Sports and betting-related services company Sportradar has reached a deal to acquire US-based live sports data provider SportsData.
The value of the deal, announced this (Monday) morning, was not disclosed, but the takeover marks Sportradar’s entrance into the sports data market.
SportsData’s extensive operations cover 20,000 live events across American football, baseball, basketball, ice hockey, college sports, golf and Nascar.
SportsData is a partner of internet companies such as Google, Facebook, Twitter and Bleacher Report, as well as fantasy sports providers.
In a statement, Sportradar said that both companies would offer their clients a combined product portfolio ranging from “real-time scores and play-by-play data feeds, to multi-platform hosted solutions, live odds, and virtual games”. Through such partnerships, Sportradar will offer its fraud detection and prevention system.
“This acquisition marks another important milestone in our endeavour to become the world’s leading global service provider for sports content and information,” Sportradar chief executive Carsten Koerl said.
“With its state-of-the-art infrastructure and its focus on technology, SportsData perfectly matches our strategy of continuously investing in technology and development to provide our customers with an unrivalled product and service quality.”
SportsData chief executive Rob Phythian added: “Sportradar’s strong position in the European sports market, their experience in growing businesses as well as their financial backing, provide SportsData the perfect support to continue to rapidly grow our company.
“Our shared focus on technology and scalable solutions as well as our complementary product offering, customer portfolio and geographic presence make this a perfect partnership.”
Sportradar has been in the headlines over recent days after striking a number of tie-ups with sports organisations, primarily with the aim of supporting their efforts to fight corruption and match-fixing. Sportradar has become an “integrity partner” of the Asian Football Confederation, Cricket Australia and the Rugby Football Union, rugby union’s governing body in England.
Sportradar has also recently become the official sports data partner of the English Football Conference’s top-tier Skrill Premier – the fifth tier in the country – as well as the lower-tier North and South divisions.
In September, Sportradar agreed a deal with the MP & Silva agency for the exclusive retail broadcast rights to French top-tier Ligue 1 football, along with other sports properties held by the agency.
