Park Ki Ju of Korea works the ball up the field during the International Test match between the Australian Hockeyroos and Korea at Perth Hockey Stadium on Apr. 27, 2013. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)
The International Hockey Federation (FIH) has agreed to a four-year partnership with technology company Global Sports Commerce. The deal makes GSC a global supplier of brand analytics and sponsorship value measurement for the FIH, which governs field hockey.
GSC, a Singapore based firm, will provide data analytics to the FIH Pro League from 2019 to 2022. The league’s inaugural season starts in January and will feature nine men’s teams and nine women’s teams representing countries from around the world. As part of the partnership, GSC will also supply brand value measurement tools to the FIH Series Finals (in 2019 and 2021) as well as the men’s and women’s Olympic qualifiers for Tokyo 2020.
“GSC is looking forward to facilitate nearly 200 plus premier hockey matches across the globe with the best of its digital and technological solutions,” said MS Muralidharan, CEO of GSC, in a press release. “Maplytiks, a subsidiary of GSC will play an integral role in this partnership by providing digital technology, deep data analytics in particular brand measurement along with holistic value of brand exposure on screen for FIH and its affiliates worldwide.”
Maplytiks is an AI-driven platform that measures sponsorship ROI in real time. The measurement tool uses AI and machine learning to identify brand images that originate from live video. Its dashboard shows real-time feedback calculating brand exposure and value. Maplytiks is intended for use by sports leagues, brands, and media companies.
“FIH is very pleased about this partnership with Global Sports Commerce in the field of brand analytics and measurement for the coming four years,” said Thierry Wei, CEO of FIH. “We’re looking forward to our cooperation which will contribute to our mission to develop hockey on a global basis.”
SportTechie Takeaway
GSC’s worldwide presence—with 16 offices across 10 countries—is an ideal fit for an international federation such as the FIH. Asian investment firm Emerald Media purchased an $80 million minority stake in GSC this past March. With sponsorship measurement platforms such as Maplytiks or Hookit, sports leagues and teams are becoming more aware of exactly how much value their brand value derives from specific sponsorships.
