Sportradar, the exclusive worldwide distributor of NBA data, is bringing sports betting directly into NBA League Pass thanks to an enhanced emBET in-play integration.
The enhanced betting functionality within NBA League Pass allows fans to track odds and market changes in near-real time and select bets directly within the league’s livestreaming platform. Thanks to emBET, Sportradar’s over-the-top (OTT) technology, point spreads, over-unders and moneylines will be visible and playable during the league’s typically fast-paced games.
The ability to view and place bets will be on an opt-in basis, similarly to how game stats and other features are presented during livestreams. When viewers are ready to place a bet, those with an existing account with one of the NBA’s official betting partners, FanDuel or DraftKings, can click an embedded link to be taken to the chosen sportsbook’s site to wager at the displayed odds via a pre-filled bet slip.
For now, the optional integration will only be available on mobile, although plans are afoot to add it to desktop and smart TV viewing in the future. While the option to see live odds during broadcasts will be available nationwide, only viewers in states where mobile sports gambling is legal will be able to actually place a bet.
NBA hones in on customizable in-play betting
The idea behind the integration, says the NBA’s EVP of Media and Gaming Scott Kaufman-Ross, is to provide basketball fans with a customizable and convenient way to keep up with in-play odds and markets.
He told Sports Betting Journal’s Bill King that “fans can see the odds updating in real time and still keep their eyes on the game, and if something happens that makes them want to place a bet, they have an easy avenue to do that.”
The NBA already has fingers in the live betting pie, having acquired an equity stake in microbetting and analytics tech platform nVenue last last year.
Kaufman-Ross added to The Athletic’s Mike Vorkunov that he sees this integration, which he calls the first of its kind for a major U.S. sport league, as “a really good first step” towards a future in which the NBA offers in-game betting within its own league-run platforms without leaving the app.
Patrick Mostboeck, Sportradar Group’s Senior Vice President of Audiovisual, added that the emBET integration is the latest milestone in Sportradar’s quest for immersive in-play betting. The intention is for the functionality to be adapted for other sports in the future.
“emBET is an exciting innovation for NBA fans, making in-play betting more engaging and immersive,” said Mostboeck in a joint statement from Sportradar and the NBA. “Through our exclusive partnership with the NBA, we’re committed to develop next-generation, value-added products and services, like emBET, to drive fan and bettor engagement.”
Latest step for NBA-Sportradar partnership
The emBET in-play betting integration is the latest step in the partnership between the NBA and Sportradar.
Sportradar Group has been an official partner of the NBA since 2016 and is the exclusive worldwide provider of NBA, WNBA, and NBA G League data via a deal that runs until 2031. The NBA owns a three percent stake in the technology provider. Through the affiliation, Sportradar has exclusive access to and distribution rights of player tracking data captured by Hawk-Eye around all 29 NBA arenas.
