NFL Network's Predictive Analytics Expert

Cynthia Frelund | Biography 2021

She brought together 32 women broadcasters from different networks for the 'Women in Football Draft Show' in 2020.

• By Reena Chikanbanjar
• Update : July 30, 2021

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Cynthia Frelund is an American Predictive Analytics Expert famous for her unique insights on games on NFL Network television shows.

Who is Cynthia Frelund?

Cynthia Frelund started her career as an Investment Banker in 2005. She then worked at Disney ABC Television Group and ESPN before landing a Predictive Analytics Expert at NFL Network in 2016. 

As an NFL Predictive Analytics Expert, she provided deep insights into games and players on various shows including, NFL Fantasy LIVE and NFL GameDay Morning. She is also a certified Pilates and group fitness instructor and marathon runner. Frelund is actively involved in a non-profit organization called Bright Pink.

Early Life and Education

Cynthia Frelund was born in Okemos, Michigan, on 24 August 1979. After finishing high school at Okemos High School, she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Boston College in 2005. She then tried medical school but realized it was not a right fit for her. 

After graduation, Frelund started working as an investment banker, which led her to attend a business school. She attended Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and graduated with a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Finance, Marketing, and Entrepreneurship and Innovation. She always had an interest in math, numbers, and strategy. But when her MBA degree did not cover these subjects, she went on to study Predictive Analytics at the same University where she got an MBA.

Career

Frelund began her career as an investment banker at Fusion Finance in 2005. She joined the company as an Analyst and made her way to become a Senior Analyst. She served the company until 2008. Later, she found possibilities in combining statistical analysis and football. So, she approached the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the National Football League, Anthony Noto, for an opportunity and eventually succeeded in working as a Financial Strategist in 2008. 

In 2010, she joined Disney ABC Television Group, where she worked as a Business Development Manager. She worked there for two years. Then, in December 2012, she started working as an Associate Director in the Technology Department of ESPN. After working there for more than two years, she was promoted to the next-generation Content Strategist at ESPN. She also became ESPN's Sports Center's Predictive Analytics Analyst. She left ESPN in July 2016 to join the NFL.

NFL Network

Frelund joined NFL Network in August 2016 as a Predictive Analytics Expert, becoming the first analytics expert in the NFL Media. As an NFL Predictive Analytics Expert, she reviewed and analyzed traditional statistics and provided her unique insights into each game while also hinting at the future outcomes of the game. She had provided her distinctive insights on various shows and platforms of NFL Network including, NFL Fantasy LIVE, GameDay Morning. 

On 22 April 2020, Frelund brought together 32 women broadcasters from networks including NFL Network and ESPN for a 2.5 hour Women In Football Draft Show. The show offered a unique opportunity to hear impactful female voices in one place. The participant broadcasters included Andrea Kremer, Lindsay Rhodes, Kim Jones, Linda Cohn, among others. On the draft show, they talked about buoying up women, supporting each other, and the importance of taking opportunities and doing actionable things to support causes. Referring to the draft show, Frelund said, "The people who were a part of it love talking football and sharing their knowledge. Women are sometimes used as an accessory in sports television. This is just another step toward proving and showing there's a lot of depth for female voices."

Additional Works

Frelund is a certified Pilates and group fitness instructor. As an instructor, she had trained people at East Bank Club from 2005 to 2016 and at Equinox from 2007 to 2012.

Frelund is also a marathon runner. She aims to run a marathon in every state of the United States. After running 23 marathons, she learned not to have vastly different eating habits between events. Before a marathon, she eats about 2,400 calories, which is about 30% more than she normally eats. She also tries not to drink two weeks before a marathon. She focuses on overall good nutrition regardless of what she does. 

Furthermore, Frelund is involved with Bright Pink, a national non-profit organization that focuses on saving women's lives from breast & ovarian cancer by empowering them to live proactively at a young age.