Synergy Sports Technology
Synergy Sports Technology is an American company specializing in web-based basketball analytics designed for scouting, player development, and entertainment purposes. The company collaborates with major basketball leagues such as the NBA, WNBA, NCAA Division I, FIBA, and international professional leagues, as well as sports media and marketing entities like. ESPN, ABC Sports, Turner Sports, and EA Sports.[1][2]
Founded | 2004 |
---|---|
Key people | Garrick Barr (Founder/CEO) Nils Lahr (Co-Founder/CTO) |
Website | www |
Synergy's analysts utilize a proprietary logging system to meticulously tag and catalog every possession of every game. The collected data is then synthesized and categorized based on various indicators, including both traditional and advanced statistics, play types, player behaviors, and game situations. Subscribers gain access to this information through reports, custom query tools, charts, and graphs with data points linked to corresponding video clips stored in the archives. Additionally, Synergy offers a cloud-based editing tool that enables users to create and share personalized video edits, which can be viewed on computers or via the Synergy mobile app. Typically, game videos are made available within 12 to 24 hours after the conclusion of a match, with NBA games being published as quickly as 45 minutes after play. Synergy's NBA archives span back to the 2004 season.
The product has received positive feedback from coaches and players, who appreciate its efficiency in evaluating player and team performance. Users have praised the platform for its comprehensive and collaborative approach, which significantly reduces research time while enhancing the depth of analysis.
History
Founder and CEO Garrick Barr began developing the technologies that evolved into Synergy Sports Technology in 1992 when he transitioned from college basketball coach to assistant coach and video coordinator for the NBA’s Phoenix Suns. Barr first worked with engineers to develop a digital post-production editing system to expedite the onerous task of collecting, cataloging, and editing hundreds of hours of game film used for training. While the resulting technology achieved its goal, it still required teams to compile, edit and tag the footage.[3]
Barr then sought to create technology to instantly produce advanced analytics that would use the company’s existing work in video logging and tagging. Along with friend Scott Mossman, Barr founded Quantified Scouting Service (QSS) in 1998. QSS produced computer-generated reports – accessible by teams through dial-up technology – revealed every player’s offensive tendencies.[4]
In 2004, Barr renamed the company Synergy Sports Technology and brought in computer scientist Nils Lahr. Barr and Lahr developed the breakthrough application software and streaming media technology that allowed loggers to undertake the rapid video-data syncing and upload that laid the foundation for Synergy’s success.[5]
In 2008, Synergy reached multi-year licensing agreement with the National Basketball Association to give NBA.com, NBA.tv, and the NBA’s television partners access to Synergy products and services. The same year, the company also announced a partnership with EA Sports to incorporate Synergy’s data into its NBA Live franchise.[6]
References
- Partnow, Seth. "Industry Q&A: Garrick Barr, CEO of Synergy Sports Technology". Nylon Calculus. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
- "Stay Connected with Synergy Sports in NBA LIVE 15". EA Sports. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
- "The Company". Synergy Sports Technology. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
- "The Company". Synergy Sports Technology. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
- "The Company". Synergy Sports Technology. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
- "The Company". Synergy Sports Technology. Retrieved 16 April 2015.