The NFL finally relented on its stance against sports betting, as Sportradar announced Monday an expanded partnership with the league that will include exclusive distribution of real-time data to sports-betting operators.
Sportradar has been the exclusive distributor of the NFL's official play-by-play data and Next Gen Stats to media companies since 2015. After Monday's deal, the provider can now sell real-time data to licensed sportsbooks in the U.S. and internationally.
The deal will allow Sportradar to provide live audio-visual game feeds to sportsbooks in select international markets. It also includes use of the Sportradar's integrity services to monitor irregular betting activity across all NFL games, including the preseason.
Sportsbook operators are positioned to benefit from real-time data but often face substantial costs to do so. Still, Monday's move will provide the betting industry access to live NFL data for the first time.
The NFL is the last of the four major leagues to license live data for sports betting and is yet to officially embrace a sports betting sponsorship. The league partnered with Caesars Entertainment Corporation as a casino sponsor in January.
Last week, with the NFL's approval, the Redskins partnered with NBC Sports Washington to produce four free-to-play "Predict the Game" telecasts during the preseason, which emulate live betting options for a chance to win prizes.
