LOS ANGELES AND NEW YORK; February 15, 2022 – The United States Football League (USFL), a new professional football league launching in April, today announces a foundational partnership with Sportradar (NASDAQ: SRAD), the leading global sports technology company creating immersive experiences for sports fans and bettors. The multi-year agreement, reached following a competitive bid process, establishes Sportradar as the Official Sports Data Partner of the USFL and the league’s official integrity partner.
Under terms of the agreement, Sportradar will develop new data collection and delivery systems for the league and its related businesses, including media and gaming, and will provide data to betting operators advertising during USFL telecasts. Additionally, as the league’s official integrity partner, Sportradar will conduct bet monitoring and reporting via its Universal Fraud Detection System (UFDS), an advanced and proven bet monitoring system that has been independently assessed and verified by recognized experts in the field of sports betting and integrity, as well as conduct an audit of the USFL’s integrity policies, provide integrity-related educational services to players, coaches and staff, and perform annual due diligence reporting.
“The USFL is thrilled to have forged its first data and integrity partnership with Sportradar,” said Edward Hartman, USFL Executive Vice President, Business Operations. “With more than 60% of American adults living in states where sports wagering is now legal, it was critical to the new USFL that we partner with the market leader in integrity solutions, and Sportradar is the gold standard to which all sports information businesses are measured.”
“The fast, accurate and reliable data that Sportradar provides to the marketplace will be crucial to the USFL engaging its audience as the league establishes itself on the American sports landscape,” said Ed Blonk, Chief Commercial Officer, Sportradar. “And, with the backing of Sportradar’s industry-leading integrity services, the USFL is taking a proactive step to protect its brand and safeguard the league from match-fixing and betting-related corruption.”
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About the USFL
The United States Football League (USFL) is a new, independent football league controlled by FOX Sports through USFL HoldCo, LLC, a new business entity, and it is not associated or affiliated with the USFL of the 1980s or its owners. As a spring football league, the USFL will launch April 16 with eight teams split into two divisions: the Birmingham Stallions, Houston Gamblers, New Orleans Breakers, and Tampa Bay Bandits in the South Division; and the Michigan Panthers, Pittsburgh Maulers, New Jersey Generals, and Philadelphia Stars in the North Division. Each team will play a 10-game schedule, followed by semifinals between the top two teams in each division and a championship game between division winners. All regular-season games will be played at Protective Stadium or Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama. The USFL will hold a player selection meeting in mid-February, and training camps will open on March 21. The USFL will provide an opportunity to play professional football for more than 360 athletes, as each team will carry a 38-man active roster plus a seven-man practice squad, and players will receive base compensation in addition to being eligible for victory bonuses. NBC Sports and FOX Sports are the league’s official media partners, committed to carrying all 43 regular- and postseason games on NBC, FOX, FS1, USA Network, or Peacock. Brian Woods, a USFL co-founder, serves as President, Football Operations, and former Dallas Cowboys standout and long-time NFL on FOX game analyst Daryl Johnston is Executive Vice President, Football Operations. Former NFL Vice President of Officiating and FOX Sports’ NFL and college football rules analyst Mike Pereira is Head of Officiating, and FOX Sports’ Edward Hartman, serves as Executive Vice President, Business Operations. For more information, visit http://theUSFL.com and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
About Sportradar
Sportradar is the leading global sports technology company creating immersive experiences for sports fans and bettors. Established in 2001, the company is well-positioned at the intersection of the sports, media and betting industries, providing sports federations, news media, consumer platforms and sports betting operators with a range of solutions to help grow their business. Sportradar employs more than 2,300 full time employees across 19 countries around the world. It is our commitment to excellent service, quality and reliability that makes us the trusted partner of more than 1,600 customers in over 120 countries and an official partner of the NBA, NHL, MLB, NASCAR, UEFA, FIFA, ICC, and ITF. We cover more than 750,000 events annually across 83 sports. With deep industry relationships, Sportradar is not just redefining the sports fan experience; it also safeguards the sports themselves through its Integrity Services division and advocacy for an integrity-driven environment for all involved.
www.sportradar.com
