IMG Arena ended European Leagues Association deal ahead of Sportradar acquisition
Summary
By Richard Mulligan
Published: Wed, 06 Aug 2025 16:39:37 +0000
IMG Arena was asked by Sportradar to exit its rights agreement with the European Leagues Association (ELA) because the deal was loss-making, with the arrangement wound up prior to Sportradar’s planned acquisition of IMG Arena from Endeavor.
Genius Sports has since secured exclusive betting-data rights to 18 ELA competitions, replacing IMG Arena’s previous hold on leagues including the Dutch Eredivisie and the Belgian Pro League. Sportradar’s CEO, Carsten Koerl, said the ELA deal lacked audiovisual inventory and questioned the value of “data rights-only” packages.
Sportradar has started integration planning for IMG Arena ahead of the expected close of the acquisition later this year, while the UK Competition and Markets Authority has opened an investigation into the deal. Separately, Sportradar reported record Q2 revenue, upgraded full-year revenue guidance to €1.28bn, and noted that the IMG Arena portfolio is expected to be accretive once the transaction completes.
Source
Key Points
- • Sportradar requested IMG Arena exit its European Leagues Association deal because it was loss-making.
- • Genius Sports has been awarded exclusive betting data rights to 18 ELA competitions, replacing IMG Arena.
- • Sportradar argues many ELA data packages are “data rights-only” with no audiovisual inventory, reducing their standalone value.
- • Detailed integration planning for IMG Arena has begun; the acquisition is expected to close before year-end but is under CMA scrutiny.
- • Sportradar reported record Q2 revenue (€318m) and raised full-year revenue guidance to €1.28bn; it expects IMG Arena’s rights portfolio to be accretive post-close.
- • Net profit improved to €49m in Q2, helped by a €54m unrealised foreign currency gain; adjusted EBITDA rose 31% year-on-year.
Why should I read this?
If you care about sports data, rights economics or consolidation in the betting-tech space — read this. It shows how big players trim loss-making contracts, how data-only deals are being re-evaluated, and why regulators are watching consolidation closely. We’ve done the slog so you don’t have to.
Context and relevance
This development matters for rights holders, sportsbooks and platforms that rely on premium sports data. Sportradar’s move highlights a shift towards combining data with audiovisual assets to protect margins, while the CMA probe signals greater regulatory scrutiny of consolidation in sports-data markets. The outcome will influence rights valuations and competitive positioning across Europe and the US.
