Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

SVG Sit-Down: Sportradar's Brian Josephs on Data as the Fuel of Sports-Betting Experiences

14/02/2020

SVG Sit-Down: Sportradar's Brian Josephs on Data as the Fuel of Sports-Betting Experiences The sports-data provider inks deal with XFL, builds new virtual in-play game for MLB By Brandon Costa, Director of Digital

Friday, February 14, 2020 - 1:42 pm

Print This Story | Subscribe

Story Highlights

As data grows into one of the most valuable assets in sports today, one company has distinctly separated itself from the pack in regard to providing America's biggest sports leagues with deep statistics and analytics. Sportradar is leading the way globally on delivering this new level of sports data to broadcasters, sports leagues, and other major entities. In fact, the company is officially partnered with every major sports league in the U.S., including the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL.

At just six weeks into 2020, Sportradar has already extended its dominance over the sports industry, striking a deal to provide data to the XFL and building a new virtual in-play game for sports betting with Major League Baseball.

As Sportradar VP, Digital Sport, Brian Josephs is at the epicenter not just of the use of data to fuel future sports-betting experiences but of an entirely new world of digital and streaming experiences for sports fans. He sat down with SVG to take a look at the year ahead, the growth of sports betting in the U.S., and much more.

Sportradar's Brian Josephs expects media and tech companies to increase experimentation in sports betting this year.

What have been the early-2020 highlights for Sportradar?

The virtual[-gaming] deal with MLB was something that was very exciting to see to come to life. Virtual gaming is probably a foreign concept to many folks in the U.S. but offers a really great experience for fans that want their MLB year-round and bettors that want to engage in that type of product in that way.

It was something that we talked about early on with Major League Baseball, partnering with them on what new or unique betting experiences could look like, what new products can get offered to the market to offer MLB fans that opportunity. Virtual gaming was a really good fit to that.

It was great to see that deal get done and see us come out the gate fast this year, working really closely with a great league partner to bring that to life.

2019 felt very much like a year when people in the sports-betting space positioned their chess pieces: leagues partnering with sports books, partnering with companies like you. Are you expecting more of that in 2020? Where do you guys see yourself in the overall timeline?

I think you'll continue to see more partnerships and announcements and statements coming online. It will be a continued rollout. I don't think we will necessarily see maturation of the U.S. betting market from the media side. 2019 was a year in which a couple of media companies took steps dipping their toe into the betting space. The NBS Sports RSNs were obviously ones that did the predictor game and integrated betting content into a streaming experience. Others, like Amazon Prime Video, have experimented or gone completely live with interactive video experiences.

When we look ahead to 2020, I look at it as a year of experimentation where you will see more and more big media and big technology companies, as well as operators themselves, experiment and try new things, particularly [related] to streaming and in OTT. OTT essentially offers a wonderful platform for innovation, one that I think will be targeted by all sides of the industry for experimentation around both betting and other, different content types and experiences that can be offered to consumers.

Sports betting is, of course, the very trendy thing to talk about right now, but, for your company, it's more than that, right? Data-as-content for leagues is very valuable. One example is Statcast in MLB. How are you involved in that?

Oh yes, absolutely, and Statcast is a good example of a new data set that the league's looking to offer options through. [ESPN] has done a Wild Card Game where they offered a Statcast-heavy broadcast, and it was awesome. The booth at that game did an incredible job, and the content was unique. The graphic integration on ESPN was spectacular, and that, I think to your point, is a really good example of offering consumers an option for those that want it.

That kind of content starts to do two things: one, educate the sports fans here in the U.S. a bit more about betting and what to look for; two, stimulate betting activity from that fan base. So storytelling around betting and leveraging that data, including historical data, is a focus of ours. We're looking at everything from market insights around team performance, how they perform against the spread, over/under betting splits, what volume of bets money is on either side of a particular bet. We're also monitoring in-game alerts looking at close markets, as well as leveraging player props and projections to look at the fantasy player here in the U.S. (as well as the broader fan base that's accustomed to following individual player performance).

It's about looking at the full game-life cycle, leveraging historical data, some of the lines and odds pregame, as well as how those markets are evolving and unfolding over the course of the game. That's really important for us and a big part of what we're working on for this year.
LINK: https://www.sportsvideo.org/2020/02/14/svg-sit-down-sportradars-brian-...
See more stories from svg

North America Stories

18/08/2026

SportStream 2026 Virtual Event Set for September 15-17

SportStream 2026, a free three-day virtual event, will take place September 15-17. One registration provides access to all three days of live programming and on...

18/08/2026

IBC 2026: BeckTV to Debut BeckFlow Documentation Platform

BeckTV will introduce BeckFlow to the European market at IBC2026, demonstrated on the Providius stand (10.F53). BeckFlow is a web-based schematic documentation...

18/08/2026

IBC 2026: Boland Communications to Introduce ST 2110 Option for 4K Monitors

Boland Communications will introduce a SMPTE ST 2110 input option for its 4K monitors at IBC2026, along with a new 55-inch super-narrow bezel display for video ...

18/08/2026

Seattle Seahawks Integrate Dolby OptiView with Dolby Vision for Fan Streaming

Dolby Laboratories and the Seattle Seahawks have announced a partnership integrating Dolby OptiView into the Seahawks' live streaming coverage, making the S...

18/08/2026

Insights from BMG's Graham Taylor on the Role of a Sports Producer in Live Broadcast Production

For BMG Executive Producer of Sports Production, Graham Taylor, producing live s...

18/08/2026

TMRW Sports Names Rufus Hack as President of Golf

TMRW Sports has appointed Rufus Hack as President of Golf, a newly created role in which he will lead the company's golf businesses including TGL presented ...

18/08/2026

SMT To Deliver Race Technology for Freedom 250 IndyCar Broadcast

SMT will provide race technology for FOX Sports' coverage of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. on August 23, when the NTT INDYCAR SERIES races ...

18/08/2026

HMA's Creator Collective Pairs Digital Creators, Beat Writers in New Model for Local-Sports Coverage

The live, YouTube-native roundtables combine fan voices, credentialed reporters,...

18/08/2026

Behind The Mic: FOX Sports Shares Broadcast Lineup for 2026 NFL Season and College Football Season

Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...

18/08/2026

Miami Heats Ed Filomia on Rebuilding Kaseya Centers Video Infrastructure and 29 Years With the Heat

The industry legend sounds off on replacing the Heat's iconic Medusa score...

18/08/2026

Bill Rasmussen, ESPN Founder and Sports Broadcasting Hall of Famer, Dies at 93

William F. Rasmussen, the sports fan-turned broadcaster and entrepreneur whose out-of-the-box idea of a 24-hour cable sports network, ESPN, changed forever the ...

18/08/2026

DAZN Completes Acquisition of ViewLift

DAZN Group has completed its acquisition of ViewLift, a provider of streaming and digital solutions for sports content owners. The acquisition was first announc...

18/08/2026

American Association of Professional Baseball Adds SI TV as Broadcast Partner

The American Association of Professional Baseball (AAPB) has added SI TV, Sports Illustrated's 24/7 streaming channel, as a broadcast partner for the remain...

18/08/2026

Esports Foundation Postpones Inaugural Esports Nations Cup to November 2027

The Esports Foundation has announced that the inaugural Esports Nations Cup (ENC), originally scheduled for November 2026 in Riyadh, will be postponed to Novemb...

18/08/2026

Diversified Launches Global Managed Services Practice

Diversified has announced a new Global Managed Services Practice, consolidating the company's managed services capabilities into one organization. Rob Mello...

18/08/2026

Appear Completes REMI Proof of Concept with Thoroughbred Racing Productions

Appear has completed a proof of concept with Thoroughbred Racing Productions (TRP), demonstrating multi-camera remote live production over bonded 5G cellular an...

18/08/2026

IBC 2026: Riedel Implements Live Production Infrastructure at Edith Cowan University

Riedel Communications has announced that Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Perth, ...

18/08/2026

Corridor Television Pays $27,000 for Violating FCCs EAS Rules

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

18/08/2026

Disney's ABC Files First Amendment Lawsuit Against the FCC

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

18/08/2026

Lightware Integrates with SpectralBot to Accelerate AV Tr...

Lightware announces an integration with SpectralBot that helps system integrators and AV operators troubleshoot faster using augmented reality (AR), AI-assisted...

18/08/2026

Command Frame for After Effects

Command Frame for After Effects Scott Black August 18, 2026 0 Comments Free download, demonstrations, hands-on tests, and creator resources Want to t...

18/08/2026

Dot Group to show how cutting carbon cuts cost - live at...

At Stand 14.A57, the data company will demonstrate GreenDot and IBM Aspera together, giving media and entertainment businesses real-time visibility of what thei...

18/08/2026

Blue Lucy launches Connected Value Audit

New tool provides a robust audit of operational workflows, calculating the tangible value each delivers today, and informing business decisions for tomorrow. W...

18/08/2026

Media Utilities transitions to Media Utilities - a DigiNe...

Media Utilities is integrating its activities into DigiNet and will maintain a recognisable presence in the market under the name: Media Utilities, a DigiNet br...

18/08/2026

Appear demonstrates broadcast-grade REMI production over...

Proof of Concept validates reliable multi-camera live production from remote racecourses without fixed network infrastructure Appear ASA (Appear, OSE:APR), a g...

18/08/2026

Stingr brings frictionless second-screen interaction to I...

Stingr, a new venture from the founders of Hornets Tech, is bringing its second-screen interaction platform to IBC2026. The second screen has never really wor...

18/08/2026

Hiltron to Promote its Latest Generation Satellite Commun...

Long-established satellite equipment manufacturer and systems integrator Hiltron Communications will promote its new HACUX-IDU2 antenna control unit touchscreen...

18/08/2026

EMAM, PlayBox Neo and SNEWS Launch Combined Nuvex System

EMAM, PlayBox Neo and SNEWS Launch Combined Nuvex System Brie Clayton August 17, 2026 0 Comments Integrated platform melds media asset management, pla...

18/08/2026

The United Stand Scales Live Fan Show with Blackmagic Design Workflow

The United Stand Scales Live Fan Show with Blackmagic Design Workflow Brie Clayton August 17, 2026 0 Comments ATEM Constellation 8K and HyperDeck Stud...

18/08/2026

Twin Cities PBS to Become Minnesota PBS

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

18/08/2026

MPA, ByteDance Reach AI Copyright Protection Deal

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

18/08/2026

DirecTV to Launch Curated Multiview for Live Sports

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

18/08/2026

Sinclair Taps Carol Kellum to Head Nebraska Stations

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

18/08/2026

Corridor Television Pays $27,000 for Violations of FCCs EAS Rules

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

18/08/2026

Triveni Digital Accelerates TV 3 0 Transition in Brazil W...

Triveni Digital Now Offers a Joint Solution With MediaKind and a Lab System Bundle Supporting ISDB-Tb and TV 3.0 Broadcast Services Triveni Digital, a trusted ...

18/08/2026

BeckTV Debuts BeckFlow at IBC and Showcases Expertise for...

At IBC2026, BeckTV, a premier systems integrator for the broadcast industry, will introduce BeckFlow to the European market. BeckFlow is the first web-based sch...

18/08/2026

PTZOptics Launches Rise 4K Bringing Ultra HD Quality and...

New flagship PTZ camera combines cinematic 4K imaging, professional broadcast connectivity and the complete Horizon intelligent video experience for productions...

18/08/2026

VisualOn IBC Show Preview - AI-Powered CAE Advanced Playb...

At IBC2026, VisualOn will demonstrate how video service providers can slash bandwidth costs, maximize ad revenue, and deploy premium interactive features withou...

18/08/2026

Paying It Forward: Greg Tabor on Giving Back to the Next Generation

The relationships built during graduate school often continue to shape careers long after a degree is earned, creating a community of scientists who learn from ...

18/08/2026

The Biggest AI Opportunity Isn't in Engineering. It's in Everyone Else.

In my previous article, The AI Shift Feels Familiar. Our Response Should Be Different., I argued that the greatest challenge organizations face is no longer the...

17/08/2026

Thank You Mr. Brown: Documentary on Steadicam, Skycam Inventor Garrett Brown Is in the Works

Producer William Forbes and director Andrew Schwartz detail the decade-long effo...

17/08/2026

PTZOptics To Unveil Rise 4K Broadcast PTZ Camera At IBC 2026

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

17/08/2026

Calrec Integrates ImPulseV With NEP Platform

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

17/08/2026

Calrec Integrates ImPulseV with NEP Platform Advancing Sc...

Continuing its virtualisation strategy, Calrec has integrated its ImPulseV virtualised DSP software with NEP Platform, bringing its scalable audio processing ca...

17/08/2026

Mediaproxy debuts AI-powered monitoring - browser based m...

Mediaproxy, the global standard for software-based IP compliance monitoring and multiviewing solutions, will highlight major innovations in compliance monitorin...

15/08/2026

FCC Broadband Report Shows Rapid Expansion of High-Speed Internet

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

15/08/2026

Adte and Haystack News Partner on CTV Ads in Runup to Midterms

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

15/08/2026

IBC 2026: Dalet to Demo AI-Orchestrated Live Sports Workflows

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

15/08/2026

Add rounded corners to mask in After Effects

Add rounded corners to mask in After Effects Graham Quince August 14, 2026 0 Comments Ever wished you could smoothly round the corners of a Mask Path ...

15/08/2026

Director Go Riju's Rhapsody Rhapsody Shot on Blackmagic PYXIS 6K

Director Go Riju's Rhapsody Rhapsody Shot on Blackmagic PYXIS 6K Brie Clayton August 14, 2026 0 Comments Anamorphic cinematography and color gradi...