On Tuesday, data provider Sportradar announced a partnership to provide live streams of sporting events on FanDuel Sportsbook’s mobile app.
The streaming service will allow U.S. bettors to watch tennis and European soccer matches with live odds updated in real time.
“Sportradar’s Live Channel will be included directly into the FanDuel Sportsbook interface, incorporating live events with betting lines and data, now with the added functionality to actually place a live wager on the event that sports fans are viewing,” per a post from Sportradar’s website.
Citing Europe as an example, FanDuel believes the combination of live streams and live odds will boost their tennis and soccer handles (the amount of money in wagers accepted by a sportsbook), two markets that struggle in popularity amongst more popular U.S.-based sports.
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Though NBC Sports Washington began offering alternative betting-focused broadcasts this basketball season, the agreement is the first of its kind between a major U.S. operator and a broadcast/streaming provider.
Other companies such as Barstool Sports, another partner with FanDuel, have offered live streams with comical commentary from Barstool personalities alongside live odds and betting cards from sportsbooks displayed on screen. TV deals between leagues and broadcast networks have prohibited companies from streaming actual games.
In January, Sportradar became the official data provider for Major League Baseball. Minority investors in the data company include the likes of Mark Cuban, Michael Jordan and Ted Leonsis.
While this deal may be the first of its kind for a U.S. sportsbook, it certainly won’t be the last.
The agreement doesn’t give FanDuel exclusive rights over Sportradar’s Live Channel, leaving an opening for similar partnerships between Sportradar and competing sportsbooks.
At first, only bettors in New Jersey will be able to view the streams via Fanduel’s app, but the feature is expected expand into other jurisdictions as more states allow mobile wagering, a topic that is front and center of sports betting debates among state legislatures.
Eight states have legalized sports betting, with bills passed and regulations in the works in Washington, DC, New York and Arkansas. Currently, only Nevada and New Jersey offer mobile wagering, but other states like Pennsylvania are expected to join soon.