Sportradar is expanding into the U.S., where sports betting -- if legalized -- "could be a multi-billion-dollar industry," according to Scott Soshnick of BLOOMBERG. Sportradar and data analytics firm Second Spectrum are "said to be close" to a six-year, $250M contract with the NBA, "according to people familiar with the negotiations." The contract "covers an array of rights that includes selling official league data to betting houses, data analytics to teams and the development of a streaming product, said the people, who asked for anonymity because the agreement hasn’t been signed." Spokespeople for Sportradar and for the NBA "declined to comment." Ted Leonsis, whose private equity firm Revolution Growth led the three NBA team owners' $44M investment in Sportradar, "also declined to comment." This "will make Sportradar the official data partner for three of the four major U.S. sports leagues, including the National Hockey League and National Football League, which is also an investor." Stats Inc. "has Major League Baseball’s data contract." Meanwhile, NBA data "is valuable outside of the U.S., particularly in China, where some 300 million people play basketball." Sportradar’s partner in the contract is Second Spectrum, whose board members include former ESPN and NFL Network CEO Steve Bornstein and Golden State Warriors part Owner Mark Stevens, a managing partner at S-Cubed Capital (BLOOMBERG, 8/12).
