Ted Knutson: A Journey from Sports Betting to Founding StatsBomb and Variance Incorporated
Ted Knutson’s name has become synonymous with sports analytics, football data, and predictive modelling. His contributions to the sports and betting industries have left a significant mark, with a career that spans from early days in sports betting to becoming a key figure in the football analytics space. In this article, we will explore Ted Knutson’s career, his ventures, including StatsBomb and Variance Incorporated, and his work with several influential companies.
Early Days in Sports Betting
Ted Knutson’s journey in the world of sports betting began in 2006 when he joined a small syndicate. His deep passion for data and his knack for analytics made him a natural fit for the role of the “data geek,” where he started to apply mathematical models to make more informed betting decisions. This early experience gave him a solid foundation in predictive modelling, which would become the core of his later ventures.
In 2007, Knutson’s career took a significant turn when he helped PinnacleSports regain its dominance in the online betting industry. At the time, PinnacleSports had cut off all its business with U.S.-based customers due to regulatory issues. Ted’s expertise in data and sports analytics played a pivotal role in helping the company rebuild and become a major player on a global scale. During his time at Pinnacle, he was involved in sportsbook development and analysis, overseeing key sports like soccer, basketball, and baseball.
Ted’s time at Pinnacle, where he worked as the Lead Trader for the English Premier League and later the Manager of Sportsbook Development and Analysis, provided him with a comprehensive understanding of the intersection between sports, data, and betting. It was here that he learned the true potential of using data for making better betting decisions, an experience that would shape his career trajectory.
The Transition to Football Analytics: Smartodds and Beyond
In 2014, Ted Knutson transitioned to the world of football analytics. As Head of Player Analytics at Smartodds, Ted was responsible for overseeing recruitment and driving data-driven decision-making for two prominent football clubs, Brentford FC and Midtjylland FC. His work at Smartodds allowed him to apply the predictive modelling and analytical skills he honed in the sports betting industry to football. Knutson played a crucial role in transforming these clubs into successful entities by leveraging data insights to improve player recruitment and performance analysis.
Ted’s time at Smartodds was groundbreaking, as it represented the fusion of data science with football operations. The application of data in football, particularly in player recruitment and match analysis, was still in its infancy at that time. However, Knutson’s work helped pioneer the use of data in decision-making processes within football clubs, helping them gain a competitive edge in both domestic and international competitions.
Founding StatsBomb: Revolutionising Football Analytics
In 2016, Ted Knutson left Smartodds and, alongside his co-founder Charlotte Randall, launched StatsBomb. StatsBomb was founded with the vision of bringing advanced analytics and data science to the world of football. Their goal was to provide in-depth, high-quality data that would help clubs and analysts make better, more informed decisions. The company was built to cater to the growing demand for actionable data in football.
In 2017, StatsBomb launched its Business Intelligence platform, and in 2018, StatsBomb Data was introduced. This data service offered professional football clubs and media companies the opportunity to access highly detailed and insightful data about player performance, team statistics, and match analysis. The company quickly gained a reputation for its innovative approach to data collection and analysis, with a focus on providing more granular, context-rich data than its competitors.
StatsBomb’s data collection methods were revolutionary in themselves. In 2021, the company introduced StatsBomb 360, a cutting-edge data set that uses computer vision technology to provide the first publicly available contextual event data for soccer at scale. This data, which was completely collected through computer vision, was a game-changer for analysts and football clubs looking to gain deeper insights into match events.
By March 2021, StatsBomb had secured over 80 paying customers across various sectors, including professional sports, media, and gambling. These customers ranged from smaller clubs in the lower leagues of England to some of the most prestigious teams in the UEFA Champions League. Despite the challenges posed by the global pandemic, StatsBomb’s annual recurring revenue (ARR) tripled in 2020, a testament to the company’s success and growing importance in the world of football analytics.
Variance Incorporated: Expanding the Reach of Sports Analytics
In 2024, Ted Knutson expanded his entrepreneurial ventures by founding Variance Incorporated. The company focuses on applying analytics to sports betting, taking the lessons learned from his time in the betting industry and combining them with his expertise in football data. Variance Incorporated is dedicated to helping sports bettors maximise their long-term profitability through data-driven models and decision-making.
As CEO of Variance Incorporated, Ted has built a platform that provides bettors with actionable insights and tools to improve their betting strategies. The company’s services cater to both professional sports analysts and everyday sports enthusiasts who want to make more informed bets. Variance’s services are rooted in predictive modelling, risk management, and strategic analysis, which is exactly what Ted had been developing throughout his career in sports analytics and betting.
TheTransferFlow and the Future of Football Data
In addition to StatsBomb and Variance Incorporated, Ted Knutson has also launched TheTransferFlow, a platform that offers football transfer insights, rumours, and in-depth analysis. The platform is designed to provide both professionals and football fans with reliable and data-driven information about transfers and player movements in the football world.
TheTransferFlow is an exciting extension of Ted’s work in football analytics, as it combines his deep understanding of data with his passion for the intricacies of football transfers. The platform not only focuses on the accuracy of transfer rumours but also provides a comprehensive analysis of the potential impact of transfers on teams and players. It has quickly become a trusted resource for football fans and professionals alike.
Ted Knutson’s Legacy in Sports Analytics and Betting
Ted Knutson’s contributions to sports analytics, football data, and sports betting have revolutionised how the industries approach data-driven decision-making. From his early days in sports betting at PinnacleSports to his work in football analytics at Smartodds and his pioneering efforts with StatsBomb, Ted has been at the forefront of merging sports with cutting-edge data science.
Through his ventures—StatsBomb, Variance Incorporated, and TheTransferFlow—Ted Knutson continues to shape the future of sports analytics, empowering teams, analysts, and bettors with the tools and insights they need to make informed decisions. His work not only impacts professional football clubs but also provides valuable insights for sports media, betting companies, and fans.
With the increasing role of technology and data in sports, Ted’s vision for the future of football analytics is clear: a world where decisions are backed by data, and every match is an opportunity to discover new insights. As sports data continues to evolve, Ted Knutson will undoubtedly remain a key player in the industry’s transformation.
Conclusion
Ted Knutson’s career reflects a journey from a sports betting data geek to one of the foremost leaders in football analytics. His work with PinnacleSports, Smartodds, StatsBomb, and Variance Incorporated has transformed how football clubs, analysts, and sports bettors make decisions based on data. With his vision, expertise, and commitment to revolutionising sports analytics, Ted has built a legacy that will continue to shape the future of the industry for years to come.
