Staff Writer
The NFL and Amazon Web Services have launched Next Gen Trends, a free interactive platform at NFL.com/trends. According to Sports Video Group, this is the first time the two have made in-season Next Gen Stats available to every fan at no cost.
What the platform does
Next Gen Stats come from player-tracking data. Until now, the in-season insights built on that data mostly went to analysts, clubs and broadcasters. Next Gen Trends turns the same data into visuals that show the patterns each team keeps repeating.
For every team, the platform maps a strategic profile. That includes:
- Formation trends: which formations a team uses most, and how that is changing.
- Depth-chart signals: clues about how a team is using its players.
- Offensive and defensive styles: how a team tends to attack and defend.
A Team View feature puts one team's tendencies next to an opponent's, so fans can see how a matchup might play out before kickoff.
The platform updates after each week's games. Fans can see which schemes are gaining ground across the league and which are fading.
The technology behind it
AWS says the platform runs on more than 75 machine-learning models built on its technology and on Next Gen Stats data. The models take raw tracking data, which logs where players are and how they move, and turn it into summaries that someone without an analyst's background can follow.
AWS calls it the first platform of its kind. Analysts, clubs and broadcasters can use it too, so experts and casual fans are now looking at the same information.
Why it matters
The NFL has had more data than it can use for years. Matt Swensson, the league's SVP of Media Product and Technology, put it simply: "there's no shortage of data available." The hard part is turning that data into something fans actually understand.
Next Gen Trends goes after that problem. It doesn't show fans another wall of numbers. It answers questions fans already argue about: What does this team like to do? Is it changing? How does it compare with this week's opponent?
The NFL and AWS say the goal is to make football strategy easier to follow for both new and longtime fans. That matters for growth. People who understand what they are watching tend to watch longer and come back more often.
Lessons for African sports platforms
African leagues do not have optical tracking in every stadium. Still, the idea behind Next Gen Trends works at any level of data:
- Explain tendencies, not just results. A weekly profile showing when a team usually scores, how it performs at home and away, or how much it relies on set pieces is more useful than a bare league table.
- Make matchups the hook. A side-by-side preview before each round gives fans a reason to visit before the game, not just after it.
- Update on a fixed rhythm. A weekly refresh builds a habit, and habits keep users coming back.
For leagues like the NPFL, where fans want to know more than results and scores, this approach could help build a deeper, more engaged audience.
What to watch next
Watch whether other leagues open their tracking data to fans in the same way. Watch also whether the NFL adds personal features to Next Gen Trends, such as following your own team or getting alerts when its tendencies change. And watch whether data-led previews start showing up on African football and basketball platforms as well.
Sources: Sports Video Group