Facebook Live and ESPN, or because they were not interested in the games, Winkler answered that FaceBook Live and ESPN “keeps executives up at night,” as they are worried about people working around broadcasting regulations and watching games for free.

Winkler also broke down how sports organizations make money. According to stats provided by him, sports organizations are a roughly $750 billion industry. This revenue is generated from gameday, media, sponsorships, events, merchandise, and other subsidies, with media being the biggest contributor. Winkler cited the Premier League as a big benefactor of media revenue, saying that they have player contracts in a wide range of countries.

When explaining analytics and how it is used for a competitive advantage, Winkler said that analytics allow people to make smarter decisions; a user of analytics can “supplement your instinct with evidence rooted in data.” The use of analytics also provides rich data that can answer tough questions, as well as generate new ideas and open the door for things that people never thought about. At the conclusion, when asked about the largest consumers of analytics, Winkler picked gamblers over options like fans and teams. “[The] gambling and betting industry,” Winkler said. “DraftKings and FanDuel are worth millions.”