Genius Sports Ltd. has announced a significant expansion of its NFL data partnership that will enable the sports-tech company to deliver live streaming of selected NFL games to American sportsbooks.
Caesars Sportsbook will become the first of the affiliated U.S. sports betting sites to offer Genius' proprietary "Watch & Bet" technology to combine data-driven, in-game betting solutions to customers while they watch live feeds of NFL matches.
"In our expanded agreement with the NFL and Caesars Entertainment, Genius Sports has created a unique solution that combines our exclusive official NFL data with live streaming content to deliver the most compelling sports betting experience available across the U.S.," said Mark Locke, CEO of Genius Sports.
This new deal comes on the heels of Genius' announcement in late November that it had licensed its Watch & Bet tech to three Ontario sportsbooks — bet365, Bet99, and Rivalry — that similarly combines data delivery, performance analysis, and oddsmaking tech with live NFL streams.
The deal marks a milestone in the evolution of the U.S. legal sports betting industry. By integrating the Genius data feed into its app, the operator enhances its user's ability to place bets on the basis of real-time data, and new wagering offers that are constantly being updated.
"The addition of live Watch & Bet video streaming brings the best that the NFL has to offer right into the Caesars Sportsbook app," said Eric Hession, President of Caesars Digital. "Delivering innovative technology like this remains a key emphasis for us, so being the first U.S. sportsbook to provide customers with in-app NFL live streaming isn’t something we take lightly. We’re thankful to bring an industry-leading new feature to our sports wagering app through our partnership with Genius Sports and the NFL."
For its part, the NFL appears eager to deepen its existing ties with U.S. sportsbooks and increase NFL viewership by promoting betting on its product.
"We’re excited to offer fans a new way to experience and engage with NFL content," said Brent Lawton, NFL VP Media Strategy and Business Development "Watch & Bet is an innovative step forward in our partnerships with Genius Sports and Caesars."
More to follow?
Genius Sports’ fully integrated Watch & Bet solution is the latest phase in its partnership with the NFL. In April 2021, the league appointed Genius as its exclusive global provider of real-time official play-by-play statistics, proprietary Next Gen Stats (NGS) data, and sports betting data feed to media companies and sportsbooks in regulated markets.
The rollout of the enhanced Caesars Sportsbook app could see other major U.S. sportsbooks attempt to reach similar deals with the NFL and Genius in 2023, allowing them to take advantage of the Watch & Bet tech platform.
Genius' proprietary tech is used in over 150 countries worldwide and is the partner of over 400 sports organizations globally — including many of the world’s largest leagues and federations such as the NFL, EPL, FIBA, NCAA, NASCAR, AFA, and PGA.
Alongside NFL content exclusive to Genius Sports, Caesars Entertainment will gain access to official data-powered in-play content for other top-tier U.S. and global sports — including NASCAR, EPL, Argentinian and Colombian soccer, as well as Liga MX.
And for at least the remainder of the current NFL season — including the playoffs — Caesars will enjoy exclusive access to Genius' Watch & Bet tech package in time to profit from the heightened betting action to follow.
