Data gathering and data analysis to support Royal Antwerp FC’s growth

Christophe Segers - Finance & Operations Director at Royal Antwerp FC - talked about the importance of data gathering, data analysis to support the club’s growth and how to optimise revenue streams and decrease expenses during the ESSMA Summit in Porto.

2017/18 season 

The process of gathering and analysing data started in the 2017/18 season. The situation at the time:  

• RAFC had just gained promotion 
• An operational budget of €8 million 
• 11 FTE’s as part of the operational staff
• A lack of organisational structures and transparency 
• On average 12,000 fans per match

They realised that they would have to professionalise their internal processes to support the club’s natural growth after the promotion.

Data analysis model

They implemented a new data analysis model which gathers information to calculate the club’s expenses and revenues. It is divided in: ticketing, F&B, merchandising, catering and B2B. This model links all data sources in one easy-to-read platform, which allows club executives to get a clear overview of revenues and expenses and make quick decisions to optimise both.

Online reach 

In addition, Royal Antwerp FC focused on expanding its online presence. The introduction of the MyRAFC account - which centralises different aspects of the fan experience and makes them more accessible for fans - was supported by online media campaigns and short videos showing behind the scenes-footage. The club has worked to create varied and engaging content for different target audiences. As a result their online fan base has grown significantly.

Part of Christophe's presentation.

In the 2017-18 season RAFC received a total of 11 million views and grew to become the second largest club in Belgium in terms of online reach with 307.000 followers. 

Go to our ESSMA Flickr account for more pictures.

Huawei sponsored the Data-driven Stadiums seminar Huawei is a leading global provider of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure and smart devices.