Sports data and technology business IMG ARENA, have announced a strategic investment in Swedish computer vision specialist Signality.

IMG ARENA said, combined with their products, network and operational scale, Signality’s deep tech, cloud-based platform, will provide sports leagues and fans an enriched experience that will drive greater fan engagement and content solutions. 

The partnership will aim to enhance IMG ARENA’s data collection capabilities with Signality’s computer vision and camera technologies as they deliver live streaming and data feeds for more than 45,000 sports events annually. 

Signality’s cloud-based platform works by using artificial intelligence to extract highly accurate sports event tracking data in real-time.

IMG ARENA chief product officer, Brad Van Wely, said, “This is a very exciting and important investment for IMG ARENA.” 

“It will enable us to build a next-generation data collection system, which will generate new and exciting insights across a multitude of sports. 

“This compelling data will underpin both our current and future suite of products for rightsholders and fans alike, combining real-time data, and analytics with innovative front-end solutions to enhance the fan experience,” said Wely.  

Signality co-founder and CEO, Mikael Rousson, said: “Signality was born from a vision of enhancing sport at a fundamental level using computer vision technology.” 

“Joining the IMG ARENA business is a natural union born out of synergies in product, customer base and, most importantly, culture and vision. 

“It will accelerate our joint desire of having a global impact on the future of sports and sports fans,” said Rousson.