SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
Lega B, the governing body that runs the second tier of professional football competitions in Italy, has selected Genius Sports as its official partner for the collection and commercialisation of all Serie B ConTe.it Championship data.
As Lega B’s Official Betting Data Partner, Genius Sports will exclusively distribute live streaming and statistical data from all Serie B matches to Italy-facing online betting operators. Genius Sports has also acquired the rights to distribute official Serie B data to the media until the end of the 2018-19 season.
The partnership features the launch of a unique and innovative football data collection technology developed by Genius Sports. The Football LiveStats system will collect real-time data from pitchside at every Serie B fixture and provide live scores and performance-based statistics to the league’s digital media platforms including websites and mobile Apps.
This next generation technology will enable Lega B to improve its fans’ experience of matches with fast, accurate and engaging data and create new commercial opportunities, as well as bolster its existing integrity measures against match-fixing.
Genius Sports’ LiveStats technology has been deployed by the International Basketball Foundation (IBF) for more than a decade and is the world’s most popular basketball live statistics tool.
Federico Smanio, Head of Digital and Fan Relationship Management at Lega B, said: “Lega B is honoured to announce this very important deal. We have chosen Genius Sports to be Lega B’s offical partner because it offers the best overall solution for the League and Member Clubs. Genius Sports offers an innovative approach and is committed to maximising the value of sports data in the long-term. Lega B is committed to a digital transformation journey and creating an even more engaging experience for Serie B fans. I would finally like to thank our commercial and legal advisors Couchmans LLP whose great support and advice has proven decisive for reaching this deal.”
Sean Conroy, Vice President of Business Development at Genius Sports, said: “We are delighted to announce this significant partnership with Lega B. Our innovative technology and services will enable Lega B to collect, optimise and fully exploit the statistical data and content associated to their events.
“Our technology will also help them unlock and protect the long-term value of their official data products by carrying out the anti-infringement measures necessary to disrupt the unofficial market.’’
