Sports governing body, NCAA, to offer sports betting data from championships to sportsbooks, partnering with Genius Sports.

In a significant move, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has decided to sell live data from its championship events to sportsbooks across the US, marking a new era in its relationship with the legal betting industry. This transformation follows an extended partnership with Genius Sports.

The NCAA's New Perspective on Gambling

Historically, the NCAA kept its distance from sports gambling, often voicing concerns about its potential negative impact on student-athletes. However, it seems the organization is adapting to the ever-changing sports landscape, seeking new revenue streams.

Under the newest agreement, Genius Sports will be given exclusive rights to distribute live data from NCAA championships, including the popular March Madness tournaments, until 2032. Regular-season games and FBS football postseason games like the College Football Playoff are not included in this deal.

Interestingly, Genius Sports will not be paying an additional fee for the sportsbook rights. Instead, they will continue to adhere to the revenue-sharing model as outlined in their initial 2018 partnership. The specific financial terms of the agreement have not been disclosed publicly.

As the NCAA explores ways to diversify its annual revenue of approximately $1.38 billion (mostly generated from media rights deals), this partnership brings an exciting opportunity.

Safeguards Against Questionable Betting

The agreement introduces an "Authorized Gaming License" (AGL) system. For sportsbooks to access NCAA data and branding, they must meet certain criteria. Key protections include:

Ban on risky proposition bets: Wagers on underperformance, injuries, referee decisions, or fan-voted awards will not be permitted.
Cooperation with NCAA investigations: Sportsbooks must provide crucial information such as geolocation and device data.
License revocation rights: In case integrity protections are violated, the NCAA can revoke data access.

According to Tim Buckley, NCAA senior vice president for external affairs, "NCAA data will only be available to sportsbooks if they remove risky bets and fully cooperate with integrity efforts."

NCAA's Clarification: No Endorsement of Sports Betting

It's important to note that the NCAA is not endorsing sports betting. The organization continues to restrict gambling advertising and sponsorships at its events.

A portion of the revenue generated from the Genius partnership will be allocated towards education initiatives targeted at problem gambling and efforts to protect student-athletes from harassment.

Genius Sports: Strengthening Its Position

Genius Sports will carry on managing the NCAA LiveStats platform, available for free to member schools, and will enhance its services using the AI platform, GeniusIQ. These upgrades will provide advanced real-time analytics for coaches, broadcasters, and fans.

The company's stock has surged by more than double over the past year, as Genius and Sportradar solidify their dominance in the U.S. sports data market.

What's Included - What's Not

The expanded Genius Sports deal applies to nearly every significant collegiate championship, from lacrosse to volleyball to wrestling. However, it does not cover the College Football Playoff or high-tier bowl games, which operate independently.

Regardless, this deal positions the NCAA to better govern the betting ecosystem surrounding its premier events while opening a closely monitored new revenue stream.

In light of the new partnership with Genius Sports, the NCAA is sharing live data from its championship events with sportsbooks across the US, moving towards a new perspective on the sports betting industry.
The agreement between the NCAA and Genius Sports includes an exclusive rights agreement for live data distribution, spanning until 2032, covering popular events like March Madness but not regular-season games and the College Football Playoff.
Genius Sports, in return, will not pay an additional fee for the sportsbook rights but continue to share revenues with the NCAA, as outlined in their 2018 partnership.
As part of the agreement, Genius Sports must adhere to safeguards such as banning risky proposition bets, cooperating with NCAA investigations, and allowing the NCAA to revoke data access if integrity protections are violated.