Shaping the future of the game

Changing the Game

LALIGA turns the technical prowess of players into dynamic data to get fans closer to the game.

Three men looking at a tablet while standing on a street.

LALIGA fans are some of the most passionate in the world—obvious after just five minutes at the Santiago Bernabeu, with 80,000 strong chanting and cheering. Even “casual” fans could rattle off facts about their club that would put hardcore supporters of other major sports to shame. It’s that devotion that creates a thirst for deeper knowledge, not only for their team but for soccer as a whole.

Basic stats alone don’t tell the story of how FC Barcelona’s switch to a 4-2-3-1 maximizes Robert Lewandowski’s impact in the offensive third. Sure, goals are important, but what about the high-impact offensive actions that lead to every goal-scoring chance?

Fans yearn for tools that dig beyond the surface, uncovering hidden metrics and insights for a level of understanding that equals their undying love for the game.

LALIGA first launched the cutting-edge data analysis platform Mediacoach over a decade ago, changing the way teams use match data. More recently, LALIGA and Microsoft have collaborated on Beyond Stats, providing over 50 game-enhancing metrics.  As a top league in global soccer with a worldwide audience of over 2.8 billion, LALIGA is at the forefront of providing engaging fan experiences on and off the field—from their players’ ability to dazzle on the pitch, to the insights that predict which team will dominate the season. Using Microsoft Azure-based tracking and camera technology, Beyond Stats provides fans with next-level analysis of the intricacies of the league, surprising even the most die-hard fanatics with its scope and level of detail.

A crowd of people waving flags in a stadium.

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Shockingly close to the game

During a match, players move swiftly across the field, requiring up to 16 fixed cameras for optical tracking around the perimeter of every stadium that catch 3.5 million data points per game. LALIGA then processes this data through Mediacoach, made available to clubs and delivered to fans through match broadcasts and digital content. By using a mix of custom algorithms and AI, LALIGA’s data strategy gives clubs the insights they need to adapt their training schedules, study opponents, and prepare for match days. It also gives fans unprecedented access to next-level knowledge about their clubs.

Whether it’s knowing which FC Barcelona player is best positioned to surpass his number of assists last season, or understanding how Atlético de Madrid manages to concede so few goals, Beyond Stats provides the answers. The raw data is captured and processed by Mediacoach then presented in a range of accessible dashboards that allows LALIGA to sort, filter, and pinpoint key metric insights for fans.

Surprisingly easy to understand

These metrics showcase the stunning ways LALIGA harnesses data and metrics to create engaging, tailored experiences, and usher in an exciting new era for fans, the media, and the sport at large.

For example, Goal Probability accounts for the shot angle, defender positioning, distance from goal, and other parameters, calculating the exact probability of each player scoring almost in real time.

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A soccer player in a gold jersey dribbles past an opponent in a blue and white jersey. A red arrow indicates a 50-degree angle on the field. — Shot Angle

The tighter the angle, the more challenging it is to score. Conversely, a direct angle increases the likelihood of scoring.

Aerial view of a soccer match highlighting two players with a 6-meter distance mark between them, in front of a crowded stadium. — Defender Positioning

When a defender is positioned close to the attacker and obstructing their line of sight to the goal, it significantly reduces the chances of scoring.

Soccer player taking a shot at the goal with a 6.7% chance of scoring. Distance to goal is 19 meters. Several players and a goalkeeper are visible. — Distance from Goal

Shots taken from closer distances are more likely to find the back of the net, whereas those taken from farther away have a lower probability of success.

Strikingly human

There is only one winner of LALIGA. So naturally, these passionate fandoms often give way to intense interleague rivalries. While certain teams may draw the ire of some more than others, at the end of the day, everyone is everyone’s rival.

Thankfully, Copilot can help fans with that aspect of the game. With immediate responses to even the most human of situations, never hesitate to ask Copilot to find the brighter side of bitter opposition.