- Betting data services company Sportradar has announced a long term global partnership with the National Basketball Association (NBA).
- Sportradar will serve as the exclusive worldwide provider of NBA, WNBA and NBA G League Data.
- Earlier this year, Sportradar struck a massive betting data agreement with international soccer sanctioning body UEFA.
Sportradar has been extremely busy throughout 2021. They made their debut on the NASDAQ stock exchange in September hoping to capitalize on what they perceive as the unlimited potential of the US sports betting market. They also struck an unprecedented worldwide betting distribution deal with soccer sanctioning body UEFA. Most recently, they expanded an already existing partnership with the National Basketball Association (NBA) that will see the pro hoops league taking an equity stake in Sportradar.
As is often the case for partnerships of this sort, the press release announcing the deal was short on specificity. Sportradar will become the exclusive worldwide provider for the NBA, WNBA and NBA G League including player tracking data, betting data and live streaming video rights for sportsbooks worldwide. As always, it’s all about the ‘fan engagement’:
The National Basketball Association (NBA) and Sportradar Group AG (NASDAQ: SRAD), the leading global sports technology company creating immersive experiences for sports fans and bettors, today announced an expansive multiyear partnership agreement that will see the NBA, Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) and NBA G League use Sportradar’s global and wide-ranging capabilities to grow U.S. operations, increase their international footprint and drive fan engagement. This new partnership begins with the 2023-24 NBA season and provides the NBA with an equity stake in Sportradar.
The deal is an extension of an existing partnership between Sportradar and the NBA that dates back to 2016. At that point, Sportradar became an ‘Official Provider of Real-time NBA League Statistics’. As the previous quote suggests, the NBA sees sports betting as a means of growing the popularity of the game worldwide. In addition, Sportradar has served as the league’s integrity partner and provides early warning ‘fraud detection’ by monitoring betting patterns and odds movements worldwide. The press release announcing the partnership provided additional information about the scope of the NBA partnership with Sportradar:
This agreement with the NBA, WNBA and NBA G League maintains Sportradar as the exclusive provider of NBA data worldwide that will help fans across the globe engage with the three leagues. Sportradar will continue to be both the authorized global distributor of official NBA and WNBA betting data and the distributor of live game video that is available to international sports betting operators for fans to experience in real time.
In addition, the new relationship includes expanded distribution rights regarding the use of player tracking data. Sportradar will also establish a dedicated team to innovate and transform the fan experience. This will include utilizing data to create a deeper understanding and appreciation of the game, developing new data products to enrich fan engagement, and revolutionizing how sports betting data is utilized by betting operators and media partners.
Carsten Koerl, global CEO, Sportradar, is happy that the NBA is expanding their professional relationship with his company:
“We are delighted that the NBA has chosen Sportradar as the Official Partner who can support the global popularity and explosive growth of the game. Basketball is the largest U.S. sport in the world by popularity and, as a market leader, we are best positioned with the technological expertise and industry relationships to help the NBA entertain fans globally.”
“We believe that this agreement will contribute to Sportradar’s profitable business and continued growth. The remaining time left on the existing deal, and this new multi-year agreement, gives us significant runway to partner with the NBA and develop exciting solutions across our teams, betting and sports entertainment verticals.”
Scott Kaufman-Ross, Senior Vice President, Head of Gaming & New Business Ventures, NBA, says that Sportradar has been an excellent partner for the league:
“Sportradar has been a terrific partner as the league has navigated its exploration into the global sports betting landscape. As the market matures, we are thrilled to extend our partnership with Sportradar to utilize data and insights to create new fan experiences and innovate around the NBA globally.”
The expanded partnership will begin with the 2023-24 NBA season.
