Oracle has been selected to provide the cloud infrastructure for one of the world's major sporting events, The Premier League.

The league is deploying Oracle's cloud, analytics and machine learning technologies to power in-match statistics that complement live action on the pitch.

The technologies, dubbed ‘Match Insights - Powered by Oracle Cloud' - will be used beginning with the 2021-22 football season.

Oracle's executive vice president and chief marketing officer Ariel Kelman says that the combination of machine learning and football data demonstrates the merging of sport and technology.

“The margins for error in the Premier League are very small, so the data is crucial to discovering the meaningful moments and stories of each match. It's those stories that unite fans and ignite their passions for the game.

Oracle will provide live data streams, real time tracking data, and player facts for an overall data-rich experience for viewers.

Premier League chief Richard Masters says Oracle is a global brand with a strong track record in innovation.

“We are always looking at new ways to bring the Premier League to life and enhance the analysis of the competition. We look forward to working together to bring new levels of engagement to fans around the world.

Match Insights - Powered by Oracle Cloud includes three primary analytics features:

Average Formation tracks the positions of all players when their team is in and out of possession.  The model highlights differences in how teams organise themselves when attacking and defending. Viewers will see how teams react to their opposition's tactics and understand the strategies behind different styles of play.

Live Win Probability –This statistic explains the chance of a team securing a win or draw by simulating the remainder of the match 100,000 times. This can calculate a team's performance. The model is based on four years of match data and takes into account if a team is home or away, the current score, penalties awarded, players on the pitch, red cards and time left in the match.

Momentum Tracker – This measures the likelihood of the team in possession scoring a goal in the next 10 seconds. The results are based on data from thousands of historical games and the last five events in the current possession. The model incorporates the outcomes of passes, dribbles in possession, tackles and the locations on the pitch where they take place.

The Premier League 2021/2022 season is expected to begin in August.