FanDuel, Genius Sports Broaden Partnership to Include NFL Data

Posted on: November 22, 2021, 10:08h. 

Last updated on: November 22, 2021, 01:12h.

Todd Shriber @etfgodfather Read More
Expertise: Financial, Gaming Business, Mergers and Acquisitions.

FanDuel and Genius Sports (NYSE:GENI) are expanding their previously established relationship to include NFL data.

FanDuel Genius Sports
FanDuel, Genius Sports expand agreement. It now includes NFL data. (Image: Getty Images)

Under the terms of the new agreement, Genius will provide official sportsbook, media content, and NFL advertising inventory to FanDuel. FanDuel, a unit of Flutter Entertainment (OTC:PDYPY), is the largest online sportsbook operator in the US, controlling 45 percent of the market as of the end of the second quarter.

Genius Sports represents the NFL’s legalized sports betting advertising inventory across the league’s owned and operated digital platforms,” according to a statement issued by the companies. “These assets alongside the NFL’s official data feeds, will create value for FanDuel across the full player lifecycle from player acquisition to pre-match and in-game betting, through to long-term customer retention.”

FanDuel also gains access to Genius Sports’ in-play content and trading services for thousands of live sporting events. Financial terms of the new accord weren’t disclosed.

Genius NFL Ties

In April, Genius won a deal with the NFL rumored to be worth up to $1 billion — a feather in the newly public company’s cap, because the NFL is the most popular league in the US and football is the most wagered-on sport in this market.

The aim of the Genius/NFL collaboration is to develop a feed that’s so comprehensive that media companies and sportsbook operators prefer it — and pay up for it — over traditional live feeds. The partnership arrives as the sports betting industry is preparing for massive growth in in-game betting — an endeavor that’s data dependent, and one that’s forecast to be a hit among football bettors.

Given the price Genius reportedly paid for the NFL deal and the fact that the league took an equity stake in the company initially valued at almost $450 million, it’s essential the data provider find avenues for monetizing NFL data.

It appears to be doing just that, as FanDuel isn’t the only operator to work with Genius on the NFL data front. In September, the betting technology company announced an agreement with Caesars Entertainment (NASDAQ:CZR), providing the gaming operator with access to the data provider’s suite of official sports data content.

FanDuel, Genius Partnership Could Be Expansive

The FanDuel/Genius arrangement has avenues for growth.

“Genius Sports has exclusive official data partnerships with NASCAR, the English Premier League, LigaMX, Argentinian and Colombian soccer, and hundreds of other leagues and federations worldwide,” according to the statement.

FanDuel also a relationship with Genius rival Sportradar. The Swiss company will be FanDuel’s provider for US sports, including Major League Baseball (MLB), the NBA, and the NHL. Under the terms of a pact announced in August, Sportradar is the selected data or odds provider to the gaming company through 2028.