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Sports marketing agency Infront has been named as the International Tennis Federation’s (ITF) official data partner, as part of a five-year global partnership.
Contract:
- Infront to provide data coverage for more than 58,000 tennis games each year beginning in 2025
- Agency to provide more than 650 handheld devices around the world due to the introduction of a new umpire scoring system
- Infront will gain streaming rights to over 23,000 matches
- Both parties to develop a ‘Level 3’ computer vision data platform
Context:
With its winning bid, Infront will replace Sportradar as the ITF’s data partner. Tennis is hugely important to the online betting industry because each match offers a vast range of markets, while the sport offers a vast inventory of matches and a year-round calendar.
Infront’s betting division has also announced a five-year partnership with French soccer’s Professional Football League (LFP), with the contract to begin from the 2024/25 season.
Excluding France, the global pact is reportedly worth €155 million (US$165.44 million) overall, which equates to about €31 million (US$33.09 million) per year on average. Infront Bettor will hold the live betting video and data rights to all Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 games, as well as the Trophée des Champions match.
The agency, which already holds the betting video rights to the Coupe de France, will also work to provide computer vision data solutions that produce data tracking and visualisations alongside the LFP.
Comment:
“Tennis fans are at the centre of what we do at the ITF and the new partnership with Infront will enable us to provide a better end-to-end experience for all fans,” said Kelly Fairweather, ITF chief executive.
“We will also see innovation out on the court and a significant financial uplift from these rights that we will use to support the player pathway and the development of tennis globally.”
Coming next:
The LFP will now focus on selling its domestic rights for its next cycle, having recently launched the sales process.
