Champion Data
{{Use Australian English|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Champion Data
| logo = Champion Data logo.png
| logo_size =
| logo_alt = Champion Data logo
| image =
| type = Private
| industry = Sports technology and data
| founded = {{start date|1995|df=y}}
| founder = Ted Hopkins
| hq_location = Southbank
| hq_location_city = Melbourne
| hq_location_country = Australia
| key_people = Chris Hume (Director)
Aaron Cross (CEO)
| website = {{URL|championdata.com}}
}}
Champion Data is a sports data and analytics company based in Melbourne, Australia. It has been the official statistical data provider to the Australian Football League (AFL) since 1999.
History
Principally rooted in Australian rules football, the company was created by former {{AFL Car}} footballer Ted Hopkins and his wife Angelika Oehme in 1995.{{Cite news |date=2023-11-21 |title=Carlton premiership legend Ted Hopkins dies aged 74 |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-11-21/ted-hopkins-carlton-legend-dies/103131044 |access-date=2024-04-22 |work=ABC News |language=en-AU}}{{Cite web |last=De Bolfo |first=Tony |date=2023-11-21 |title=Carlton's 1970 premiership cult hero Ted Hopkins passes away |url=https://www.carltonfc.com.au/news/1467558/carltons-1970-premiership-cult-hero-ted-hopkins-passes-away |access-date=2024-04-22 |website=Carlton Football Club |language=en}} Hopkins' vision was to tabulate statistical data from the Australian Football League (AFL) and provide a "comprehensive and qualitative dimension" with "underlying analysis and commentaries".{{Cite web |last=Hopkins |first=Ted |author-link=Ted Hopkins |date=2013-03-22 |title=A brief & personal view of the evolution of Australian Football statistics |url=https://australianfootball.com/articles/view/a+brief+%26+personal+view+of+the+evolution+of+australian+football+statistics/308 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130409221512/http://australianfootball.com/articles/view/A%2Bbrief%2B%2526%2Bpersonal%2Bview%2Bof%2Bthe%2Bevolution%2Bof%2BAustralian%2BFootball%2Bstatistics/308 |archive-date=2013-04-09 |access-date=2024-04-22 |website=Australian Football}}
Through Champion Data, Hopkins launched the Rev Rankings in the Herald Sun in 1996, an early precursor of AFL Fantasy player ratings. By 1998, Champion Data's statistics were a feature of discussion on The Footy Show. The company then entered in a partnership with the AFL for 1999 and beyond to provide the league with statistical data, an agreement which continues to this day.{{Cite news |last=Browne |first=Ashley |date=1998-05-24 |title=Computer games |work=The Age |page=14 (sport)}}{{Cite web |date=2024-04-22 |title=Sport – Champion Data |url=https://www.championdata.com/sport/ |access-date=2024-04-22 |website=Champion Data}}
Ownership
Hopkins and Oehme sold the business to private ownership in 2007, with the former continuing to work under contract at the company for a number of years following the sale. The current majority owner of the company is Champion Data's director, Chris Hume.{{Cite news |last=Bednall |first=Jai |date=2014-03-15 |title=Crunching the numbers |work=The Advertiser |location=Adelaide, South Australia |page=103}} The AFL holds the remaining 49-percent shareholder stake.{{Cite web |last=Morris |first=Tom |date=2023-05-15 |title=Standoff between the AFL and Champion Data holding up how clubs name teams |url=https://www.sen.com.au/news/2023/05/14/standoff-between-the-afl-and-champion-data-holding-up-how-clubs-name-teams |access-date=2024-04-22 |website=SEN |language=en}}
Other sports
As well as providing statistical analysis for the AFL Women's, the Talent League and various football state leagues, Champion Data also captures data for Netball Australia and Netball New Zealand's elite competitions. The company has also inked contracts with the National Rugby League, Premier Lacrosse League, and XFL.{{Cite web |last=Bleby |first=Michael |date=2018-11-04 |title=AFL numbers man Chris Hume becomes Gillon McLachlan's neighbour with $6.6m buy |url=https://www.afr.com/property/afl-numbers-man-chris-hume-becomes-gillon-mclachlans-neighbour-with-66m-buy-20181104-h17hk0 |access-date=2024-04-22 |website=Australian Financial Review |language=en}}{{Cite web |last= |date=2022-05-16 |title=Champion Data named the Official Stats Provider of the Premier Lacrosse League |url=https://premierlacrosseleague.com/articles/champion-data-named-the-official-stats-provider-of-the-premier-lacrosse-league |access-date=2024-04-22 |website=Premier Lacrosse League |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2019-11-16 |title=XFL Keeps Score with Champion Data |url=https://uflboard.com/news/xfl-keeps-score-with-champion-data/ |access-date=2024-04-22 |website=UFLBoard.com |language=en-US}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://championdata.com/ Official website]