We’re under three months away from kickoff, and each day we learn more about the XFL. Today via SportTechie.com we have learned that the league has formed a partnership with Champion Data to aid in the collection and analysis of game data and help the league tell statistical stories that drive fan engagement.

Champion Data has worked closely with the Australian Football League, and have partnered with third-party companies such as Catapult (wearable trackers) to bring innovations to the league’s live broadcasts.

“They feel our entrepreneurial spirit, much more than a traditional vendor-client relationship,” says Pollack. “We’re keeping an open mind about who we do business with and the circumstances in which we do business … we’re broadening our thinking about companies that can come and help us co-create and stand-up the league. As we find companies that are as entrepreneurial-minded as we are, and bring a fresh perspective on whatever their expertise is, we’re thinking differently about how to structure those deals.”

The partnership will focus on the basics of collecting and storytelling around league data through an end-to-end, low-latency stats platform and API partnership. Champion Data will develop, build, and maintain proprietary technology for the XFL. This includes in-depth statistical collection and reporting, advanced research and analysis, and editorial services.

Data will be collected both manually by Champion-trained gameday staffers and through cutting-edge technology, and delivered to fans, coaches, media, and the XFL’s digital products in near real time.

Working together, the XFL and Champion Data will begin to explore “new business opportunities together” and innovative ways of bringing additional value to fans through statistics, which one day could mean exploring a variety of fan engagement and gaming features.