Major League Baseball (MLB) has acquired an equity stake in Sportradar Group as part of a long-term extension and expansion of their partnership.
Sportradar has been an official partner of MLB since 2019. The enhanced deal, which is set to begin with the 2025 season, is aimed at unlocking the full potential of MLB’s data and audiovisual content.
Under the new terms, Sportradar will exclusively distribute MLB’s ultra-low latency official data, media content including MLB Statcast Data and AV content across its global client network, which spans 800 sportsbook clients and 900 media companies. Sportradar will continue to provide integrity services including its Universal Fraud Detection System to monitor global MLB betting activity.
The two parties will also collaborate on AI-driven products powered by player tracking data to create “immersive, hyper-personalized fan experiences.”
MLB says continued sports betting legalization offers further opportunities
MLB noted that the continued expansion of legal sports betting in the U.S., along with growing popularity of baseball in markets like Latin America and Asia, creates further content and data opportunities for the league. North Carolina launched legal sports wagering last year and Missouri will open its own market later in 2025.
“Sportradar has been a great partner to MLB, particularly helping us navigate the legalization and continued evolution of the global sports betting landscape,” said MLB Executive Vice President, Media & Business Development, Kenny Gersh.
“Over the course of our partnership, Sportradar has consistently developed great products utilizing MLB’s best-in-class data. MLB is delighted to continue innovating with Sportradar to create engaging products and services for MLB fans globally.”
“We are thrilled to continue our long-standing partnership with MLB, and this agreement represents a new, exciting chapter in our journey together,” added Sportradar CEO Carsten Koerl. “Our collaboration is not only about leveraging cutting edge technology and content but also working together to create innovative products that enhance fan engagement and bring fans closer to the game.
“By combining our strengths, we can unlock new opportunities and reach more sports fans around the globe to shape the future of sports entertainment. This deal, which is immediately accretive to our business, will drive value for our shareholders as we continue to expand margins and generate strong cash flow.”
Sportradar works with other leagues
MLB isn’t the only major league that Sportradar works with on data and betting.
It has an extensive partnership with the NBA and recently announced it is introducing a suite of AI-assisted fan engagement solutions that it says represents “the next phase in the evolution of basketball consumption.”
Sportradar and the NBA previously launched the emBET live betting integration within NBA League Pass which allows bettors to track real-time odds and place wagers in-stream during games.
