Digital sports content provider Genius Sports has been designated as the exclusive distributor of real-time official play-by-play statistics and proprietary Next Gen Stats (NGS) data for the National Football League (NFL).
Under the terms of the multi-year agreement, the firm will also act as the betting data feed to media companies and sports betting operators globally, including the US, where legal. It will also have the right to distribute live audio-visual (AV) game feeds to sportsbooks in international markets.
Both parties will develop a jointly governed technology center/hub dedicated to driving the future of NFL betting through innovation of NFL’s data feeds, data products, and fan engagement offerings.
The strategic partnership was described by Genius Sports as an important element within the league’s broader approach to legalized sports betting. Together, both organizations aim to drive the continued innovation of the NFL’s data feeds to provide fans with accurate, fast, and robust statistics and content.
Genius added that as the NFL continues to engage fans through legalized sports betting, the use of licensed official league data ensures that fans everywhere have the best user experience along with consumer protections.
“We’re excited to welcome Genius Sports to the NFL family,” said Kevin LaForce, Senior Vice President, Media Strategy and Business Development for the NFL. “We look forward to working with Genius as we continue to innovate and enhance NFL content on media and betting platforms.”
As part of the collaboration, Genius will represent the NFL’s legalized sports betting advertising inventory across the league’s owned and operated digital platforms in the US and international markets. These assets, said the firm, will equip it with the necessary tools to drive key sports wagering metrics of turnover and player acquisition over the lifetime of the deal.
CEO Mark Locke commented: “Genius is proud and delighted to partner exclusively with the NFL to establish a new era of digital fan engagement for professional sports leagues everywhere.
“Our technology leads the world in the convergence of official data, betting, streaming, and digital media and we are excited to bring our unique capabilities to the world’s preeminent sports league.”
Focusing on integrity, Genius will support the NFL’s efforts through comprehensive integrity services to monitor betting across all its games including preseason, regular season, and postseason as well as tentpole events. The NFL and its clubs will also have access to Genius’ integrity education programs to ensure the continuation of the league’s high standard for integrity.
