New Zealand Cricket, the sport's domestic governing body, has renewed and enhanced its data-based agreement with Stats Perform, the international sports and data technology provider.  

The company will remain in its role as NZC’s official data partner for both international and domestic competitions. 

Stats Perform will use its Opta brand to collect ball-by-ball data and insights, and then deliver this to NZC’s analysts and high performance team, as well as to media and broadcast partners, and betting operators. 

This will “provide insights and information to deepen the engagement of fans and bettors with NZC’s competitions, teams and players”, Stats Perform said. 

The firm will distribute live match streams from various NZC domestic competitions for the first time, including the Twenty20 Super Smash tournament, to licensed betting operators, through its Watch&Bet live streaming platform. 

As with the previous partnership, all data from New Zealand international fixtures will also be collected. 

Stats Perform will also distribute news clips from NZC to global media.

Alex Rice, the firm’s chief rights officer, said: “Through our new agreement, [our] data and video will be used to maximise significant opportunities for global engagement and improve the way it is experienced and understood by fans. We look forward to providing an expanded premium in-play gaming experience, improved data insights and providing more content for sponsors.”

Aside from its partnership with NZC, Stats Perform has similar deals in place with the England and Wales Cricket Board, Cricket South Africa (a deal struck in July this year) and Cricket Australia, as well as with the International Cricket Council. 

Earlier today, Sportcal revealed that NZC had renewed a six-year rights deal in USA with ESPN+, the streaming platform of the sports broadcasting giant, which also covers the Super Smash for the first time.

Sportcal