SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
Genius Sports has been designated as the exclusive international streaming and data partner for betting to Japan’s B.League – the governing body for professional basketball in the country.
Genius has been granted the exclusive rights to capture, manage and distribute the B.League’s official data and video content to its global network of regulated sportsbook partners as part of the deal, utilising its Bet Monitoring System and model rules and regulations will help to safeguard the sport from the threats of match-fixing and betting-related corruption.
“Amidst the huge challenges that sports have faced over the last 12 months, rights holders are looking for innovative platforms to reconnect with fans and generate new revenue streams,’ explained Thomas Klingebiel, Commercial Director, APAC of Genius Sports.
“Together, FIBA LiveStats and GeniusLive will enable the B.League to control its live data and video content, transforming how audiences around the world interact with every play.
“We’re thrilled to be working in partnership with one of the premier basketball leagues in Asia and look forward to facilitating the next stage of their digital transformation.”
Under the terms of the deal, B.League’s official data will also supply its broadcast and media partners with fast and accurate statistics to enhance the fan experience across multiple platforms. Genius’ live streaming solution GeniusLive will also help the B.League to broadcast its second division B2 games.
Furthemore, Basketball fans, administrators, coaches and players in the country will be granted access to live data and video insights from over 1,000 games per season from the top two divisions, B1 and B2.
Meanwhile, FIBA LiveStats, a live data collection tool in world basketball, will capture advanced play-by-play statistics on every B1 and B2 game, helping to power box scores, shot charts and data-driven analytics tools.
Shinji Shimada, Chairman of the B.League, added: “We are delighted to partner with Genius Sports and with the technology they provide, will be able to enhance fans’ experience across digital platforms worldwide, while providing new insights to coaches and players and raising the integrity of our league.”
Protecting the value and integrity of its official data, the B.League has also launched a new rights enforcement programme in conjunction with Genius, removing unauthorised data collectors from B1 and B2 games.
Ahead of its imminent listing on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), Genius recently unveiled its new corporate and brand identity which consolidates its entire sports tech portfolio and data assets under the single identity of ‘Genius Sports’.
