In a huge sign that the National Football League is accepting the rise of sports betting in the country, the league announced an exclusive and expanded deal with Sportradar for the distribution of league data in areas where sports betting is legal.
The deal gives Sportradar the right to distribute NFL data in U.S. states and also internationally.
The NFL is the third major U.S. sports league to sign a data deal with Sportradar and the last of the four major leagues to enter into a data distribution deal aimed at sports betting.
“We are thrilled to become NFL’s exclusive data distribution partner, undoubtedly one of the most important partnerships in Sportradar’s history. We are confident we will maximize our strong partnership with the NFL and deliver ground-breaking products across the gaming, fantasy and the media worlds,” said Carsten Koerl, chief executive office of Sportradar in a press release. “As the unequivocal global leader in sports data, we are ideally positioned to support the NFL in providing innovative products to enhance the way fans experience the game and help maintain the continued integrity of the NFL competition.”
The deal means the NFL will also use Sportradar for integrity monitoring, and according to the league press release, the deal will “improve the speed and accuracy of NFL data and enhance protections for consumers.”
Details of the deal were not released, however, Sportradar will continue to package NFL in-game and play-by-play data for media as it has been for the last four years. That same data will now be packaged and sold directly to sportsbooks.
Sportsbooks will also have access to the NFL’s “Next Gen Stats” for tracking player data, and Sportradar will be able to distribute live streams of games to international sportsbook operators.
Financial terms for the deal were also not released, but the NBA signed a similar deal for six years with Sportradar for $250 million in 2016.
Sportradar and the NFL have been partnered since 2015 and the league is an investor and equity holder in the company, according to Forbes Magazine. As part of the original partnership, the two companies worked on the creation of Sportradar’s research platform, Radar360, which is used by the NFL league office and its teams, as well as by media outlets covering the sport, the report said.
“Sportradar has been an excellent partner for the last four years and has provided the league, our teams, and media marketplace with innovative data products,” said Hans Schroeder, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of NFL Media in a press release. “We look forward to working with Sportradar to deliver fast, accurate official league data that will innovate and improve experiences for our fans across platforms. It’s a new world and it’s a new day as far as the legalized sports-gambling landscape, and our view is, let’s be right. When we actually go to market, we don’t want to worry about being first, we want to be right.”
The NFL opens its 100th season on September 5. Four NFL teams now play in jurisdictions with legal sports betting and four more are in states that have legalized sports betting, but have not yet began betting.
In a related story, NFL broadcast partner CBS has also signaled that it may soften its stance on including gambling related information is its telecasts of games.
The network announced it will expand the use of augmented reality and use more high-speed cameras for its NFL coverage this fall.
CBS Sports chairman Sean McManus also said in an interview that the league is considering changing its policy of not discussing sports gambling topics in its broadcasts.
“We’re still talking about it,” McManus said. “We have not formulated our plan yet, but it’s under discussion and we’ll have a plan, obviously, by opening day.”
The NFL also announced a new casino partnership with Gateway Casinos & Entertainment in Canada which will also be a presenting sponsor of the NFL fantasy App in the country.
Under the deal, Gateway will have the right to use NFL trademarks in Canada to promote their properties and activate around key NFL events including the NFL Draft, Pro Bowl, and Super Bowl.
“We are thrilled to partner with the NFL in Canada as their first Canadian Land-Based Casino Partner. We know there are millions of football fans across Canada and to be able to offer exclusive, unique experiences to them at our properties is very exciting,” said Carrie Kormos , chief marketing and communications officer at Gateway Casinos in a press release. “This comes at such an exciting time as the NFL is celebrating 100 years of football this season and we look forward to celebrating with them as a new partner in Canada.”
According to the release, the multi-year sponsorship is focused on Gateway offering unique NFL experiences for their customers throughout their casino and food and beverage properties.
