Columnist

The value of using data like a Premier League club

After decades in business intelligence and consulting independently, then founding Seriös Group in 2020 to challenge the traditional data consultancy model, I’ve spent a lot of time not only extracting the transformational value of data, but explaining it too.

Every organisation generates data, but very few play to its strengths.

In many great, innovative organisations, I’ve found data can still feel too abstract and technical, sitting solely with the data team, instead of being recognised as a strategic asset. 

Few partnerships have made that translation more visible and accessible than our work with Sunderland AFC.

To have the opportunity to explain the value of data within the context of the great cultural leveller that is football is a bit of a dream come true, especially as a lifelong Sunderland AFC fan.

Over the past four years, the Seriös Group team has supported the club in taking data from the sidelines and into the spotlight. 

We’ve brought together data from customer systems, ticketing, hospitality, retail and performance analytics into a single, governed platform. 

This has helped the club operate smarter, move faster and build competitive advantage on and off the pitch. 

As Sunderland AFC progressed from League One to the Premier League, the importance of joined-up insight only increased. 

Coaching staff now access consistent, real-time dashboards to support match preparation, training and tactical planning. 

Commercial teams benefit from live matchday insight, while marketing operates from a unified view of the fan, enabling more personalised engagement and targeted campaigns.

At a time when artificial intelligence is often presented as a universal solution for growth, our work with Sunderland AFC has focused on maximising the value of its existing data, rather than instantly operationalising artificial intelligence.

Establishing governance, consistency and usability has laid the foundations for more advanced innovations like artificial intelligence-driven forecasting and enhancing fan experiences.

The result is a club better equipped to compete in the Premier League, not only through performance insight on the pitch, but through enhanced commercial strategy and fan engagement off it. 

When everyone else is focused on what artificial intelligence can do, Sunderland AFC has kept its eye on the ball and focused on the underpinning foundations. 

Football is decided by players and coaches, but better information leads to better decisions, and better decisions create the conditions in which success becomes more likely. 

I’ll let the correlation speak for itself.

Lee Rorison is founder and chief executive of Newcastle-based Seriös Group

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