SMT is no new-comer to the Sports Analytics patent sector. Being the second-largest assignee within the sector, it is safe to say that they have had a long history of patenting in the sector with patents dating as far back as 1993. However, when looking at its patenting history, it becomes obvious that SMT has had a recent shift in patent strategy. In late 2017, SMT began ramping up its patent activity in a space that it had not been that active in, or honestly any company had been active in. They began filing numerous patent applications within the Telemetry Analysis subcategory. Before this, few companies had paid much attention to this subcategory, with most companies in the Data Analytics category focusing on the Image & Video Analytics subcategory. This lack of previous activity left SMT quite a bit of "white space" in which they could likely develop a broad portfolio, and that is exactly what they did. 

Fast-forward three years to late-2020/early-2021 and SMT is already reaping the benefits of this investment. It holds multiple contracts with sports leagues and teams across the globe to exclusively provide telemetry-based tracking in their stadiums, with the most recent contract landing SMT's player and puck tracking technology in every NHL arena. Looking back, it is obvious that SMT capitalized on the "white space" it may have noticed in the sector. While it is impossible to tell if SMT noticed this opportunity by using patent data or fell into it with a stroke of luck, this is a perfect example of the value in the patent data and patent visualization offered by Patent Forecast®. The visualization of this data allows companies to not only see where their competitors are investing R&D efforts, but also allows them to see opportunities or openings in the field that are begging for investment.

Stay up to date on new opportunities in the Sports Analytics sector by getting our Patent Forecast® for Sports Analytics.