SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
Sports data intelligence solutions provider Sportradar has strengthened its branding and market position in China via an agreement with the country’s CBA League.
The multi-year partnership with the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) will commence during the current 2020/21 season, and will see Sportradar collect data from regular-season games, postseason games and All-Star Games.
This data will in turn be distributed to broadcasters, streaming and OTT platforms in countries outside of China, enabling fans to the league to access both full game coverage and short-form video content throughout the season.
“Chinese Basketball has been a traditional powerhouse in the international arena, and we are excited to be a part of expanding the reach of the top tier CBA to markets across the globe,” said Steve Byrd, Head of Global Strategic Partnerships at Sportradar.
“Our data-driven approach and experience are what sets us apart in delivering the goal that leagues such as the CBA want, and we are excited to be partnering with them to deliver that.”
The CBA League has overseen significant domestic growth in recent years, attracting both local players and international stars such as the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) Stephon Marbury, Tracy McGrady, Gilbert Arenas, Steve Francis.
Additionally, the league’s growth has begun to attract substantial international interest from media organisations.
Sportradar will utilise its experience in handling global broadcasting and data distribution to develop a ‘comprehensive commercial strategy’ in collaboration with the CBA, in order to effectively distribute the league’s media rights globally.
“We are delighted to partner with Sportradar and believe this partnership will provide enriched possibilities and further awareness for CBA League, given their extensive experience and recent track record,” A CBA League spokesperson remarked.
“By building up opportunities globally in this long-term partnership, we look forward to developing the continued growth of the CBA League and reaching out to new audiences around the world.”
Outside of China, Sportradar has maintained a strong presence in Asia via a successful broadcasting distribution partnership with South Korea’s K League football tournament, in addition to Oceania due to a media rights agreement with Australia’s National Basketball League (NBL).
Furthermore, the company has strengthened its position in the US sports sector with a recent acquisition of Synergy Sports, the industry leader for data and video analytics collection and distribution for both collegiate and professional sports.
