How Sportradar and the NBA are Partnering to Fuel Fan Engagement
Over the past few years, fan expectations related to how they engage with sports have changed drastically. What was once a consumer satisfied with static information is now an audience that expects deep analysis and insights integrated into their daily sports content.
The catalyst of this evolution? The products and services being developed from the ever-deeper data that technology is able to examine, decipher and utilize.
Analytics are now tightly interwoven into the fabric of sports, serving as the foundation of everything from performance evaluation to broadcast enhancement to the continued growth of legal sports betting. To truly capitalize on the rapidly evolving sports ecosystem, organizations must seamlessly blend live action with these data-driven insights.
No company understands this better than Sportradar.
Sportradar is a leading global sports technology company providing innovative solutions to the sports industry. Founded in 2001, the company has become the trusted partner of prestigious organizations like the NBA, NHL, MLB, NASCAR, and more, covering nearly a million annual events across major sports.
Since 2021, Sportradar has been the official technology partner of the NBA, WNBA, and NBA G League and serves as the exclusive worldwide distributor of NBA data. Starting with the `23-24 season, this includes access to the league's advanced optical tracking data which focuses on NBA player pose tracking as well as ball movement in 3D. This data enables Sportradar, through the application of its artificial intelligence, machine learning, deep learning and computer vision capabilities, to deliver content faster while generating advanced analytics and deeper insights to enhance the fan experience.
The analytics and insights generated from this derived data can be used to help teams better evaluate the performance of their players, craft richer stories that add greater depth to broadcasts and create new betting opportunities. All of these results increase a fan’s understanding of what they are watching, bring them closer to the action and provide more reasons to keep watching.
The NBA's 3D optical tracking data empowers Sportradar to generate deeper, more informative player insights for all teams, helping improve on-court performance. Previously, players were just shown as two-dimensional dots on a court, but the new, 3D tracking creates rich player models with distinct position of limbs, orientation, and depth, unlocking new doors for coaches to analyze game events such as drives, shots, isolations and picks.
For example, we can see how effective Tyrese Haliburton is when he drives to the rim and how he compares to other players in the league, based on percentile rank. You can also see a highly detailed analysis of his shot selections. Or, an analysis of his speed on the court across games, seasons, or even quarters.
From a betting standpoint, Sportradar can generate and update betting markets to align with rapidly unfolding game situations, offering more in-play betting opportunities. It also incorporates tracking data into its odds models to enhance bookmaker margins and engineer sharper prices, as a result of the ability to more accurately predict the probability of a game event occurring. This creates a more dynamic, engaging and personalized fan experience.
The same concept applies to media rights holders, where data-driven insights allow more personalized content and data-driven storytelling, enhancing viewing experiences and supporting the further growth of in-play NBA betting. In the not-too-distant future, fans will be able to access player and team statistics, betting lines and even place bets directly within a streaming environment, as well. Broadcasts will become more dynamic, integrating deeper data and game visualizations to make the game come to life in an entirely new way.
With a thriving NBA partnership, Sportradar is positioned to enjoy significant growth by deepening ties with existing clients and attracting new partners across industries, allowing the company to monetize its relationship as well as deliver substantial ROI.
As the modern sports industry continues to evolve, data-led products and solutions will fuel profound fan connections. But having the data is only a small piece of the puzzle. It’s how you use this data that truly makes the difference. With its comprehensive approach, Sportradar is writing this playbook, delivering cutting-edge innovations that will redefine immersive fan experiences for years to come.
Bet on it.
Learn more about Sportradar today.
