The NBA announced Thursday that it was partnering with Sportradar to have the league’s data and game feeds distributed to gaming operators outside the U.S. where betting is legal beginning this season.
The league also announced that Second Spectrum would implement a new leaguewide player-tracking system and begin installing it in all NBA arenas this season so it will be fully functional by 2017-18.
Get The Latest Sports Tech News In Your Inbox!
The data deal is for six years and worth more than $250 million, according to Bloomberg’s Scott Soshnick.
“This partnership is the most comprehensive we’ve ever entered into,” Sportradar managing editor Ulrich Harmuth told SportBusiness International. “It covers all areas of our business – from streaming to betting operators and data distribution, to our integrity services and the distribution of tracking data.
“The deal obviously puts us into a stronger position in the US market, but the NBA is such a huge global brand that it will help grow our business in regions such as China, where basketball is a key sport.”
NBA commissioner Adam Silver has been outspoken in his support for legalized sports betting, and the deal provides data and streaming audio-visual feeds for regulated betting. Sportradar’s Integrity Services will monitor global betting activities and trends, according to the league.
Sportradar also in 2017-18 becomes the NBA’s official provider of real-time statistics, making the information from the NBA, WNBA and NBA Development League available to fans.
The NBA had used SportVU cameras since 2009 and ultimately installed them in every arena. Now Second Spectrum becomes the league’s official optical tracking provider. It will provide advanced statistics, including speed, distance, drives, paint touches and defensive impact while also working with teams on custom solutions.
“As the interest in – and analysis of – data continues to grow around the world, we look forward to furthering the depth and reach of NBA data and analytics through our partnership with Sportradar and Second Spectrum,” Bill Koenig, NBA President of Global Content & Media Distribution, said in a statement.