It was a rough exit for the US Women’s National Soccer Team (USWNT) in the Women’s World Cup, but there is some positive news for fans of the team who want to wager on them throughout the year.
Sportradar and US Soccer announced a multi-year partnership today for the former to distribute content and data on behalf of the US Men’s National Team (USMNT) and the USWNT.
“The profile of soccer globally across both the men’s and women’s game is the highest it’s ever been. At this important moment for the sport, this partnership reflects the shared commitment we have with US Soccer to bring the sport to a larger audience both domestically and on an international level,” said Eric Conrad, Executive Vice President, Strategic Partnerships & Content, Sportradar. “We know that when fans place bets on a game, their interest in the sport intensifies. I am confident that our scale, technology, and leadership in the market will position us to effectively monetize these rights with a strong focus on future value creation.”
In addition to the more than 100 matches the two national teams play each year, the deal also covers several other events like the SheBelieves Cup and the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, which will feature a Lionel Messi-led Inter Miami CF team facing off against FC Cincinnati on Wednesday.
“The partnership with Sportradar is massive for US Soccer,” said Ross Moses, Vice President, Business Ventures of U.S. Soccer. “The incredible youth and diversity that strengthen the USMNT and USWNT are just as evident in our fan bases, and this is an obvious area – not only gaming but technology broadly – to accelerate the growth of our sport and connect new partners to important growth demographics. It’s well recognized that the next four years are an unprecedented opportunity for American soccer, and partnering with an industry leader like Sportradar sets an amazing foundation for U.S. Soccer to protect the integrity of the sport while engaging a competitive and fast-evolving marketplace.”
As the release noted, several international soccer events are slated to take place in the US, and many people are banking on the spotlight to grow interest in the sport across North America. The 2024 Copa America, the 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup, the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup, and the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
Speaking with SBC Americas earlier this year, Sportradar’ CO’s North American President and COO Andrew Bimson spoke about how leagues are starting to embrace and think differently about what data can do to augment their sport.
“I think you’ll find that in play becomes more interesting for the US bettor as they mature. That is going to be driven by more data, player-related data, deeper data, the way we capture that information, especially from an automated standpoint, it becomes really interesting. More markets start to open around collection of that data and I think you’ll get more of an educated bettor that will tune into a game and feel that they’ve got an opportunity now to place a bet while they’re paying attention to that game,” he said at the time.
