Sometimes, the best forms of innovation come from within industries. An example is Romania’s industry event Data Talks, founded by Andrei Popa and Anna Rossudowska, business intelligence leaders at Superbet Group.
Romania's SuperLiga and the Data Talks initiative showcase the unique blend of technology, sports, and entertainment. With deep domain expertise, they're redefining how analytics can fuel business growth and community engagement. The Data Talks platform fosters regional innovation in data analytics, while the SuperLiga Playbook offers a comprehensive strategy to rejuvenate Romania’s premier football league.
Launched three years ago, Data Talks quickly established itself as a hub of knowledge-sharing, attracting a diverse range of thought leaders and has grown into a vital forum for data analytics professionals across Central and Eastern Europe (CEE).
The third edition of the Data Talks took place this fall, creating a forum for data analytics experts, business executives and content specialists from the CEE region.
The event’s speakers represented LALIGA, Spain’s elite football competition, the Romanian Football Federation, Google/YouTube, Publicis Group, the world’s second-largest communications group, „Beach, Please!”, the world’s largest hip-hop festival in terms of attendance, and Superbet Group.
According to Andrei Popa, co-founder of Data Talks:
“We created this concept as a regional platform for knowledge exchange in the field of business intelligence. The strength of our forum lies in its ability to gather a variety of top voices, from elite sports competitions, like LALIGA, to media powerhouses, namely Publicis Groupe, and tech giants, such as Google.
This exchange of ideas generates actionable insights for data-driven companies. By positioning itself as a hub for dialogue, Data Talks can become an innovation lab for some of CEE’s most promising analytics initiatives.”
On this occasion, the discussions focused on how data analytics is shaping content creation strategies in sports and entertainment.
As such, a standout theme was the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI). Speakers and participants agreed on the importance of ethical implementation and the creation of frameworks for accountability. This call to action reflects the increasing influence of AI in shaping analytics-driven decisions across multiple industries.
SuperLiga Playbook: data-driven transformation in Romanian professional football
One of the key topics at Data Talks was the transformation of the SuperLiga, Romania’s top-tier football competition, into a fan-favorite sports event.
After facing strong challenges by 2022, with fan engagement at historic lows, exacerbated by the pandemic, the competition profile was revitalised through the SuperLiga Playbook — a strategic framework designed to rebuild the league’s brand, engage fans, and enhance content creation.
The three areas of activation for this strategy were sports sponsorships, media, and curated content.
The Playbook’s foundation rests on data-driven decision-making. With the support of Superbet’s analytics engine, the league leveraged insights to understand fan behaviour, optimise marketing strategies, and identify areas for growth.
This emphasis on data has set the stage for long-term success, empowering SuperLiga to make informed decisions that resonate with its audience.
Brand: elevating visibility
A critical first step in the SuperLiga’s journey was rebranding the league to boost visibility through a 360° marketing campaign, covering all relevant channels. The Playbook extended its focus to women’s football, committing to accelerate its popularity by 2025.
Content: sharing compelling stories
The content strategy has been a cornerstone of SuperLiga’s transformation, as data insights revealed the most popular types of content among football fans.
A comprehensive network of photographers was established in terms of visual assets, enabling the league to provide high-quality imagery for social media and graphics, further amplifying its digital presence.
Innovative activations like SuperLiga Magazine brought fans closer to football action, offering match previews, player profiles, and league updates. This magazine has become a key engagement tool, distributed at stadiums and even delivered on a subscription model.
YouTube has emerged as the primary platform for fan interaction, with a mix of highlights, compilations and player challenges. The SuperLiga Insider show, transitioning from television to an online format, dives deeper into the personal stories of players and matches, creating an emotional connection with fans.
Andrei Popa, co-founder of Data Talks, shared:
“To further enrich the fan experience, SuperLiga will have a state-of-the-art digital hub. This platform will provide real-time match action, post-game analysis, and statistical insights.
Furthermore, to enhance personalization, SuperLiga will also have an app for fan engagement. It will enable tailored activations, while connecting fans to their favorite teams and players.
All these initiatives are the result of data insights gathered from consumers of the SuperLiga content. This made us realize that the modern football fan is very sophisticated and his expectations can only be satisfied if you build an entire ecosystem of sports and entertainment.”
Community Building: authentic experiences
Community engagement is another core element of the SuperLiga Playbook. The league is committed to enhancing supporter experiences through initiatives like fan zones and matchday entertainment.
These activations are designed to immerse fans in the excitement of football, creating memories that extend well beyond the 90 minutes of play.
The Road Ahead: Shaping the Future of Sports Analytics and Engagement
Data Talks and the SuperLiga Playbook illustrate how data analytics and the ethical use of generative AI can be game-changers for the sports and entertainment industry.
By fostering a culture of innovation and placing sports fans at the center of their strategies, these initiatives are setting new standards for community engagement and business growth.
As Data Talks continues to grow as a regional hub for analytics professionals, and the SuperLiga Playbook evolves to understand and meet the dynamic needs of modern football fans, the collaboration between data, brand, and content will remain pivotal.
Together, they exemplify how data insights can turn challenges into opportunities, inspiring a new era of growth for sports in Romania and across the entire CEE region.
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