Media group Perform buys sports data firm Opta
MULTI-MEDIA group Perform, which has major operations in Leeds, is spending £40m to acquire sports data business Opta, which also has a base in the city.
Opta is the largest live data producer in the world and is used by some of the biggest names in sport including sports bodies like the FA and La Liga, major clubs such as Arsenal, Chelsea and Leeds Rhinos and betting firms including Betfair William Hill and SkyBet.
Perform specialises in the provision of sports news through video, editorial and data content to digital platforms such as online and mobile devices. It owns one of the largest commercial digital sports rights portfolios in the world, providing a broad range of multimedia ready sports content that covers more than 200 sports, reaching 140 million fans in 22 countries.
It operates a range of sports websites including the Goal football website which boasts 35m unique users a month and is translated into 15 languages. The team behind Goal are based at offices on Park Row in Leeds.
Opta is headquartered in London but has an operation on Park Lane in Leeds where its rugby, cricket and most of its football data is compiled. The company employs a workforce of about 70 employees in the city.
Not only does the data allow sophisticated and detailed analysis of team and player performance across a range of sports, Opta also provides, via Twitter, a constantly updated stream of fascinating facts and statistics. For example, according to Opta:
• Since 2006, Manchester United striker Robin Van Persie has hit the woodwork more times than any other player in the Premier League (37)
• Chelsea have made more substitutions in the history of the Premier League, with Arsenal coming second
• Kevin Pietersen has hit 23 sixes in the County Championship since the start of 2012 from half the number of balls (776) than his closest rival, Kent’s Darren Stevens (15 from 1,687)
• Leigh Halfpenny’s 25th successive goal kick on the Lions tour gives him a 96% success rate
The deal emphasises the growing strength of Leeds as a base for internet sports and betting operations as Skybet and William Hill also have a significant presence in the city.
Cavendish Corporate Finance has advised Opta on its sale to Perform, which will fund the acquisition through a new share placing.
Philip Barker, who led the transaction for Cavendish Corporate Finance, commented: “The sports data sector is one of the hottest areas in M&A at the moment, reflected in the global level of interest we received for Opta and the proposed price.
“Cavendish has a growing expertise in selling sports technology related businesses, having also acted on the sale of world-leading ball tracking technology specialist Hawk-Eye to Japan’s Sony Corporation, and we have a strong pipeline of further potential deals in this area.”
