BetChicago picks Sportradar
Sportradar has taken another step towards establishing itself in the US sports betting market by teaming up with leading Illinois tips site BetChicago.
A multi-year deal between the two parties was confirmed today (Monday) with Sportradar set to provide sports data and content solutions to the betting content site that launched in April.
If sports gambling is legalised in Illinois – the fifth biggest US state by population – Sportradar will also provide risk management and data services. iGamingBusiness.com understands the package will include live odds.
Illinois remains unlikely to legalise sports betting this year, or at least until the fall veto session in November. A number of bills are pending, with Senator Napoleon Harris – a sponsor of one of the measures and a former NFL American football linebacker – recently saying: “In my mind, there’s no question Illinois is going to approve a sports law allowing gambling on sporting events, it’s just a matter of when.”
BetChicago CEO Frank Ignatius said that the deal with Sportradar represented “a great first step” for his company.
BetChicago currently offers news and analysis from sports and fantasy sports. It also offers free-to-play contests, but clearly has an eye on a full sportsbook solution.
“Live, accurate, real-time data is essential to BetChicago the media company, and will be even more critical in the future with the imminent legalisation of sports betting in Illinois,” Ignatius added.
“We believe the future of this industry is directly tied to live-betting and other real-time functionality, so a deal with the leader in sports data is a natural fit.”
The deal is the latest for Sportradar in the US, with the company already serving as an official partner of the NFL, as well as basketball’ NBA, ice hockey’s NHL and the Nascar stock car-racing series. Sportradar’s expansion in North America will be aided by new investment from Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) and Silicon Valley-based growth equity firm TCV.
It recently agreed deals with AMTote and Sportetch, and provides data to MGM and PaddyPower Betfair in New Jersey. In a statement Sportradar said its deal with BetChicago will show how it can help to “elevate” new entrants.
Neale Deeley, vice-president of gaming sales at Sportradar, said: “This partnership shows that Sportradar is not only committed to working with big partners in the US, but also identifying new market entrants that we believe we can support and elevate with our systems.”