October turns out to be a very busy month for sports betting data supplier Genius Sports (GS), which announced today its partnership deal with the National Basketball League (NBA) has been extended.
Genius Sports and SportRadar Will Continue as Official Data Providers
The news that GS and SportRadar, the Swiss-based sports data rival, will continue to supply authorized sports books in the US with official data from the professional league came just two days after the UK-based data analytics company announced it would go public through a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) merger.
“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.”
Mark Locke, CEO, Genius Sports Group
Under the new multi-year extension, Genius Sports and SportRadar will keep their non-exclusive rights to distribute official data from the NBA and the WNBA for sports betting purposes in the country, to the more than 20 sports betting operators which have become official betting partners for the NBA so far.
“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.”
Mark Locke, CEO, Genius Sports Group
Official Sports Data Crucial for Betting and Fans Engagement
Both sports data operators will work closely with the professional basketball league to ensure access for bettors to official real-time data, as for the regular season, so for the playoff games from the NBA and the WNBA. In addition, GS and SportRadar can distribute sports betting products which utilize official sports data feed from the league, to betting operators and platforms.
“We are pleased to extend our partnership with the NBA for official NBA betting data in the U.S. market. 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.”
Steve Byrd, Head of Global Strategic Partnerships, Sportradar
Scott Kaufman-Ross, Senior Vice President and Head of Fantasy and Gaming for the NBA, outlined that for the past two seasons Genius Sports and SportRadar had been the official source of official data from the league, an ingredient crucial for any sports betting operations, sports bettors and fans who ultimately engage with the NBA through betting.
“The U.S. 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 U.S.”
Scott Kaufman-Ross, Senior Vice President, Head of Fantasy & Gaming, NBA
Genius Sports, which is going to trade on the NYSE after its $1.5 billion merger is completed, is following into the footsteps of its rival SportRadar, as there was speculation in July the data supplier which has 3 owners from the NBA among its major investors, Mark Cuban, Ted Leonsis and Michael Jordan, was looking to merge with a blank-check company.