If Content is king then Data is its prince. And generally speaking, the more unique and difficult it is to gather, the greater is its value. A recent example of this is RepairPal which applies a narrow and deep approach to collecting data on automobile parts and repair prices in the US. The data collection is anything but trivial and requires significant manual labor, but the outcome could be a significant and valuable dataset. Israeli IMScouting is taking a similar approach but applying it to data related to football players. (Note: In the context of this post Football = Soccer).
Users can slice and dice the data in any number of ways to compare players side-by-side and filter search results by position, nationality, salary, and more. Advanced search is pretty impressive. For example, a search for an Argentinean player with a max age of 25, on his last year of contract, playing a forward position with a strong left foot, produced two results: Carlos Tevez, currently playing for Manchester United, and Juan Caffa, currently playing for Real Zaragoza (on loan from Real Betis). Tevez’s estimated market value by the way is around 30M GBP (~$49M USD) with an estimated weekly salary of 100K GBP (~173K USD). Quite a steal!
IMScouting collects in-depth data on 48 leagues in more than 40 countries with a total coverage of over 40,000 professional footballers. The data is collected using a network of 40 “correspondents”—football experts situated locally in European, African and Latin American countries that IMScouting employs to report data back to the mothership. Propriety crawlers are also used, but to a lesser degree. In-house experts—journalists, ex-players and other football experts—review the data to ensure reliability before it’s made public. Data goes pretty deep:
- Player info: Name, age, height, weight, nationality, languages, picture, main and secondary positions, estimated market value and salary, and agent with relevant contact details.
- Current and past player injuries: Including the duration of the injury and the medical definition.
- Video highlights: Edited video clips from the field.
- Player performance in recent years: Appearances, goals, yellow/red cards.
- International games: Participation and statistics.
- Transfers/loans info: Accurate and updated, including paid fees.
IMScouting also provides general information such as results, fixtures and stats on more than 500 leagues around the world. These include full match reports for some countries in Eastern Europe and Africa that are not typically covered by the mainstream press. There is also an assortment of content in the form of daily football-related business news, a weekly “Player to Watch” and special reports.
The obvious question that comes to mind is “could it really be true that such data is not readily available for world’s most popular sport?” The company’s CEO Dvir Ben-Aroya provided what I believe to be strong validation that this is indeed the case. His answer was “Pini Zahavi”.
This name may mean nothing to most of our readers, but there certainly should be members of our UK audience that do recognize it. Zahavi is considered to be a football super-agent with a particularly strong presence in the wheeling and dealing of UK football. His Wikipedia page states:
He helped facilitate the takeover of two English Premier League clubs by fellow associates, Chelsea Football Club by Russian businessman Roman Abramovich, and Portsmouth Football Club by French businessman Alexandre Gaydamak.
He also brokered high profile transfers such as Rio Ferdinand’s move to Manchester United for £30M, Juan Sebastián Verón’s move to Manchester United for £28M and most recently Giovani Dos Santos’ move from FC Barcelona to Tottenham Hotspur for £4.7M.
Zahavi sits on IMScouting’s Board, which is a huge coup for the company. His presence suggests that he thinks this data is worth something. Plus, Zahavi can most likely open any door the company requires opened.
The company believes that 65% of professional football players are traded each season, with 700+ teams looking for talent in Europe alone. They also believe that there are over 150,000 active football scouts and agents worldwide. To this add the huge amount of football fans seeking reliable, high-quality information about their favorite clubs and players. IMScouting believes this all amounts to a huge opportunity.
Initially, the company is basing its business model on a subscription service. Agents, scouts, and other football professionals are offered the service for €1,200 for an annual membership and €400 for a quarterly membership. The company is already testing the waters with advertising and will move into data syndication as well. The next phase of IMScouting will see it becoming more of a destination site for football fans so expect the usual assortment of social networking goodies.
IMScouting picked up $1.3M in Round A financing earlier this year from Giza Ventures, AfterDox and private investors. The company is about to commence its fundraising of Round B.
This company is based in Israel. I guess this is of some value for foreign soccer fans in the US, otherwise, who cares?
I know, I know!! There will be some responses from… “foreign soccer fans in the US” and fewer from US soccer fans.
But soccer is going nowhere here in the US: the Women’s League disappeared for what reason? Lack of funding [lack of interest] Mia Hamm has been doing sporadic TV commercials…
Maybe with the Obama administration this will change, with the federal government forcing this sport on us all, in the name of “openness” and “inclusion” –Sorry, I’m about to puke…
@Ken –Think that you are correct: you will get some bashing from foreigners, just for expressing your opinion which, by the way, we can still do here [USA] Just remember the Manchester United violent hooligans…
Who knows, we may not be able to be so open with our opinions after November 4.
I may be wrong, but I believe that the great majority of TC posts are about US companies. Mentioning IMScouting is good for TC’s global reach and I am sure that many people around the world now visits TC.
As per soccer itself, personally, I do not care for it. This is just an opinion of a US born and raised woman [Colorado]. Most people I know do not care for it either –Which is part of the point made by Ken above: soccer is not a popular sport in the US; foreigners I meet try to “teach” me about it –but, who cares…
The rest of the world cares! And the rest of the world is a pretty big thing, don’t you think?
Techcrunch is about technology…and I guess (again) technology isn’t something proprietary to US, right?
Beside that, Techcrunch presented here many israeli startups, not just this one…
Sorry, but I am really confused here. Please disregard my comments.
You don’t make much sense. Are you on medications?
Easy on the weed, my friend.
(did you get it from Tijuana? Be careful)
Ken, please circle one of the above:
1. You genuinely believe that the vast majority of TechCrunch readers are Americans
2. You genuinely believe that TechCrunch’s readers care only about what’s going on in the US market
Either way, I’d like some proof, ’cause I tend not to believe either.
AK, please check one of the items below:
1. You genuinely believe that the vast majority of TechCrunch readers are outside the US,
2. You genuinely believe that TechCrunch’s readers care only about what’s going on in foreign markets.
Either way, I’d like some proof, ’cause I tend not to believe either.
**This response can come only from a ’sensitive’ foreigner with no name [AK? What, 'Alaska'?]
** Make a REAL effort and, seriously, *READ THE POST* –The POINT is that soccer is NOT a popular sport in the US. Proof is that, so far, David Beckham’s presence in the US has not changed anything…
Thank you.
Peace.
Not that I think this particular thread of responses to the article is worth anything but as long as it’s here and you are looking for circles you might as well use data…
“Techcrunch.com is a top 5,000 site that reaches over 2.1 million monthly people, of which 1.1 million (49%) are in the U.S. The site appeals to a middle aged, mostly male audience.The typical visitor reads Slashdot.” (http://www.quan...Acom.techcrunch)
So yeah…. international coverage certainly seems to make sense.
-Amit
“Not that I think this particular thread of responses to the article is worth anything”
Coming from “Amit” an “all American boy” YOUR opinion IS worthless, coming from a condescending foreign ass…
Yeap, your data, if correct, is marginally relevant because the point is that soccer “sucks” in the US.
“The POINT is that soccer is NOT a popular sport in the US”
Many Americans would agree with this statement, although this sport has been heavily marketed in the past few years, particularly with the defunct ‘Women’s Soccer League’ [or something like that]
Although my nieces, 4 and 7 years old, play it from time to time, to me it is as attractive as the tradition of roasting squirrels in Appalachia or guinea pigs in Bolivia and Ecuador [both countries intensely dedicated to soccer]
The point is that Techcrunch presented some foreign tech initiatives (disregard soccer or hockey or whatever sport). That counts in the end. And that’s a good thing.
That’s why hi5 became no.3 in social networking; because it focused on foreign markets (which Facebook and Myspace didn’t and they have hard time doing it). Many internet startups should realize that there’s even a bigger market out of USA (in term of population). Capture that ASAP and you’ll have an edge…
@Mircea @ MyTestBox.com –You seem to believe that all that counts is the *number* of people in foreign markets, but this is a very naive concept.
For instance, China has about 1.2 billion people, but it is not, by any measure, the most successful, progressive society in the world.
You also seem to indicate that Facebook and Myspace are companies that somehow failed because they do not have a respectable presence in foreign markets, although they are fantastically successful in the US.
“Capture that [a foreign market] ASAP and you’ll have an edge” –Of course, the US market does not count at all… for a foreigner like you.
@Tom, nice trolling. You make excellent points — I am condescending and I am an ass. Keep up the good work. The foreign part is debatable though… I was born here and have always lived here but judging by the elevated level of your discourse I’d need some sort of grandfather clause to qualify me as American. Congratulations, you are a dip shit.
This is a fantastic site, a great tool that will be used by millions of soccer fans. If the site was built for baseball (and i’m sure there’s on the way) it would be huge in the states, especially considering how many people play in rotisserie baseball leagues
“rotisserie baseball leagues” Always chuckle when I read this… players ‘broiled or roasted?’
Anyway, good post. There are now excellent sites in the US dedicated to baseball.
I think that Ken’s main point is that soccer is not a popular sport in the US, with the exception of the immigrant communities.
In which world did Dos Santos’ move from Barcelona to Tottenham for *£30M* ?
Error on my part. It’s been corrected.
R.
Genius. I love the idea – I’m just wondering how deep they will go. Will they collect data on all the lower leagues across the globe?
The big clubs want to find the diamonds in the rough, and don’t know if this will help them or not. Some clubs have to go to countries and create relationships – as many big clubs are trying to do in the MLS. That way they can get the young MLS players for cheap.
Sounds like an excellent idea. I can see soccer scouts and pro teams using their data. Soccer is only the most popular sport in the world! Just ask any European, African, South American or Asian (except Indians and Pakistanis of course) which sport is king in their home country. Not that it will trump the NFL, NBA or baseball in my lifetime but Americans will eventually see the light.
@real smart – Ironic handle.
We Americans “see the light” now: soccer *is a failure* in the US.
Of course, if foreigners keep invading our country, it could become another Starbucks: a soccer field on every neighborhood…
[I am getting sick of this s***t]
Soccer is the most played sport and the 4th most watched sport in the US. If that’s what you mean by it being a failure then, yes, it’s been an abysmal failure! Fyi, the attempts at establishing a successful league in the US have been led by Americans and not by those foreign invaders you speak of. You probably won’t be too pleased to hear this, but the women’s league is making a comeback next year. Now your daughters, nieces, sisters etc have something to watch, besides the WNBA. You’re welcome.
@Martin
…
At least they “invade” USA peacefully
!Mircea @ MyTestBox.com — “peacefully”?? What planet are you from?? The millions of illegal aliens that cross the US Southern border bring with them a wave of criminal activity: theft, domestic violence, rapes, burglaries, murders, property damage (in many ways) — Is this your concept of *peace*???
Only a damn foreigner like you would consider this peace…
It’s a good idea but the problem is “Propriety crawlers are also used, but to a lesser degree”?
How will 40 people keep the content updated? I’m confident the crawlers are *the* main data source. If they get caught violating many websites TOS, it could be over.
It’s ok to crawl data on the web but how you make a business out of it and how content creators feel about it is another.
This is indeed the case. Sometimes hard manual labor beats automated solutions. At the moment it’s 40 people but this will grow as the company expands its coverage.
im not from the US, and i think this is a great product. yeah… and really, im not an American.
“Tevez’s estimated market value by the way is around 4.7M GBP”
Not the £30 odd million most places are reporting then? http://www.skys...4257077,00.html
Refresh the post. Should be a-ok now.
R.
This is a hugely ambitous venture. Best of luck!
A sound concept except that compiling data on every player in the world is nigh-on impossible. Sites that act as databases are pretty much reliant on the data being up to date. In the obscure leagues this just wouldn’t be economically viable.
The vast majority of the leagues are irrelevant save for a few players in each, so collecing data isn’t particularly useful.
They might benefit from a Wiki style approach, or should maybe concentrate on certain leagues or type of data first. Either way, I think doing every league with every stat is too broad to keep reliable.
First problem will be trying to match the quality of scouting against Football Manager -game franchise.
That franchise has a huge, unpaid and worldwide scout network and they gather dozens of data points per player.
FM 2009 includes about 350,000 players and staff from around the world. Not a chance to make that happen with 40 people.
I think that english wikipedia and FM will still continue to get the bulk of unpaid hours. Not enough will be left for IMScouting.
Replicating that amount of work with paid hours is too costly.
Only way to survive is to start scraping en.wikipedia for data and expand from that base.
not too sure they will be able to challenge footbo.com for the social networking aspect. I think they pretty much nailed it already…
there are many types of football SNS, footbo is just one of them and is pretty niche. interesting, both footbo and imscouting are Israeli. is that a coincidence?
the real challenge for imscouting is to keep their data updated. if they leverage their “correspondents” correctly, they should win this battle.
does anyone know if the 40 are internal or employees?
nice site and design data seems OK, good start – good luck to them.
the article looks great, and would be even better without the big mistakes maybe only european real soccer experts realise.
ims is not the first kind of such a database. apart from several other good websites, the searchmachine of germany´s ISB is online for almost 10 years. we welcome ims on the market and wish them good luck ahead of the next transferperiod.
ah, by the way, both Tevez and Caffa are no leftfooters, and a search on ISB with exact the mentioned criteria would give you a list of over 100 players. we all know, argentina provides some good players…
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The correspondents are from around the world ,
not from Israel.
Be awere to many more feuters from ims.
I am a scout and i used to scout a good players for a good manager that can manage a player over there and i will be waiting for one that we can be working together
Hi Gemini,
Please feel free to contact us directly @ info@imscouting.com.
Thanks.
amazing piece of database….i remeber reading somewhere that everton are using this database to find good young players….and all of this data is compiled by to brother in UK ….??? im i right ??
http://lets-kic...ff.blogspot.com