Exclusive: Genius Sports and Sportradar settle data collection legal battle
Both parties agree resolution which will see Sportradar refrain from using unofficial in-stadia scouts in decision
Genius Sports and Sportradar have settled an ongoing legal case relating to a battle over exclusive betting data rights through to 2024, EGR can exclusively reveal.
The battle between the data giants related to their relationship with data collection across the Premier League, English Football League and Scottish Professional Football League via the leagues’ intellectual data licensing arm Football Data Co (FDC).
Since 2019, Genius Sports has been the exclusive rights holder to this data.
However, Genius Sports had claimed Sportradar had continued to collect data for its official partners by sending data scouts into football grounds for the price of a ticket to collect live data for bookmaking purposes, despite the agreement in place with FDC.
The Competition Appeal Tribunal has stated that FDC is able to license its data as it determines, and that Genius Sports will retain the exclusive right to provide low latency official FDC betting data rights through to 2024.
The litigation resolution also stated Sportradar has agreed to refrain from in-stadia scouting of Premier League, Football League and Scottish Professional Football League matches.
Additionally, Sportradar has purchased a sublicence from Genius Sports for a delayed feed to be marketed as the Official FDC Secondary Feed, through to 2024.
Through this sublicence agreement, Sportradar will retain access to official data from FDC.
In the original claim, Genius Sports said the use of in-stadia scouting was in breach of confidence because the information is confidential as it was collected in a private arena.
Additionally, Genius Sports argued that Sportradar was conspiring with its data scouts to injure Genius Sports Group and Football DataCo by unlawful means.
In Sportradar’s own claim, it previously argued the enforcement strategy was denying a “fair and healthy” competitive environment in the arena of data collection for more than 4,000 football fixtures across the Premier League and English Football League.
EGR has contacted Sportradar and Genius Sports for comment.
More to follow…