Sportradar refutes claims made by Altenar in lawsuits in the UK and US accusing company of denying access to sports data
Sportsbook technology provider Altenar has filed lawsuits in the United States and United Kingdom accusing Sportradar of competition law breaches and abuse of market dominance.
Legal action filed this week in the US District Court of New Jersey claims that Sportradar abused its dominance in live data and betting odds markets by refusing to provide Altenar with access to MLB, NBA, NHL and ATP data, which Sportradar holds the exclusive rights to.
Altenar argues that this is in breach of Section 2 of the Sherman Act, which was enacted in 1890 as the first and most foundational federal law in the US to prevent monopolies and promote economic competition.
Altenar also believes that its services are further handicapped by Sportradar’s own turnkey sportsbook platform, ORAKO, as well as its NSoft product, which compete with Altenar’s offering in the market.
In the lawsuit, Altenar argues that live scouting data is essential for generating live betting odds, both of which are crucial to the company running a successful sportsbook platform.
Altenar is therefore seeking an order to put an end to Sportradar’s refusal to supply the data, as well as seeking millions of dollars in damages.
Altenar has instructed litigation law firm Cahill Gordon & Reindel to represent the company in the US proceedings, while another lawsuit has been filed in the London High Court for breaches of the Competition Act.
A spokesperson for Altenar said: “Sportradar is trying to maintain its market dominance by unfairly eliminating its competitors. It is relying on its monopoly on sports data to squash businesses with a competing offer, despite previously decrying other companies for doing exactly the same.
“We remain open to discussions with Sportradar, but its unilateral and aggressive actions have left us with no choice but to take legal action.”
In a statement to Gaming Intelligence, a spokesperson for Sportradar said: “While we prefer not to comment on pending litigation, we strongly disagree with the claims made by Altenar, which we believe are without merit and contain numerous inaccuracies. Sportradar will address these through the legal process.
“We encourage stakeholders to rely on our public disclosures and SEC filings for a complete and accurate view of our business.”
Shares in Sportradar Group AG (NASDAQ:SRAD) closed 0.66 per cent lower at $16.63 per share in New York Wednesday.