Investment banking giant JPMorgan Chase has acquired a stake in sports fan behaviour services operator Kraft Analytics Group (KAGR).
No financial details were given concerning the deal, which will see JPMorgan Chase also become a client of the company, which was spun off from the Kraft Group in 2016.
Based in Foxborough, Massachusetts, KAGR works with about 20 sports properties, including the NFL as well as individual teams in the five major US sports leagues and some college programs.
It collects a wide array of data, including ticketing, to analyse fan behaviour and help teams and leagues make more strategic decisions to drive more engagement and revenue. It also assesses concessions, merchandise, purchases and marketing initiatives.
Through the deal, JP Morgan’s Asset & Wealth Management division said it is looking to leverage the huge data flowing in from ticketing sales and other streams to better cater to its clients.
“The biggest thing we realised is everyone who buys a sports team initially, they’re very focused on the field,” Kraft Group chairman and chief executive officer Robert Kraft told the Wall Street Journal. “Very few prioritise the business side, and this really helps to do that.”
KAGR’s clients include the Kraft-owned New England Patriots, Gillette Stadium and MLS’s New England Revolution and more than a dozen other partners, including the Sacramento Kings and On Location Experiences.
“Sports ownership is capital intensive, and specialised analytics are essential to the deal-making process,” said Mary Callahan Erdoes, chief executive of JP Morgan Asset & Wealth Management, in a statement. “KAGR has the technology and the all-star team to help the industry make informed decisions.”
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