Data analytics is becoming increasingly important in the sports space, influencing business decisions every day. Switzerland-based Sportradar has been a heavy hitter in the space lately, and Founder & CEO Carsten Koerl took time at the ’16 NeuLion Sports Media & Technology Conference to discuss the company’s development, its recent deals with some of the bigger U.S. leagues and where it is looking to go next. Koerl said the company already had a “good position” in Europe and Asia, but the “real challenge was the U.S. marketplace.” Sportradar acquired Minnesota-based SportsData back in ’13, and since then has gotten the NFL to take a stake in the company, while also striking deals with the NBA and NHL, among other leagues and NGBs. Sportradar also made a run at purchasing Stats LLC, which ultimately went to Vista Equity. Koerl now calls Stats a “market companion,” noting it is a “huge market and there is a place for everybody.”
HEAVY HITTERS: Koerl noted Sportradar last year brought on Michael Jordan, Ted Leonsis and Mark Cuban as investors ($44.2M between the three parties). Koerl said of having Jordan as an investor, “He’s a well-known guy. Some of you might know him. Walking with him on 5th Avenue takes you two hours to cross the street because he is still a legend and everyone wants to speak with him.” Koerl: “Would I have closed the NBA deal without those guys? I doubt it. As a European company, you need that network.”
HOOP IT UP: As part of the NBA deal, Sportradar will provide real-time stats and integrity stats, but the company also partnered with Second Spectrum to provide motion-tracking data, replacing the NBA deal with Stats’ SportVu system. Koerl said of collaborating with Second Spectrum, “We think in the same way about technology.”
QUICK HIT
* Koerl, on faster consumption today, “I learned two weeks ago that millennials take eight seconds to decide if they like something, while a goldfish takes nine seconds. So if you focus on millennials, you better be fast.”
