Penn National and Sportradar Team up in Latest Heavyweight Partnership

Pennsylvania-based casino operator Penn National Gaming Inc. builds on some recent momentum with the announcement of a deal with a global provider of sports data and content, Sportradar which will make available official National Football League data on the Company’s sports betting platforms. It represents the latest move by Penn National to jump into the elite class of providers during this time of re-openings across the US.

Both companies stand to gain from the partnership. Penn National brings an increasing infrastructure while Sportradar has the much-needed data that takes the brands associated with them to a different level. It is the latest example of companies in the US partnering up to not only fill needs but to build their brands ahead of the continuation of the US legal betting gold rush.

Penn National's Gain

Penn National is on its way to being a legitimate Heavyweight in the US Betting industry. This deal gives them use of official NFL play-by-play data feed for live in-game wagers on the Company’s sports betting platforms, which has a presence in 16 states, some of which haven't even legalized sports betting.

The data provided by Sportradar gives Penn National and its new toy, Barstool Sports a larger array of live, in-game wagering options on NFL games at its growing list of retail sports betting locations and on its Barstool Sportsbook app. The deal comes at a good time as the sports world is starting to return to normalcy and the NFL season is quickly approaching.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with Sportradar for NFL data in advance of the upcoming football season,” said Jon Kaplowitz, senior vice president of Penn National’s interactive gaming division, in a statement. “Delivering official NFL data to our growing, loyal audience, including over 66 million Barstool fans and our 20 million casino customers, will provide tremendous wagering opportunities where we operate sportsbooks across the country.”

Sportradar's Gain

Sportradar gets the increasing reach of Penn National. Penn National recently acquired a $163 million 36% stake in Barstool Sports, which is planning to roll out their betting site Barstool Bets by September, in time for kickoff to the NFL season. Barstool boasts a viewership of 66 million and climbing thanks to their unique and incredibly popular stable of sports-betting stories, videos, and TV shows including Barstool Sports Advisors.

Jay Snowden, president and chief executive officer of Penn National Gaming recently commented that: “The Barstool brand, loyal audience, and marketing engine will help drive meaningful market share as the product is introduced across our database of 20 million casino customers and Barstool’s audience of over 66 million fans”.

Neale Deeley, Sportradar’s Vice President of US Sales and Gaming, said of the partnership: “Penn National is at the forefront of sports betting in the US, and we are delighted to extend our partnership to include official NFL data. We look forward to working together and providing a unique betting experience for their loyal customers during the upcoming NFL season and beyond.”

Partnerships Continue

As the US legal betting market continue to get to a “mature phase”, partnerships will keep developing. The last year has seen a host of companies coming together for not only the betterment of themselves but to enhance the overall betting experience of the customer.

Companies are obviously positioning themselves for the impending growth in the US legal betting market that currently has only about 30% of its citizens allowed to wager legally. Strong branding and rock-solid platforms will likely be key if and when states like California, Florida, or Texas bring on their own form of legal sports betting.

Mutually beneficial partnerships are always a good thing. The latest deal between Penn National and Sportradar is just another example of that.