Sports content pioneer Stats Perform has unveiled an extension of its exclusive data agreement with the WTA Tour, the worldwide professional tennis tour for women. As a result, the sports data specialist will continue to collect and distribute official WTA data and live streams to its network of partnering sportsbooks.

This deal extends the two parties’ long-standing partnership and will make official WTA live scores, stats and content available across Stats Perform’s worldwide distribution network. As a result, WTA data will reach a number of sports betting operators, media and tech giants and broadcasters.

The partnership between Stats Perform and the WTA Tour reflects the former company’s dedication to women’s sports. Since its inception, the tie-up has seen the two parties introduce many innovations, including:

• full coverage of outer courts and qualifiers
• new AI enriched Opta metrics like clutch points and win probabilities
• interactive AI enriched live streaming features like instant highlights and tailored insights that display on-screen during games
• expert Opta research support for commentators and interviewers
• the addition of a more detailed in-venue data feed, alongside the umpire data feed.

Stats Perform added that WTA tennis sits alongside official live streams and data from Tennis Australia in its exclusive media rights portfolio. The company also has data agreements with a number of professional soccer, basketball, cricket, rugby, ice hockey and badminton leagues, among others.

An Exceptional Partnership

Martina Storti, WTA Ventures’ chief executive officer, commented on the partnership, saying that she is excited to continue working with Stats Perform. She praised the latter company’s data and insights, saying that they are in line with the WTA’s plans to drive fan engagement.

The development of long-term relationships with industry partners is an important source of commercial revenue underpinning our ambition to reinvest in the sport and help the WTA achieve the goal of equal prize money for women at all top events.

Martina Storti, CEO, WTA Ventures

Alex Rice, Stats Perform’s chief commercial officer, also commented on the matter, saying that the stats specialist’s team is likewise delighted to deepen its ties to the WTA.

We’re proud of what our respective teams have achieved together so far and excited to continue to elevate fan and bettor experiences with the most reliable, comprehensive and innovative official WTA content.

Alex Rice, CCO, Stats Perform

Rice added that now that the Tour is set to feature more tournaments and matches, it will provide even more opportunities for sportsbooks and media partners to engage fans.

Stats Perform added that this partnership extension comes just after the company secured the Best Sports Data Product accolade at the 2023 SBC Awards for the second year in a row.

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Stats Perform, a sports data and analytics company, has become the official data partner of two Swedish soccer leagues. As agreed with the Swiss Football League (SFL), the company will form an alliance with the Credit Suisse Super League and the Dieci Challenge League.

The agreement will allow Stats Perform to use official SFL data, enhance fan experiences for fans of the leagues and attract new sponsors. According to the official release, the SFL selected Stats Perform as the data partner for the two leagues in order to bolster fan experiences with “comprehensive, deep, real-time accurate statistics and insights,” instead of basic stats.

As a result, Stats Perform will leverage its Opta soccer API to deliver the depth required by the SFL. The company’s tools will be instrumental in creating compelling coverage of the two leagues’ teams and players.

The Swiss Football League official data rights are a part of Stats Perform’s extensive official data portfolio, which encompasses many European top-flight leagues, such as the EPL, LaLiga, Ligue1, Serie A and the Bundesliga, among others.

The data deal with the SFL follows agreements with other sports organizations, such as the USL in the USA and the Liga FUTVE in Venezuela.

Stats Perform to Delivering High-Quality SFL Experiences

The Swiss Football League’s chief digital officer, Frank Schaffner, said that his team is excited about the partnership with Stats Perform. He praised the latter company’s unrivaled Opta data collection, distribution and innovation-focused approach, saying that the provider’s values perfectly align with the league’s vision.

Schaffner noted that Stats Perform’s advanced AI capabilities and state-of-the-art solutions will revolutionize how the SFL presents its games to fans.

This partnership signifies our commitment to delivering high-quality experiences and memorable storytelling that enriches the on-field action for our fans, media and sponsorship partners.

Frank Schaffner, chief digital officer, SFL

Steve Xeller, Stats Perform’s chief revenue officer, also commented on the matter, saying that the provider is happy to become the SFL’s official data provider. He noted that he is very happy that the SFL has opted to adopt his company’s PressBox Graphics.

It is smart Opta-powered tech to enhance social, news media and broadcasts with brilliant graphics before, during and after games, making it easier to attract and retain fan attention, as well as grow sponsorships.

Steve Xeller, CRO, Stats Perform

Xeller concluded that his team is committed to helping the SFL elevate the quality of its matches.

The deal with the SFL follows an earlier agreement with the Badminton World Federation.

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SBC News reported that IMG Arena filed a lawsuit against Stats Perform over alleged breaches of exclusive data collection rights during Austrian, Czech, German, Greek, and Swiss soccer matches.

Stats Perform Accused of Breaching IMG Arena’s Exclusive Data Collection Rights

In the claim, IMG Arena alleges that Stats Perform has been operating an unauthorized network of data collectors or scouts to obtain real-time data from matches that are covered under IMG Arena’s exclusive soccer license. The suit further alleges that the unauthorized scouts collected betting data and shared it with Stats Perform in real-time.

In February 2022, IMG Arena was awarded the contract for the Collection and Supply of Fast Data for Betting Purposes for 19 European soccer leagues and 44 competitions, including top and lower-tier domestic leagues, domestic cups, super cups, and women’s soccer competitions.

IMG Arena claims that Stats Perform breached their exclusive data collection rights during several matches in the five countries, including a match between Lafnitz and Sturm Graz II in the Austrian league and a match between FK Teplice and FC Zbrojovka Brno in the Czech league. 

Unauthorized scouts were also present at men’s tier 3 (3 Bundesliga) and women’s tier 1 (Frauen-Bundesliga) matches in Germany and the men’s top tier (Super League) match between PAS Lamia 1964 and OFI Crete in Greece. An unauthorized scout was also present during a men’s second-tier (Challenge League) match between Neuchatel Xamax and FC Lausanne-Sport in Switzerland.

IMG Arena President Urges Rights Holders to Protect Their Data from Unscrupulous Companies

In a statement for SBC News, Freddie Longe, president of IMG Arena, said there is evidence indicating that Stats Perform has been sending unauthorized scouts to collect official data from European Leagues. The data was collected in several mature markets. 

According to IMG Arena, Stats Perform’s actions have caused substantial loss and damage to the company, although the full extent of the damage is not yet known. The company estimates the damages to be at least $1.6 million. IMG Arena believes that the data breaches by Stats Perform are undermining the value of the rights holders’ data and intellectual property in the marketplace.

Longe has further called on rights holders to take a more active role in protecting the value of their rights and to refuse to work with companies that engage in unscrupulous practices. He also urged entities like the Sports Rights Owners Coalition to play a more active role in protecting media rights.

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