Sportradar launches “future of tennis betting” on the back of ATP deal

Sportradar has penned a new multi-year deal with Tennis Data Innovations, a joint venture between the ATP and ATP Media.

The new agreement will see the supplier secure global data and streaming rights for betting and media data rights for all ATP and ATP Challenger Tour events.

Alongside this deal, Sportradar will launch its ATP Service+ this month, a new solution that will offer tennis bettors and fans dynamic and new ways to engage with the sport by using previously unavailable “deep data”.

ATP Service+ features augmented streaming, which takes standard streams of tennis matches and adds 3D animations, as well as expands in-play betting markets. There is also short-form video highlights for registered users and personalised and targeted betting products. 

Sportradar will also work alongside Tennis Data Innovations to create new products to be used by the media, which will provide deeper statistical analysis and insights to inform fans. 

The partnership will also see the creation of a joint Tennis Innovations Lab, which will address emerging opportunities in the sport. 

David Lampitt, Tennis Data Innovations CEO, said: “This is a landmark opportunity to realise our growth ambitions and deliver on our commitment to take the fan experience to the next level. In partnership with Sportradar, we will develop and integrate advanced technologies to provide fans with a more immersive and entertaining experience. 

“The partnership will be a catalyst for innovation to create unique growth opportunities across new global markets. Our aim is not only to deliver great enhancements for our existing fans but also attract a generation of new fans to the game.”

Carsten Koerl, Sportradar CEO, commented: “As the leading sports technology company, we are ideally positioned to deliver against ATP’s ambitious growth plans. 

“This truly collaborative partnership will result, through the application of technologies, such as computer vision and AI, in the creation of engaging products and services as part of our ATP Service+ offering. This will allow us to effectively monetise the relationship, while delivering new ways for bettors and fans to experience the sport of tennis.”

Following the confirmation of the deal, EGR spoke to Sportradar EVP of strategic partnerships Stefan Zant on what the partnership will deliver.

EGR: Could you expand more on your plans to develop commercial growth for tennis? 

Stefan Zant (SZ): This deal underpins Sportradar’s transition from a pure data and content supplier to a provider of value-add products to the betting and media industries.

It is through these innovative products, fueled by deep data and collectively known as ATP Service+, that we intend to drive value for rights holders by harnessing the live betting markets and bringing to life an immersive fan experience.

TDI and ATP have ambitious growth plans and Sportradar is well-positioned to help them deliver on this through a combination of a ground-breaking commercial model, market-leading technology, product expertise and capabilities and our global reach.

EGR: What personalisation features will we see in the new products within the deal?

SZ: Punters will be able to access our Custom Bet product. This enables them to put together the events and markets they engage with the most to build their own interface showing all the key information. Our tech pulls all this into one place for them to revisit whenever they choose.

“This is all provided through the sportsbook, so bettors do not need to move away from the operator’s site. They will be able to choose from the micro markets available, not just match markets but wider to player markets and other adjacent markets.

EGR: What are the most exciting features that will be emerging from the expanded partnership?

SZ: Being able to harness the deepest data ever available is what is enabling us to provide low-latency live data and to create exciting products featuring immersive experiences such as real-time streaming. This combination of fast and deep data, low latency video and the new products will be a game-changer for our betting operator and media clients but also for their customers.

EGR: Could you expand on the technology behind the Augmented Reality and combatting latency issues?

SZ: It’s the ability to access deep data that underpins this – it’s so fast and provides a massive uplift as it relates to number of data points. This powers the stream which will be an alternate or second feed provided to sportsbooks that includes those tennis-betting specific augmentations. It is a separate feed to the standard betting feed and operators make this available to their customers via a switch in the video player on the sportsbook. Fans will see visualisations that are unique to tennis such as where the ball has landed on the court, the speed and trajectory of the ball in addition to betting-specific stats to help inform their actions.

EGR: How much more engagement are you expecting from operators, and subsequently bettors, due to the new products that will be part of this agreement?

SZ: The new products across the ATP Service+ suite will be appealing to tennis bettors – they offer new markets to bet on, new ways to view and engage with the sport, are visually strong, super-fast and informative. In short, they’re just a better experience for the user.

For operators, the elevated products provide great opportunities to attract and engage bettors, and because the products are at a different level, those customers will come back in to access them again. In addition to driving revenues for the ATP, this agreement is about adding value for operators rather than just providing data feeds – we’re creating the products and tools for operators to offer; everything they need is all there in one place. The introduction of new markets, new and easier ways to bet and present information to fans will all drive excitement and engagement.

EGR: Can we expect to see any further developments from the partnership over the next few years?

SZ: Undoubtedly there will be further developments coming along. Collaboration around innovation is central to this partnership and all parties have a real appetite to keep developing new opportunities for tennis in the betting and media markets. We know it’s a very attractive sport for betting and media, with a huge global audience of 1.6 billion, so future possibilities will be numerous as our technology continues to evolve.

The other aspect is that we will pull in learnings and experience from our other big partnerships such as the NBA. The landscape is changing in this industry and sports rights holders are beginning to understand that more is possible than just accepting a cheque to provide access to data that is then supplied downstream.