Changing How We View the Game: ESPN's Stats & Information Group

In a recent article Forbes provides insight related to ESPN's Stats & Information Group and how TruMedia's platforms are utilized by the organization.

One of the ways that the PA group is attempting to maximize their time building new models and minimize their time supporting requests for single point statistics is through the creation of ESPN’s TruMedia tool. The goal of TruMedia is to provide an easy-to-use web-based interface to ESPN’s existing databases.  Users utilize slider bars, radio buttons, and check boxes to generate views of data that are then easily exportable to either a CSV file or a standardized graphic that can be used within an ESPN.com article or television show.

TruMedia’s early success can be found in the number of personnel with various levels of database and data visualization experience finding uses for it just a few weeks after its launch – ESPN Deportes’ on-air commentators, ESPN the Magazine’s writers, and nearly every S&A employee. Their use has already demonstrated value via faster production of graphics, like goal views that have shown up in English-language Euro 2012 broadcasts and heat maps within the Spanish-language Deportes’ coverage of the tournament.  Use has been so widespread that the Stats & Information has already identified a number of upgrades that will be rolled out in new versions of the software in the coming months. ESPN also plans to make data available for other sports via the TruMedia application.  Overall, the TruMedia platform helps realize one of SIG’s main goals: increasing the availability of statistics as story telling aids to every corner of the ESPN organization.