The National Hockey League (NHL) is entering a long-term deal with Sportsradar that will have the company providing data streams for both sports betting and official statistics. It’s yet another sign of the normalizing relations between professional sports leagues and the world of regulated sports betting.
Under the terms of the deal, Sportsradar will be operating under the moniker of the Official Betting Data Rights, Official Betting Streaming Rights and Official Media Data Rights Partner of the NHL. When translated from corporate-speak, that means that Sportsradar will be the company responsible for providing sportsbooks with an official data stream that can be used for wagers of all kinds, but particularly for live betting. The company will also be providing the statistics that are used by the league for a variety of other purposes.
In a press release reported on by Businesswire, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman commented on the deal saying, “The capabilities, versatility and global scale of Sportradar’s platforms and products will assist us in providing fans, media and sports betting companies around the world with a greater depth of data and more immersive experience with the game. We’re thrilled to continue and deepen our important partnership with Sportradar and look forward to delivering a best-in-class fan experience through our collaborations over the next decade.”
Sportsradar is a no-brainer choice for a partnership, given its strong ties to other professional sports organizations. The company is currently partnered with the Baltimore Ravens, among other pro sports teams. The company has also been working with the NHL for past seven years in a similar capacity.