NBA inks data deals with Sportradar, Second Spectrum

The National Basketball Association has inked a deal with sports data trackers Sportradar in a further sign of the league’s willingness to embrace the legal sports betting business.

Last month, word spread that the NBA was close to sealing a $250m deal with Sportradar and rival data firm Second Spectrum that would provide official league data to (among other entities) sports betting operators.

On Thursday, the league confirmed the deals, while shying away from spelling out their dollar value. Starting with the 2016-17 season, Sportradar will serve as the Official Provider of Real-time NBA League Statistics, delivering stats on NBA, WNBA and the D-League to clients in over 80 countries.

Sportradar’s data feed will be made available to “gaming operators outside of the U.S. where gaming is legal.” The NBA will also take advantage of Sportradar’s Integrity Services, which monitors over 550 gaming operators around the globe for signs of questionable betting activity.