Panda Interactive files amended complaints in Genius Sports and Sportradar lawsuits
New claims accuse both suppliers of anti-competitive conduct as Panda pursues damages and seeks court order
Panda Interactive has filed amended complaints in its ongoing lawsuits against both Genius Sports and Sportradar, adding parallel anti-trust claims to the existing patent infringement filing.
The newest claims argue that both suppliers have unlawfully tied access to the official sports data they monitor with their own betting technology.
By doing so, it is alleged that Sportradar and Genius Sports are engaging in anti-competitive conduct by forcing sportsbooks to use their technology as a non-negotiable condition of accessing data from major sports leagues.
This has meant customers have no choice but to choose Sportradar or Genius products, thereby diminishing competition in the market, Panda has claimed.
The court documents read: “The tie involves two separate products and a significant amount of interstate commerce in the tied product market, and defendants have sufficient market power in the market for the tying product to enable them to restrain trade in the market for the tied product.
“Moreover, defendants’ tying conduct has foreclosed competition in the tied market, denying customers freedom of choice, foreclosing key inputs and business opportunities to rivals, imposing supracompetitive prices, and ultimately harming competition.”
The claims also reference comments made by Genius CEO Mark Locke during a recent earnings call, where he said that Sportradar and Genius are “operating in an increasingly duopolistic competitive environment.”
The documents add: “This division of power is not the result of competitive practices but rather the coordinated action between Sportradar and Genius Sports to engage in a scheme whereby they divide the market for sports betting app technology and collectively lock down exclusive rights to the official league and betting data for all major sports in the US.”
Between them, Genius Sports and Sportradar have exclusive long-term data monitoring agreements with the Premier League NBA, NFL, NHL, MLB, NCAA, and other major leagues.
Genius Sports also extended its exclusive data rights deal with Football DataCo through to 2029.
Panda Interactive is seeking a court order to stop Genius and Sportradar from engaging in any further anti-competitive practices.
The company is also pursuing damages for the “ongoing and accelerating harm caused by their unlawful conduct.”
Panda Interactive CEO Kevin April said: “The facts speak for themselves. This action is a necessary response. Many in the industry have raised concerns about how Genius Sports and Sportradar operate, and their strong-arm tactics have coerced the market at the expense of all layers of sport.
“Their unchecked dominance has persisted for far too long. The future of sports betting should be driven by innovation and competition, not control and coercion.”
The new complaints build upon Panda’s existing patent infringement claim against the two companies, which was first filed in October 2023.
The initial claim alleged both Genius Sports and Sportradar were using Panda’s patented video streaming technology for their own products.
Filed in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Panda alleged the patent infringement led to “significantly increased profits, revenue, market capital, and market share” for Genius Sports.
When approached by EGR, a Sportradar spokesperson said: “Like most commercial enterprises, we do not comment on pending litigation matters – even unfounded litigation.
“That said, we can assure you that we operate our business in compliance with existing laws and regulations. We are confident in our defence of this matter and intend to defend these allegations vigorously.”
Likewise, a Genius Sports spokesperson said: “Genius Sports does not comment on ongoing legal matters.”