Sports analysis is the collection of relevant, historical, statistics that can provide a competitive advantage to a team or individual. It’s revolutionizing the sports industry on the field, court, or ice as well as in living rooms with fantasy and online sports betting. It’s been propelled by the success portrayed in the book and movie Moneyball and the growing popularity of sabermetrics data analysis.

Data analytics is a new field that uses tools like programming, data manipulation and aggregation, and machine learning to mine new insights from the deluge of data now available in sports. It’s being used by general managers and coaches to evaluate players, fans to understand what motivates them, and companies to optimize revenue.

In the past, evaluating a player was based on a mix of traditional stats, such as points, batting average, and yards thrown, and subjective gut or feel. Now, you can see a player’s breakaway speed in football or their launch angle after a home run in baseball on websites like FiveThirtyEight and watch them do it live on TV with the help of advanced tracking devices.

To become a sports analyst, you’ll need at least a bachelor’s degree in a related field such as sports management or fitness, preferably with a minor in statistics or computer science. You can also pursue a master’s degree in data science or sports analytics to gain an edge in the job market. You can also seek internships or entry-level positions with sports teams and organizations to get hands-on experience in the field.