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 book𝓀makers 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 liv🍸e sports data used in betting. Typically, these are granted by♉ governing bodies to a sports betting data provider, allowing 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 information to set odds and provide betting markets.
Football Betting Data
The rights to exclusive football betting data varie🐷s from league to league and competition 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. 𒈔This also𓆉 includes the right to stream La Liga matches live to 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 wiღll 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’sꦜ 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. Interestingl🅷y, 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 acces♕s to a vast range of interesting markets supported by cutting-edge technology from a leading supplier of sports betting data. However, they will need to wat♒ch 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 from British racecourses to licensed betting sites in the UK and Irelan♔d.
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 suppliers of bett💜ing content in the w🎃orld.
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 sh🐷ort-form videꦜo 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 is cu🐷rrently 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 Wor♏ld Test Championship. It is ꧑set to continue until at least 2027.
This agreement marks a renewal of the partnership that existed between 2019 and 2021. Sportradar, which handled the sports betting data r⭕ights for ICC events between 2021 and 2023, did not seek to renew 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 bookmakers.
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 🌺in a fantastic negotiating position, making it extremely profitable for those who hold the rights.
Owning high-quality sports betting data rights also creates additional avenues 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-t🥀erm contracts with betting companies and sports organisations.
Moreover, these deals often include livestreaming rights, which provide another stream of revenue. Compan🔯ies that♓ manage both data and streaming can, therefore, maximise their earnings.
This competition between providers, who frequently engage in legal disputes, ultimately benefits customers. It drives continuous innovation anജd 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 unlawf🦩ully sent out scouts to football games across Europe where IMG Arena held exclusive sports betting data rights.
This lawsuit, presented to the High Court, sought at least $1.6 million in damages and an injunction to prevent further unauthorised data collection. IMG Arena claimed that Stats Perform’s actions violated their exclusive deal with the European Leagues, w🦄hich covers competitio♚ns in over 19 countries.
Unsurprisingly, consider𓆏ing the slow pace of the justice system, there has been little to report since. However, the 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, Sportradar received a sublicence granting access to a delayed secondary feed of English football data until 2024. In return, Sportradar ceased its unauthorꦅised in-stadium data collection activities.
The case, which began in Feb𝄹ruary 2020, challenged the data licensing framework established in May 2019, when Genius Sports secured exclusive ri𒁏ghts 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 all😼owed FDC and Genius Sports to maintain their 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 leading 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 r💯ace 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 determined. The case highlights 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 sp🌟orts data provider must cover a vast and dynamic range of sports and events. Navigating convoluted and restrictive third-party agreements can complicate this effort, as these contractsඣ 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. 𓄧Such 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 broade🥃ning their offerings and potential profitability without compensating the rights holders.
The TRP & Arena vs SIS and the IMG vs Stats Perform cases highlight h♉ow some entities are willing to participate in such behaཧviours, 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 done through unauthorised scouts who gather data without permission. 🔴
Many of today’s leading sports betting data suppliers, like Sportradar and Stats Perform, have faced legal disputes related to these issues. While avoiding third-party agreements isn’t a necessary step in becoming a leading supplier ꦰof sports betting data, it does reflect the intense competition of this industry.
In-Play Betting Revolution
The emergence of in-play betting is one of the most🍨 significant 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 wa𓆏ys to place bets.
The gambling market in the UK is worth an estimated £15.1 billion pounds (in the year to Ma🔜rch 2023), and live sports betting 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 features, dramatically expanding the range of available market♑s.
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 covera🏅ge. In contrast, less popular events or those with exi𝓰sting TV and/or streaming arrangement may offer fewer markets and less statistical data.
This disparity is gradually dimin🃏ishing as technology advances. Betting events are increasingly benefitting from enhanced liv♛e betting experience, thanks to innovations by data rights holders. For example, IMG Arena’s live stats overlays and Sportradar’s 4Sight Streaming are pushing 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 livestreams, 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 vis🎀ualisation 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 betting oppor🔥tunities.
Data Wars Resources
-
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 h꧙ad unlawfully breached ARC’s exclusive rights to exploit raceday data for fixed-odds betting.
-
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 launch in the 2024/25 Premier Le💞ague season, it’s an important example of the usefulness of the technology employed by sports betting data providers.
-
3.
: Official registration details of The Racing Partnership Limited, providing pꦉroof of their legitimate involvement in video production and distribution activities.
-
4.
: Information from the official UEFA website detailing the future of their partnership with Sportradar. Here, they not only announced a multi-year extension of the current exclusive bett𒆙ing rights agreement, but also agreed to allow Sportradar access to certain advanced tracking data.
-
5.
: Details on the products and𓂃 partnerships of global sports betting data provider Sportradar.
-
6.
: Homepage of IMG, football’s largest data provider. Includes a huge number of statistics and news articles detailing❀ their reach and most recent technological developments.
-
7.
– what does this mean for sports data rights holders and t𒁃he i🌜ndustries they supply?: Article from international law firm Bird & Bird detailing the case and ultimate settlement between Genius, Football Data Co (FDC) and Sportradar.
-
8.
🍸: An “About Us” page from Racecourse Media Group detailing the racecourses and organisations they are partnered with, alongside general information about the company.
-
9.
:🌜 Official statistics: Gambling industry statistics which provide details on the size and profitability of the UK gambling industry between the period oꦉf April 2022 to March 2023.
-
10.
: News article from Insider Sports that details the partnership between the International Cricket Council (ICC) ✱and Stats Perform, who reclaimed the official ICC data distribution rights.
FAQs
Sports betting data rights are legal permissions granted to companies to collect, distribute𝐆, 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 data 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 renowned 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 be🔴tting 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 to lega▨l 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.