Sportradar to unlock new growth opportunities with IMG Arena acquisition

Sportradar Group has announced an agreement to acquire IMG Arena from Endeavour Group, with the deal valued at US$225 million (AUD$353.77 million).

This strategic acquisition will enable Sportradar to enhance its global sports betting rights portfolio, aligning well with its existing data collection across sports like football, basketball, and tennis.

Importantly, financial logistics indicate that Sportradar will not have to pay direct cash for the acquisition. Instead, USD$125 million (AUD$196.54 million) of the total will flow to Sportradar, while Endeavour will contribute an additional USD$100 million (AUD$157 million) to various sports rightsholders as part of the deal.

Sportradar’s portfolio currently heavily features basketball, football, and tennis, accounting for approximately 70% of its data rights offerings.

The addition of IMG Arena’s assets aims to broaden this portfolio, allowing the company to incorporate a more diverse array of sports, including MMA, golf, and others.

This expansion is designed to improve Sportradar’s service offerings to partners and open up new revenue streams.

Commenting on the acquisition, Sportradar CEO, Carsten Koerl, said: “Sportradar’s success is driven by the breadth of its sports coverage, its broad product portfolio and leading technology, and its global distribution network.”

“Our established history of optimising ROI through global betting rights deals, particularly across tennis, basketball, and soccer, supports our confidence in realising the full economic potential of this acquisition,” Koerl said.

It’s noteworthy that IMG Arena was previously part of Endeavour Group and had been sold along with OpenBet to OB Global Holdings for USD$450 million (AUD$707.54 million) in November.

With this acquisition, Sportradar will now control a diverse array of global betting rights, including prestigious tournaments such as Wimbledon, the US Open, the French Open, and the Australian Open.

Other significant betting rights now under Sportradar include Major League Soccer (MLS), EuroLeague basketball, and the PGA Tour.

The transaction is anticipated to close in the fourth quarter of 2025, dependent upon securing regulatory approvals and meeting closing conditions.

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