The battle for sports betting data rights between the likes of Sportradar and Genius Sports is quietly reshaping the world of sports betting. These behind-the-scenes companies power the odds that fuel sportsbooks, and their fight for exclusive control has major implications for bookmakers 🌃and punters. Join us as we uncover how 🌱this data war is transforming the world of betting!
What Are Sports Betting Data Rights?
These rights grant ownership and control over the collection, distribution, and sale of live sports data used in betting. Typically, these are granted by governing bodies to a sports betting data provider, allo🔥wing them to gather real-time match statistics, player performance metrics, and other key information relevant to betting markets.
When these rights are secured, companies such as Genius Sports or Sportradar collect data using live scouts and advanced technology, like optical tracking systems and video analysis. All the metrics gathered are then sold and distributed to betting companies, which depend on timely and accurate informatioﷺn to set odds and provide betting markets.
Football Betting Data
The rights to exclusive football betting data varies from league to leagꦯue and compe🐎tition to competition.
For UK punters, the most significant development is likely to be the renewal of Genius Sports’s exclusive data partnership with Football DataCo (FDC) through 2025-2029. This covers official data rights for the Premier League, English Football League, and Scottish Professional Football League.
In terms of sheer numbers, none can match IMG ARENA. They are the official betting data partner for 19 European football leagues and 44 competitions including the Austrian Bundesliga, Liga Portugal, and Swiss Football League. The end dates vary, with most agreements extending several years from the 2022/23 season. Considering that they also hold livestreaming partnerships spanning over a dozen leagues, including the FA Cup and SuperLiga, IMG Arena is set to have a lasting impact on football betting markets.
Another major sports data provider is Stats Perform, which holds rights to La Liga until the 2027/28 season. This also includes the right to stream La Liga matches live 🌠ꦅto licensed international sportsbooks.
These partnerships cover many of the football betting data providers relevant to UK readers. However, any 💜tournament and/or league not mentioned here will have their own agreements driving the odds for related betting markets.
Sportradar & UEFA Partnership
Sportradar has secured an expanded deal to provide betting data for Europe’s premier football tournaments. It includes the men and women’s Champions League, the men’s Europa League and Conference League, as well as the women’s Euros 2025. This partnership covers over 900 games each season and will last up to the men’s 🐎2028 Euros.
A key aspect of this agreement is Sportradar’s access to “advanced tracking” data, aimed at enhancing their AI products and services. Interestingly, they will therefore also be selling player movement records collected by their rivals, Genius Sports. There has been no mention of any livestreaming🌠 rights.
For bettors, this means continued access to a vast range of interesting markets supported by cutting-edge technology from a leading supplier of sports betting data. However, they wi꧑ll need to watch these games through separate channels.
Horse Racing Betting Data
Sports Information Services (SIS) and Racecourse Media Group (RMG) hold a three-year agreement to distribute horse racing betting data and livestreaming content fr🌊om British racecourses to lic🤪ensed betting sites in the UK and Ireland.
This contract, effective from April 1st 2024 to March 31st 2026, builds on a successful partnership that began in 2018. With over 35 years of experience, SIS is a trusted global partner in the betting industry, offering a diverse range of betting content including horse racing, greyhound racing, and esports.
Serving over 400 customers in 50 countries, SIS delivers more than 415,000 betting events annually, making them one of the biggest supplie▨rs of betting content in the world.
Tennis Betting Data
Sportradar holds the global sports betting data rights for all ATP Tour and ATP Challenger Tour events under a multi-year agreement with Tennis Data Innovations (TDI) — a joint venture of ATP and ATP Media. The partnership covers major tournaments, including the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, US Open, ATP Finals, and ATP 1000 events.
As part of this deal, Sportradar launched ATP Service + — a suite of innovative betting and media products designed to boost fan engagement and drive the commercial growth ♉of betting partners. Some of the features include augmented streaming, immersive 3D animations, additional in-play betting markets, and short-form video highlights.
All of this means more exciting ways to enjoy the world’s premier tennis events, enhancing both the viewing experience and the scope of betting options available. The agreement i🌠s currently set to last until 2029.
Cricket Betting Data
Beginning with the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2024, Stats Perform has become the exclusive live sports data provider and streaming partner for all major International Cricket Council (ICC) events. This includes most of their major tournaments, including the Cricket World Cup, T20 World Cup, and ICC World Test Championship. It is set to continue until a✅t least 2027.
This agreement marks a renewal of the partnership that existed between 2019 and 2021. Sportradar, which handled the sports betting data rights for ICC events between 2021 and 2023, did not seek to r⭕enew these rights. The difficulty in monetising cricket data compared to other sports is likely to have influenced this decision.
This still comes as a surprise even though it is true that cricket betting markets aren’t as popular as football or horse racing. Not that it should matter to cricket betting fans, given that the quality of the real-time ball-to-ball match data driven by Stats Perform is amply providing a robust selection of markets across top booꦫkmakers.
Why Are Sports Betting Data Rights So Competitive?
Sports betting data rights are highly sought after due to their significant revenue potential. Accurate, real-time findings are crucial for betting operators to set competitive odds and drive betting activity. Without the data, bookies couldn’t function. This puts the sports data feed provider i♌n a fantastic negotiating position, making it extremely profitable for those who hold the rights.
Owning high-quality sports betting data rights also creates additional ave🃏nues of revenue. Leading suppliers like Sportradar, Stats Perform, Genius Sports, IMG, and SportsData.IO repeatedly secure major deals because these partnerships build trust and confidence, leading to more long-term contracts with betting companies 🥃and sports organisations.
Moreover, these deals often include livestreaming rights, which provide another stream of revenue. Companies that manage both data an♉d streaming can, therefore, maximise their earnings.
This competit🎃ion between providers, who frequently engage in legal disputes, ultimately benefits customers. It drives continuous innovation and ensures a broad selection of high-quality betting markets and live coverage.
IMG vs Stats Perform Case
In March 2023, IMG Arena (the sports data arm of Endeavour) filed a lawsuit against Stats Perform in the UK, alleging that Stats Perform unlawfully sent out scouts t⭕o football games across Europe where IMG Arena held ꦦexclusive sports betting data rights.
This lawsuit, presented to t👍he High Court, sought at least $1.6 million in damages and an injunction to prevent further unauthoris🐟ed data collection. IMG Arena claimed that Stats Perform’s actions violated their exclusive deal with the European Leagues, which covers competitions in over 19 countries.
Unsurprisingly, considering the slow pace of the justice system, there has been little to report since. However, t⛎he court recently dismissed Stats Perform’s application for strike-out or summary judgement — a decision that appears to favour IMG Arena at this preliminary stage.
Genius Sports vs Sportradar Case
Sportradar’s legal dispute with Genius Sports and Football DataCo (FDC) was resolved via an out-of-court settlement in 2022. Under the agreement, Sp✨ortradar received a sublicence granting access to a delayed secondary feed of English football data until 2024. In return, Sportradar ceased its unauthorised in-stadium data collection activities.
The case, which began in February 2020, challenged the data licensing framework established in May 2019, when Genius🐽 Sports secured exclusive rights to collect and distribute live football data from the Premier League, the Football League, and the Scottish Professional Football League. Sportradar argued that this exclusive system violated both UK and EU competition laws.
The settlement allowed FDC and Genius Sports to maintain thei🌳r licensing arrangement, which was later renewed to carry on until at least 2029.
TRP & Arena vs SIS Case
In 2019, Arena Racing Company (ARC) and The Racing Partnership (TRP) won a significant legal battle against Satellite Information Services (SIS), a lead𒉰ing sports data provider. The High Court ruled that SIS had unlawfully used ARC’s raceday data, including critical information like horse withdrawals, jockey changes, and race off-times.
The case also revealed discrepancies in data acquisition between bookmakers. While operators like William Hill and Paddy Power had legitimately contracted with TRP for a comprehensive rights package — including live data and audio-visual coverage from several key racecourses, other bookies had used SIS to create an unofficial service. These operators gathered intelligence from alternative sources, including the Tote’s on-course presence, without compensating TRP.
As a result, ARC and TRP are entitled to substantial damages, which could amount to several million pounds, though the exact figure has not yet been d꧃etermined. The case high💯lights the immense value of raceday data and the legal enforceability of exclusive data rights, with serious financial consequences for those who breach them.
Why Do Data Providers Try To Dodge Third-Party Agreements?
To stay competitive, a sports data provider must cover a v💎ast and dynamic range of sports and events. Navigating ꦚconvoluted and restrictive third-party agreements can complicate this effort, as these contracts often limit their ability to freely gather and distribute information.
One common type of agreement that data providers may try to dodge is exclusive licensing. Such contracts🌳 grant sole rights to specific companies for collecting and distributing certain data. By circumventing these exclusives, data providers can access and utilise reports from events where they lack formal permission, thus broadening their offerings and potential profitability without compensating the rights holders.
The TRP & Arena vs SIS and the IMG vs Stats Perform cases h🍌ighlight how some entities are willing to participate ཧin such behaviours, aiming to boost their sports portfolios.
Revenue sharing and compensation arrangement also pose challenges. Some contracts require data providers to share revenue or make payments for access. To evade these financial commitments, providers might create unofficial sources or gather intelligence through unauthorised means to expand their coverage while sidestepping their financial responsibilities. Often, this is don♚e through unauthorised scouts who gather data without permission.
Many of today’s leading sports betting data suppliers, like Sportradar and Stats Perfo🌠rm, have faced legal disputes related to these issues. While avoiding third-party agreements isn’t a necessary step in becoming a leading supplier of sports betting data, it does reflect the intense competition of t🌃his industry.
In-Play Betting Revolution
The emergence of in-play betting is one of the mosꩲt signᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚificant technological advancements in online wagering, benefitting both bookmakers and bettors. For bookies, it represents a new revenue stream, while for bettors, it offers enhanced entertainment and more dynamic ways to place bets.
The gambling market in the UK is worth an estimated £15.1 billion pounds (in the year to March 2023), and l🅷ive sports bettiᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚng is now a big part of that.
Today, live betting is available across a broad spectrum of sports and levels, with only rare and logically incompatible events being excluded. This development has introduced a vast array of betting opportunities from spontaneous prop bets to cash-out feature📖s, dramatic🐎ally expanding the range of available markets.
However, the extent of live betting coverage is based on several factors, including the sport’s logistics and the popularity of live betting. Major events that are popular and have a sports betting data rights partnership in place, such as major esports꧋ tournaments, often enjoy comprehensive live betting coverage. In contrast, less popular events or those with existing TV and/or streaming arrangement may offer fewer markets and less statistical da🀅ta.
This disparity is gradually diminishing as technology advances. Betting events are increasingly benefitting from enhanced live betting experience, thanks to innovations by data rights holders. For example, IMG Arena’s live stats overlays and Sportradar’s 4Sight Streaming are pushing𒈔 the boundaries of what’s possible, improving the in-play experience across more events.
ThePuntersPage Final Say
Ultimately, this intense competition for sports betting data rights can only benefit you. It pushes these companies to deliver superior data accuracy, more seamless livestr൩eams, and cutting-edge technology. As a result, you gain access to a broader range of odds, more precise and timely data to inform your betting strategies, and enhanced features like interactive graphics and visualisation displays.
This relentless drive for excellence continuously enhances your betting experience, ensuring you get the best tools and insights 🌃to make the most of your bet🍒ting opportunities.
Data Wars Resources
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1.
: A Racing Post news story which details the High Court ruling in favoUr of Arena Racing Company (ARC), the UK’s largest racing group, and The Racing Partnership (TRP). The court found that SIS had unlawfully breached ARC’s exclusive rights to exploit raceday data for fixed-odd൩s bett💦ing.
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2.
: This press release from Genius Sports Press details the plan to launch computer vision cameras which allows for precise offside decisions within seconds, allowing for minimal breaks in the game. Set to launcꦺh in the 2024/25 Premier League season, it’s an important example of the usefulness of the technology employed by sports betting data providers.
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: Officia🐷l registration details of The Racing Partnership Limited, providing proof of their legitimate involvement in video production and distribution activities.
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: Information from the officialꩵ UEFA website detailing the future of their partnership with Sportradar. Here, they not only announced a multi-year extension of the current exclusive betting rights agreement, but also agreed to allow Sportradar access to𝓀 certain advanced tracking data.
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: Details on the products and partnerships of global sports bettin🌱g data provider Sportradar.
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: Homepage of IMG, football’s largest data provider. Includes a huge nu🦂mber of statistics and news articles detailing their reach and most recꦰent technological developments.
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– what does this mean for sports data rights holders and the industries they supply?: A෴rticle from international law firm Bird & Bird detailing the case and ultimate 🐬settlement between Genius, Football Data Co (FDC) and Sportradar.
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: An “About🍰 Us” page from Racecourse Media Group detailing the racecourses and organisations they are partnered with, alongside general information about the company.
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: Official statistics: Gambling industry statistics which provide details on the size and profitability of the UK gambling ☂industry between the period of April 2022 to March 2🥃023.
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10.
: News article from Insider Sports that details the partnership between the I🐈nternational Cricket Council (ICC) and Stats Perform, who reclaimed the official ICC data dis𝕴tribution rights.
FAQs
Sports betting data rights are legal permissions granted to companies to collect⛦, distribute, and sell live sports data used🐬 in betting. These rights are typically secured through agreements with sports leagues or other governing bodies, allowing the data providers to gather real-time statistics, player performance metrics, and all other relevant information that bookmakers can use to set odds and create betting markets. These rights are crucial for ensuring the accuracy and timeliness of data, which directly impact the availability of odds and impacts your experience betting online.
They get their daꦗta through partnerships with sports data providers, who both collect and deliver real-time information from various sports events. These data providers use advanced technology, including optical tracking systems, video analysis, and live scouts at events, to gather detailed statistics and updates. The data is then processed and sold to sportsbooks, which use it to set odds, update live markets and offer users a wide range of betting options.
It depends on the sports and markets you are interested in. Leading providers like Sportradar, Stats Perform, and Genius Sports are reno🤪wned for their accuracy, speed, and comprehensive coverage across multiple sports. For example, Stats Perform holds the rights to most major international cricket events until 2027, ensuring top-tier data for cricket betting markets. Similarly, IMG Arena is the official data partner for 19 European football leagues, making it a key source for football betting. From a punter’s perspective, you should be able to trust any quality betting site to have a strong source of betting data.
Only if done with proper authorisation. Data providers typically secure exclusive rights from sports leagues or governing bodies to gather information from events. Unauthorized data collection, such as🃏 using scouts or technology to gather data without permission, can lead ꦇto legal disputes, as seen in cases involving companies like IMG and Stats Perform. Illegal data collection can even result in millions of pounds worth of compensation.