Getty Images
- Sportradar to be sole betting data distributor for NBA, WNBA and G League
- Data and solutions firm now holds exclusive gambling contracts with two major US leagues
The National Basketball Association (NBA) has announced an expansive multi-year partnership with Sportradar for the distribution of data and live game video to betting operators in the US, as well as internationally.
The eight-year contract kicks in with the start of the 2023/24 season, covering the NBA, Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) and the developmental G League.
According to Sportico, the agreement is worth US$1 billon and will see the NBA receive a three per cent equity stake in Sportradar for the duration of the deal. That stake is held in Class A ordinary shares on a fully diluted basis, Sportradar confirmed.
The new deal includes distribution rights regarding the use of player tracking data for the first time. Sportradar will also establish a dedicated team to work on fan experience elements of the partnership, such as developing new data products or innovations for betting operators and media partners.
The new agreement expands on the NBA and Sportradar’s existing partnership that will remain in place until the end of the 2022/23 campaign. That relationship stretches back in various forms to 2016.
Carsten Koerl, Sportradar chief executive, said: “We believe that this agreement will generate significant revenue and 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.”
The NBA and Sportradar will continue to collaborate on best-in-class practices to protect the integrity of games, which includes the use of Sportradar’s Universal Fraud Detection System (UFDS) to monitor global betting activity and trends worldwide.
Over the course of 2021, Sportradar has signed data deals with rights holders such as Uefa, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and the International Cricket Council (ICC). Having also signed a similar agreement with the National Hockey League (NHL) earlier this year, Sportradar now holds data partnerships with two of the four major US sports leagues.
