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The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) will sell data from its championship events to US sportsbooks as part of an expanded partnership with Genius Sports.
Contract:
- Genius Sports to be the exclusive provider of official NCAA data to licensed sportsbooks for March Madness and all post-season tournaments through 2032
- Sportsbooks to apply for licensed access using the NCAA’s Authorised Gaming Licensee (AGL) sports program
- NCAA LiveStats, its official platform for live game statistics, to remain free for all member schools
- NCAA LiveStats to be enhanced by Genius’ artificial intelligence (AI) program GeniusIQ for real-time analytics and insights
Context:
The NCAA has previously been reluctant to sell its data for betting purposes, with executives having been concerned about the detrimental impact increased betting could have on student-athletes.
In January, NCAA president Charlie Baker called for Congress to limit sports betting in college sports, with hundreds of athletes said to have been approached to change their performance by gamblers. As a result, he has called for athlete-specific prop bets to be banned.
However, it now becomes the latest sports association to sign a data distribution deal designed to drive major income from legal betting, which has become more prevalent in the US. Genius has also partnered with the National Football League (NFL), with its partnership including at least US$450 million in stock and cash at the time of signing.
The NCAA will hope this partnership provides a new income stream, having earned the majority of its US$1.38 billion in revenue during the 2024 financial year through its broadcast deals for men’s March Madness. March Madness is the biggest betting event in the US, with the American Gaming Association (AGA) estimating that US$3.1 billion was wagered on the men’s and women’s college basketball championships this year.
According to Sportico, Genius will not pay an additional fee for the sportsbook rights, with the two parties to continue under the revenue sharing agreement first established in 2018.
Comment:
“Since 2018, Genius Sports’ technology has transformed the college sports data ecosystem,” said Mark Locke, Genius Sports chief executive. “This extension is a powerful endorsement of our vision, delivering cutting-edge data solutions to support NCAA schools while connecting our sportsbook partners with the highest quality NCAA official content, alongside our exclusive NFL and Premier League rights.
”Most importantly, it’s a partnership grounded in innovation, integrity, and a shared commitment to the future of collegiate athletics.”
Coming next:
The NCAA is awaiting approval of its proposed US$2.8 billion House settlement in its antitrust lawsuit, with a federal judge citing concerns over roster limits. The college sports body has already proposed new rules to allow direct payments to players that will come into place once the settlement is ratified.
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