Stats Perform
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Sports data and analytics |
| Founded | April 1981 |
| Founder | John Dewan |
| Headquarters | London , United Kingdom |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Carl Mergele (CEO) |
| Products | Sports data, predictive analytics, AI-driven models, generative AI frameworks |
Number of employees | Not specified |
| Parent | Vista Equity Partners |
Stats Perform (previously known as STATS, LLC and STATS, Inc.) is a sports artificial intelligence enterprise formed by the consolidation of Stats and Perform. The company focuses on gathering sports data and providing predictive analytics services tailored to professional teams, media companies, broadcasters, digital platforms, and sports wagering sectors. Since initiating investments in AI technologies in 2015, it has obtained close to 400 patents, created more than 140 AI-driven models, and developed eight core Generative AI frameworks that significantly enhance its sophisticated analytical offerings.
Its clientele spans media organizations, sports leagues, teams, fantasy sports operators, and betting firms. By 2023, Stats Perform monitors over 500,000 sporting events and nearly 3,900 competitions annually, producing an extensive array of data points for each game.
Based in London, Stats Perform operates offices in locations including Limerick, Aveiro, Castelfranco Veneto, Beijing, Bangalore, Chennai, Graz, Katowice, Madrid, Nice, Paris, and Prague. The company’s Chicago headquarters closed in 2023 after transitioning to remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic; prior to this closure, Chicago served as the base until the 2019 merger. Additionally, full-time employees are distributed across major international markets such as the United States, Sydney, Cape Town, Buenos Aires, Singapore, Thailand, Dubai, and Tokyo.
History
Founded in April 1981 by John Dewan—who also held the CEO position—STATS, Inc. derives its name from "Sports Team Analysis and Tracking Systems." Its origins trace back to Project Scoresheet, a volunteer-driven initiative dedicated to compiling baseball statistics.
Perform Group came into existence in 2007 following the merger of Premium TV Limited and Inform Group. Its primary focus areas include content distribution, subscription services, advertising, sponsorship management, and technology solutions.
In 2013, Perform Group expanded by acquiring Opta Sports—which was established in 1996—and Opta remains integrated within Stats Perform. The 2019 merger between Stats and Perform Content occurred after Vista Equity Partners took ownership.
Vista Equity Partners ownership and merger with Perform Content
Vista Equity Partners purchased STATS LLC from Fox Sports and the Associated Press in June 2014. Shortly thereafter in early 2015, STATS broadened its portfolio by acquiring The Sports Network and Prozone. Vista also procured Automated Insights, a company specializing in natural language generation applied to sports data.
In April 2019, Vista revealed plans to acquire Perform Content from Perform Group with an emphasis on streaming through DAZN. DAZN retained a substantial minority shareholding in the combined entity which aimed to harness artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies.
The unified organization was branded Stats Perform on 15 July 2019 under CEO Carl Mergele’s leadership. The rebranding highlighted the fusion of comprehensive sports data with cutting-edge AI capabilities.
In October 2020, Stats Perform encountered a three-week service outage that affected major clients such as Yahoo! Sports. Yahoo! publicly apologized for the unprecedented interruption.
Further expanding its offerings through acquisitions, Stats Perform purchased Thuuz Sports’ AI-driven fan engagement platform in December 2020 and acquired 13strides—a visual content production studio focused on sports—in July 2021.
In March 2023, Stats Perform became subject to litigation initiated by competitor IMG over allegations of unauthorized use of proprietary soccer data sourced from English Premier League and other European competitions.
Partnerships with Leagues and Federations
Stats Perform has forged enduring alliances with prominent sports leagues and federations to commercialize data, streaming services, and AI-driven solutions in the sports sector. Notable collaborators include the Premier League, WTA, FIBA, La Liga, and Serie A. These partnerships significantly bolster the company’s market presence and facilitate the expansion of its international footprint.
In October 2024, Stats Perform made an unexpected move to terminate its betting rights contract with Italy’s Serie A following extended negotiations, affecting the strategic objectives of both organizations.
In addition to its commercial offerings, Stats Perform provides integrity services to leading leagues, concentrating on the prevention and detection of match-fixing to uphold the fairness and credibility of sports competitions.
Opta
Established in 1996 to provide detailed analysis of Premier League fixtures, Opta Index Limited secured its position as the league’s official statistics provider by the 1997–98 season. After being acquired by Perform Group in 2013 for £40 million, Opta continues to operate as a vital subsidiary within Stats Perform.
Opta’s expertise in data analytics and AI-powered forecasting is extensively employed by sports media outlets worldwide, strengthening Stats Perform’s leadership in sports data solutions. Its technology is also embedded in major platforms such as EA SPORTS FC™ 24, illustrating the company’s growth driven by innovation in both products and services.