The EPL will move exclusive rights to distribute live data for use by sportsbooks to London-based Genius Sports Group, another twist in the rapidly evolving sports betting business. Genius replaces Perform Group, which held the EPL’s sports betting data rights since the league first offered them for sale in '13. The multiyear deal, through EPL-owned rightsholder Football Data, also includes data distribution rights to the lower-tier English Football League and Scottish Professional Football League.
Financial terms of the deal were not revealed, though it is likely the most lucrative of its kind in sports, owing to its exclusive nature and the EPL being the most bet-on sports property in the world. The league's biggest matches generate as much as $200M in gross gambling revenue (GGR) for legal, regulated sportsbooks. It is especially popular among in-play bettors, who place wagers as the game unfolds. Sports properties and data companies argue that official data is essential to sportsbooks that offer in-play, which now accounts for about 70% of GGR in the UK.
“The Premier League already has used the power of television to reach a new audience in the U.S. through NBC, and sports betting will only add to that,” said Genius Sports Managing Dir of U.S. Operations Christopher Dougan. “This is another arm where they will be able to drive fan engagement toward the sport and internationalize it even more. It’s a huge opportunity.” Genius last week announced an exclusive deal to develop and distribute NASCAR data for use by sportsbooks.
