Mentioned in this article Games: Dota 2

UPDATE — 09/11/2018: SAP has revealed additional details on its partnership with PGL for the Kuala Lumpur Major.

SAP’s contribution will be similar to its last Dota 2 event, ESL One Hamburg. The company will use its systems, based on SAP HANA and its Cloud Platform, to provide backend services for PGL. Data on hero picks, win-rates, etc. will be presented onscreen and provided to casters and analysts during the pick-and-ban phase, and in segments prior to and after a match. The partnership is entirely broadcast focused, and SAP will not have on-the-ground activations in Kuala Lumpur.

Speaking to The Esports Observer, Milan Cerny, technology and innovation lead for SAP global sponsorships, said discussions began with PGL during this year’s edition of The International. Although the current partnership is event-based, discussions for future collaborations will be ongoing.

“I think it’s clear for us that we do want to be part of the Dota Pro Circuit in general because that’s where the most relevant events happen,” said Cerny. “PGL will have some more events on the circuit, so we’re going to keep talking to them, and potentially working with them.”

Cerny also confirmed that SAP is in “a constant exchange” with Dota 2 developer Valve , but could not provide specific details. (Update Author: Graham Ashton).

Software company SAP will be the official analytics partner for the Kuala Lumpur Dota 2 Major.

SAP began its esports involvement in the spring signing a three-year deal with Team Liquid.

The company expanded to events by providing analytics for ESL One Hamburg’s broadcast.

The Dota 2 Kuala Lumpur Major, which will be hosted by Romanian event promoter PGL , has added software company SAP as the official analytics partner for the event.

PGL announced the news via Twitter on Thursday, stating that SAP’s involvement will help “boost the viewer experience.” The Kuala Lumpur Major is a Valve-sanctioned competition, featuring a $1M prize pool and Dota Pro Circuit points to be awarded to all 16 participating teams.

[perfectpullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]PGL announced the news via Twitter, stating that SAP’s involvement will help “boost the viewer experience.” [/perfectpullquote]

SAP history in sports includes partnerships with the NBA, NHL, and Extreme Sailing Series. SAP first entered the esports industry in April, partnering with Team Liquid to provide analytics for the organization’s Dota 2 team.

Earlier in the fall, the company worked with ESL to bring analytic insights to ESL One Hamburg. The broadcast for Pick & Ban phases during the event’s matches featured historical data for competing players and teams. Additionally, SAP helped implement other stats and insights meant to enhance the viewing experience for fans, while also assisting commentators.

The group stages for the Kuala Lumpur Major begin Friday, and the public portion of the main event at Axiata Arena in Malaysia runs from Nov. 16-18. Other sponsors for the event include Monster Energy , HyperX , Malaysian telecom company U Mobile, KFC Delivery, Intel , chair maker Secret Lab, and PC chassis manufacturer Thermaltake.

The Esports Observer has reached out to SAP regarding the partnership and will update this article with more details.