Comcast has acquired a startup called OneTwoSee which hopes to bolster its digital presence to provide a more immersive fan experience. Comprised of a small team of 16 at the time of purchase, OneTwoSee is a sports data and technology company based across the street from Comcast’s Philadelphia headquarters. Since it began in 2010, the small venture has made a presence in the digital realm now that it’s on its “third-generation of a highly scalable technology platform that delivers real-time sports gamecenters by combining statistics, game data, advanced analytics and social media into a rich, engaging fan experience,” according to the company description.
The two Philadelphia businesses began working together in 2012 when OneTwoSee saw its In-Game Live feature integrated with on-air baseball games. The relationship soon flourished to a collaboration that saw the two companies develop the X1 Sports app that, according to a press release, gives users context to a game by “(pulling) in and (aggregating) data from several sources to rate games based on team records, compute each team’s win probability and preview position matchup.”
“(Acquiring OneTwoSee) puts us on pace to continue to redefine how fans watch sports by bringing together the best product — X1 — and innovative technology minds and OneTwoSee’s powerful stats visualization platform all under one company,” said Smalley.
The enhancements can give a fan a better understanding to the game and provides a deeper, personal experience by providing tailored stats to individuals. For example, X1’s latest improvements to its NASCAR platform gives the viewer unprecedented access to a race’s information before the green flag waves.
“We want to personalize the experience for every use. You could follow drivers, how they’re doing in the standings, how they perform on tracks, (what the weather conditions look like), and how the season is progressing as drivers close in on the Chase,” Smalley said.
OneTwoSee has already supplemented Xfinity sports applications with comprehensive stats and data that impact most mainstream sports. And in the coming months, the company hopes the latest merger will see many of its ambitions made possible.
X1’s scoreboards span all American major sporting leagues, but Comcast has plans to expand its “extra” stat breakdowns that would introduce hockey and soccer fans to similar levels of integration to their sport.
OneTwoSee’s influence on Xfinity’s NASCAR platform breaks down every aspect of a race, from driver performance on specific tracks to the number of quality passes made. Now the two companies are looking to take similar comprehensive data tools and use them for hockey.
From stats that show the user how the momentum of a game breaks down to the probability of teams winning, the relationship between OneTwoSee and Xfinity is slated to bring fans a more contextual feel to a game.
Chris Reynolds, co-founder and CEO of OneTwoSee, knows that the merger is an opportunity to explore innovations and create products that will keep the company’s at the forefront of sport digital technology.
“”We are delighted to be joining the Comcast family,” Reynolds said, “In the early days of OneTwoSee, Comcast showed confidence in our four person team by becoming our first commercial customer and our relationship has continued to flourish through the growth of the X1 platform and as we look to the future we see limitless opportunities to keep innovating.”
