CASE STUDY National Football League
The NFL’s gameplan: reinventing the future of football
We helped the NFL transform how it uses data to drive better decision-making and grow the game internationally.
3-MINUTE READ
Tackling change by embracing the digital core
Just like winners never quit, reinvention never stops.
The National Football League (NFL) knows this all too well. More than a century old, the NFL firmly holds its position in the hearts of Americans and sports-lovers the world over. As the league grows to reach new audiences, so does its need for a modern, scalable digital core—the technological capability that brings together vital business components like cloud, data, AI and security to drive reinvention and enable companies to adapt swiftly to change.
Our research shows that by building an industry-leading digital core, boosting investments in innovation and balancing technical debt, companies stand to achieve a 60% higher revenue growth rate and 40% higher profitability. By embracing reinvention and building out its digital core, the NFL can continue to grow the league and win over new fans. To help achieve this vision, the league is partnering with Accenture to streamline operations, enhance efficiencies and support strategic initiatives. We’re enhancing their data-driven decision-making starting in three key business areas: football, financial operations and human resources.
From turnover to touchdown: Setting the NFL up for success
To win the NFL’s trust, Accenture had to deliver quick and impactful wins, like improving their payroll process and taking over responsibility for their entire Oracle Cloud platform for human capital management (HCM)—which includes HR, payroll, talent and more—and enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. Now, the NFL can more quickly resolve payroll process issues and enhance payroll configurations. Since then, we’ve also begun providing cloud app management services to optimize the NFL’s use of Oracle apps. What had previously been a huge operational headache became proof that Accenture and the NFL are a partnership like no other.
Turning raw data into deep business insights and operational metrics was another key for success from the start. That’s why we expanded the NFL’s Oracle Cloud footprint to get the best out of Fusion Analytics for both HCM and ERP. As a result, analytics and reporting are now centralized, while data analysis automation makes tackling insights a snap.
All in all, Accenture has reduced redundancies in the NFL’s financial operations, creating a stronger base to support their global operations and reach broader audiences.
Playing the long game through innovation
The NFL has an ambitious vision for the future of football, shaping the game both on and off the field. Now it has the technology, tools and capabilities to wow audiences and find new fans all over the world. They are better equipped to scale internationally than ever before—a top priority for the league, which is increasing the matches played in new markets outside of the US.
Accenture is supporting the league as it further expands global viewership—for example, by helping them establish the financial books for its German operations. But this is just the beginning of our partnership. We’re helping the NFL shape the future of football through our expertise in data, AI, analytics and the digital core. Together, we’re advancing the game for all, from players to coaches, staff, fans and everyone who loves football.
When Accenture passes to the NFL for this touchdown, everyone scores.