When people think of leaders in business intelligence, the National Football League probably isn’t the first to come to mind. After all, the league just hired its first chief information officer three years ago, and it’s more well-known for bone-crunching hits than for information technology.

Appearances can be deceiving, however. Today, the NFL is reshaping itself to look more like an enterprise technology company than a traditional corporation, and early results are promising. If the company that provides America’s most popular viewing experience can use business intelligence to improve its product and engage its customers, then other businesses should follow suit.

 Data and technology are already reshaping the game of football on the field, in the weight room, and in the classroom. Since the dawn of professional football, coaches have relied on intuition and stopwatches to gauge player improvement, but motion sensors now provide more accurate, trackable results. Radio-frequency identification chips in shoulder pads and around stadiums provide real-time location data regarding player movements. The data gathered from this technology let coaches analyze  player statistics in minutes, rather than hours, saving time in the film room and creating more opportunities to strategize for next week’s game.

 Beyond strategy, improving technology could eventually allow coaches to track players’ biometrics and avert injuries. Off the field, the NFL recently began the transfer of every player’s medical records to a digital format to make recording and following injuries faster and more secure.

 Coaches aren’t the only ones benefiting from the new technology. The NFL and Microsoft partnered up to the tune of $400 million over five years to bring the experience of interactive stats to fans as well. Through portals such as Xbox One’s NFL app, users get access to the Next Gen Stats platform that allows them to follow the paths a receiver takes on his routes and see the top speed of a running back’s breakaway touchdown. It’s like playing Madden NFL — only it’s real.
Src: http://www.datanami.com