NBA acquires stake in Sportradar as part of new expanded partnership

New York-listed Sportradar has entered into an expansive multi-year partnership with the National Basketball Association (NBA), which begins from the start of the 2023/24 season and will see the NBA acquire a stake in the sports data provider.

The new deal will see the NBA, Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) and NBA G League, use Sportradar’s global and wide-ranging capabilities to grow US operations, increase their international footprint and drive fan engagement.

In addition, the agreement includes expanded distribution rights regarding the use of player tracking data, with Sportradar continuing as the exclusive provider of NBA data worldwide, as well as the global distributor of official NBA and WNBA betting data and the distributor of live game video.

“We are delighted that the NBA has chosen Sportradar as the Official Partner who can support the global popularity and explosive growth of the game,” said Sportradar CEO Carsten Koerl. “We believe that this agreement will contribute to Sportradar’s profitable business and continued growth. 

"The remaining time left on the existing deal, and this new multi-year agreement, gives us significant runway to partner with the NBA and develop exciting solutions across our teams, betting and sports entertainment verticals.”

NBA senior vice president, head of gaming & new business ventures Scott Kaufman-Ross added: “Sportradar has been a terrific partner as the league has navigated its exploration into the global sports betting landscape.  

“As the market matures, we are thrilled to extend our partnership with Sportradar to utilize data and insights to create new fan experiences and innovate around the NBA globally.”

The new deal extends a relationship that began in 2016, when Sportradar and the NBA announced a multi-year partnership, which made Sportradar an official provider of real-time NBA league statistics.

Shares in Sportradar Group AG (NASDAQ:SRAD) closed 3.07 per cent lower at $21.16 per share in New York Thursday.