IMG Arena ended European Leagues Association deal ahead of Sportradar acquisition
Summary
Sportradar asked IMG Arena to exit a loss-making data-rights deal with the European Leagues Association ahead of its planned acquisition of IMG Arena from Endeavor (the takeover was first announced in March 2025 and is expected to close before year-end). Genius Sports has since been awarded exclusive betting-data rights to 18 competitions previously held by IMG Arena, including the Dutch Eredivisie and Belgian Pro League.
During Sportradar’s Q2 2025 results call, CEO Carsten Koerl said the European Leagues agreement was loss-making for IMG Arena and that Sportradar had asked for it to be wound up before closing. He also questioned the commercial sense of “data rights-only” packages, noting Sportradar holds many audiovisual rights for leagues and sees a stronger combined position.
Sportradar has started detailed integration planning for IMG Arena, while the UK Competition and Markets Authority has opened an investigation into the acquisition. Financially, Sportradar reported record Q2 revenue of €318m, raised its full-year revenue outlook to €1.28bn and expects adjusted EBITDA of at least €284m, though current guidance excludes any impact from the pending IMG Arena deal.
Source
Key Points
- • Sportradar requested IMG Arena to end a loss-making European Leagues Association data-rights deal before the acquisition closed.
- • Genius Sports has been awarded exclusive betting-data rights to 18 competitions, replacing IMG Arena as rights-holder for several leagues.
- • Sportradar questioned the viability of “data rights-only” packages and highlighted the advantage of combining data with audiovisual inventory.
- • Integration planning for IMG Arena is already underway; Sportradar aims for a seamless transition post-closure.
- • The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority is probing the acquisition over competition concerns.
- • Sportradar reported record Q2 revenue of €318m, raised full-year revenue guidance to €1.28bn and expects adjusted EBITDA of at least €284m (guidance currently excludes IMG Arena contribution).
- • Net profit reached €49m in Q2, helped by a €54m unrealised FX gain on US dollar-denominated sports rights.
Why should I read this?
Quick and dirty: if you follow sports-data rights, betting-tech M&A or market competition, this matters. It shows how acquirers cut loss-making deals, why data-only packages may be shaky, and how consolidation can shift who controls league data. Read it to stay ahead of rights, pricing and competitive shifts in the betting data market.
Author note
Punchy take: Sportradar isn’t just buying assets—it’s pruning liabilities. Ending IMG Arena’s loss-making EL agreement before close signals active rights portfolio management and a push towards bundled data + audiovisual value. That could tighten supply, alter pricing and reshape competition for operators and data consumers. Worth reading in full if you need to understand the commercial forces driving sports-data consolidation.