MFL partners with GSG to provide live data, combat match-fixing
KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Football League (MFL) yesterday announced a live data and integrity partnership with Genius Sports Group (GSG).
MFL in a statement said that as a trusted data and technology partner to leagues and federations across Asian football, GSG will power the first live data collection and distribution platform for the governing body which oversees the country's largest competitions including the Super League, FA Cup and Malaysia Cup.
In addition, it said GSG's Bet Monitoring System, in-person workshops and integrity audit service will provide MFL with some of the leading tools in the sporting world to identify, prevent and combat any threats to the transparency and fairness of the games such as matchfixing.
“Live match statistics will provide new levels of insight to Malaysian football fans across an automated social media publisher service, live widgets and the MFL's other media platforms.
“Across every Super League game and the knockout stages of the Malaysia Cup, GSG has agreed that its accredited Statisticians will operate ‘Football LiveStats' to capture advanced team and player statistics including shot locations, assists and cards with detailed explanations,” read the statement.
Meanwhile, MFL chief executive officer Datuk Ab Ghani Hassan in the same statement was quoted as saying that the collaboration would also see the sharing of live data on all broadcasts, social media, and a soon-to-be-launched Malaysian football application known as ‘Shoot!'.
“With live broadcast data readily available in digital format, it will definitely enhance the fans' experience and their knowledge of the match while it is taking place, where we are confident it will expand the dimensions of the competition, players, teams and thus increase the commercial value of the MLeague,” he said.
GSG's Senior Commercial Partnerships Manager for Asia, Mohamed Feizel said live data and statistics were a central part of the modern fan experience, especially with most of the world's football still being played behind closed doors.
“In partnership with the MFL, we aim to provide their fans with engaging updates before, during and after every game while providing a platform to expand their global audience,” he added.