Catapult signs league-wide video analytics agreement with National Hockey League

Catapult Group International (ASX: CAT) today announced that its video analytics division, XOS Digital (XOS), has signed a league-wide agreement with North-America’s professional ice hockey league, the National Hockey League (NHL®), to provide in-game video analysis services to all NHL teams, commencing with the 2017 Stanley Cup® Playoffs.

XOS will provide a turnkey solution to the NHL, whereby in-game video will be streamed live to each NHL team’s bench. Coaching staff will have the ability to use the XOS ThunderCloud iBench app as a fully customisable, data driven, visual feedback tool, allowing for instant analysis and real-time coaching adjustments. The deal initially covers the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs, plus the next two full NHL seasons.

Matt Bairos, President and CEO of XOS Digital commented: “We’re delighted to announce the first video- based league-wide agreement for Catapult. The solution we have established for the NHL is a real game- changer in terms of how teams can access and analyse player performance in-game, improving the speed with which coaching feedback and adjustments can be made.”

“Our existing NHL clients – 23 of the 31 teams in the NHL – have been using the iBench app for a number of years, and they consistently tell us that it has quickly become integral to how coaching staff give tactical feedback to players, both in real-time and during post-game review sessions,” Mr Bairos said.

“We believe this will enhance the in-arena coaching experience,” said David Lehanski, NHL Senior Vice President, Business Development and Global Partnerships.

“It is important we provide each NHL Club’s coaching staff with access to the best possible products that offer deeper insights into the game in near real time.”

Catapult CEO Shaun Holthouse said: “As our first video-based league-wide agreement, this a fantastic milestone for both XOS and the Group. Not only does this reflect the power of the XOS technology stack, it is another step towards realising Catapult’s vision of an integrated sports analytics platform leveraging the insights captured by both our wearables and our suite of video analytics products.”