SAP : Takes Fan Engagement to the Next Level at the New Event Rider Masters Season

Eventing fans all over the world were ready as the famous Event Rider Masters (ERM) series 2019 kicked off this past weekend at the legendary Chatsworth House in Great Britain.

As a proven fan magnet, with a sizzling livestream broadcast to more than 4 million regular viewers in over 100 countries, the 2019 series will see yet a new level of commentary and insights based on SAP technology.

[Attachment] Winner Predictions and Storytelling

[Attachment]Using the latest SAP Predictive Analytics technology, SAP and ERM joint data science partner EquiRatings has designed a new statistical model that calculates the likely outcomes of the ERM events before and during every competition. After each phase, it simulates every combination's score at that event 10,000 times, exploring every plausible result that could emerge. As a world's first, the new Eventing Prediction Centre will be available at www.eventridermasters.com. It enables ERM fans to follow the simulations and to vote on their predicted top-three riders allowing for an 'ERM Fan Trend.'

Event Rider Masters Fan League

[Attachment]Also new for this year is the first ERM Fan League, developed with SAP equestrian partner Black Horse One and offering fans the chance to compete for top positions on the leaderboard and amazing prizes. League points can be collected by using the Spectator Judging app for dressage and show jumping, by building prediction blocks with the EquiRatings Stacks app across all three phases of the competition, by donating online to the series' official charity, and by engaging with ERM's social media platforms.

Charity Integration with SAPBerry

SAP and the ERM are also increasing their support for the Willberry Wonder Pony Charity, making it the official ERM charity. The global equestrian campaign was started by young event rider Hannah Francis, who sadly passed away from cancer in 2016. The campaign funds cancer research and grants equestrian-based wishes for seriously ill people. Support activities at ERM include a new online donation functionality in the Spectator Judging app leading to extra scores for the ERM Fan League, and ERM riders wearing personalized 'Berry' mascot to increase the visibility across all channels.

Live Tracking

Additionally, sensor-based rider data from the cross-country courses - powered and visualized via SAP Equestrian Analytics - will be provided for all fans to follow the athletes live via the ERM website and real-time television graphics.

All legs are streamed live and are available on demand on www.eventridermasters.tv. Enjoy the season with the ultimate Eventing Series, presented by SAP!

Henrike Paetz is head of Equestrian Technology at SAP.