Carry On: NBA and Sportradar and Genius Sports Group Extend Partnership
The National Basketball Association (NBA) has signaled their satisfaction with existing data suppliers Genius Sports and Sportradar by re-upping their partnership in what has been reported as a multi-year extension. The two rival companies, Sportradar and Genius Sports Group will continue to manage and distribute official NBA and WNBA betting data to betting operators in the U.S for the foreseeable future thanks to the latest agreement.
The two Companies have gladly agreed to extend the joint-distribution partnership that has been in existence since November, 2018 and will continue to leverage the more-than 20 other partnerships the Companies have with licensed betting providers across the country. Betting data will continue to be gathered and distributed for all Regular Season and Playoff NBA and WNBA action.
Keeping the Status-Quo
The NBA and WNBA will keep rolling with what Sportradar and Genius Sports Group have brought to the table. Not only have they provided top-notch data services for the leagues but they have also brought with them in excess of 20 unique partnerships with other key elements of the sports betting business. This includes state officials, betting providers and other high-profile leagues.
“Over the past two seasons, Sportradar and Genius Sports Group have been sources for official NBA betting data, which is crucial for authorized gaming operators and ultimately fans who engage with NBA and WNBA games through betting,” said NBA Senior VP for fantasy Sports and Gaming Scott Kaufman-Ross.
The multi-year agreement keeps Sportradar and Genius Sports Group a major piece of the NBA and WNBA’s sports betting strategy going forward. With things going well, there was no need for anything other than the status quo.
Building the Portfolio
Sportradar has been expanding its portfolio the last year or so as new markets open up and a new acceptance of the legal sports betting platform has been building. One example is the NHL signing on in August with Sportradar in a ten-year, USD$355 million contract. But the NBA remains the biggest fish for the data provider.
“We are pleased to extend our partnership with the NBA for official NBA betting data in the U.S. market,” said Steve Byrd, Head of Global Strategic Partnerships, Sportradar. “As legalized sports betting expands into more states and grows in popularity overall, this presents us with a tremendous opportunity to continue spearheading cutting-edge NBA feeds and betting products for operators, while redefining the customer experience for the fans.”
Genius Sports Group has also been on a bit of an expansion blitz. They recently merged with SPAC dMY Technology Group II in a reported $2 billion US deal with an eye on eventually being a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange. Genius Sports Group can also thank the NBA for their heightened profile the last couple of years.
“We are delighted that the NBA has chosen to extend its official data partnership with Genius Sports Group in the U.S. We look forward to providing official NBA data, alongside our advanced in-game NBA betting products and services, to sportsbooks across the U.S.” said Mark Locke, CEO of Genius Sports Group. “We are world renowned for driving innovation in basketball sports betting and this extended partnership reaffirms our commitment to delivering a first-class betting experience for NBA fans.”
The Need Isn’t Going Away
With the exponential growth of the US legal betting industry comes the need for intensely data-focused companies to better educate and engage new and seasoned bettors alike. It is widely recognized within the legal betting community that giving bettors access to real-time, official NBA betting data through licensed gaming operators is one way to do so. With the industry explosion taking place right now in the US, the need for quality and dependable sports data is only growing.
Scott Kaufman-Ross may have said it best when he said: “The US sports betting industry has recognized the value of official data, particularly for in-play betting, and these extensions will ensure operators continue to have access to our real-time feed as sports betting develops throughout the US.”
