Latest News
Genius Sports and Football DataCo extend exclusive official data partnership through 2029
Genius Sports Limited, the official data, technology, and commercial partner that powers the global ecosystem connecting sports, betting, and media, announces today the extension of its exclusive official data partnership with Football DataCo (“DataCo”) through 2029.
Since 2019, Genius Sports has been DataCo’s exclusive supplier of official low latency data from in-stadia to the sports betting industry, capturing, and distributing live data for over 4,000 games per season to hundreds of licensed sportsbooks across the globe in under a second. With the extension, Genius Sports will continue to deliver the industry’s fastest, most accurate, and most reliable data feed to power in-play betting products and innovations from some of the most valuable betting content in the world.
As part of the agreement, from season 2025/26 Genius Sports will also exclusively provide sportsbooks worldwide with official Player Market Data, powering a wide range of pre-game and in-play betting opportunities such as number of shots on target, assists, pass completions and more that are indispensable to offering high margin bet builder products.
Over the same period, Genius Sports has also expanded its technology partnership with the Premier League and English Football League (“EFL”) to power several cutting-edge technology initiatives across the UK football ecosystem. Genius Sports is the Official Tracking Data partner to DataCo, with its computer vision and AI-powered technology providing all 44 Premier League and EFL Championship teams with comprehensive insights and analysis, harnessing data-driven intelligence to enhance performance levels.
In partnership with Premier League Productions, Genius Sports also powers Data Zone; a data-driven, immersive broadcast experience shown to millions of fans worldwide with insights including player IDs, pitch maps, shot velocities, player speeds, and more. Genius Sports also recently built and launched Fantasy EFL for the 2024/25 season, the league’s first-ever 72-club fantasy football game to involve all clubs across the three EFL divisions.
Mark Locke, CEO of Genius Sports, said: “Over the last five years, our official data and technology partnership with Football DataCo has been transformational to the growth of Genius Sports. This renewal underpins our continued business expansion and fuels the trajectory of our medium-term financial outlook. Going forward, we expect the partnership to act as a flywheel to drive further innovation and value for our sportsbook partners”.
Adrian Ford, General Manager of Football DataCo, said: “Genius Sports has been an exceptional partner to UK football over the past five years, delivering innovative real-time betting experiences for sportsbooks and high-quality player tracking data and solutions for teams. We look forward to continuing to expand the relationship with a new rights term from the start of the 2025/26 season and maintaining the highest quality of data to connect millions of fans globally with our competitions”.
The post Genius Sports and Football DataCo extend exclusive official data partnership through 2029 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
casino operator growth
Groove Shines at ICE Barcelona 2026 as the Go-To Growth Partner for iGaming Operators
Groove, the award-winning iGaming platform and aggregator, has emerged from ICE Barcelona 2026 as the definitive growth partner for ambitious operators in 2026.
The event marked a milestone for the brand, generating high-value partnerships and demonstrating strong market demand for an integrated, scalable, and commercially strategic platform.
Over the three-day summit, Groove positioned itself at the heart of strategic conversations with operators and providers seeking solutions for sustainable growth, market diversification, and deeper player engagement. With an unprecedented volume of meetings, a clear trend emerged: operators are moving beyond basic content access, seeking a collaborative, technology-driven partner to navigate global expansion.
“The energy and focus at ICE 2026 validated our core why: aggregation has evolved into a strategic growth discipline,” said Yahale Meltzer, Co-Founder and COO of Groove.
“Operators aren’t coming to us just for games—they are looking for a roadmap. They want a partner who can provide content, technology frameworks, and commercial tools, like Instant Tournaments, as a seamless growth engine. In a fragmented market, Groove’s integrated approach is not just an advantage—it’s a necessity for serious operators in 2026.”
Groove’s Strategic Edge: Global Content and Localized Growth
Groove’s unique ability to act as a single conduit for global content and localized strategy was a central theme at ICE. The platform’s agility enables operators to thrive in established regulated markets while tapping into high-potential verticals such as Sweepstakes and Crypto gaming. This differentiation empowers operators to diversify portfolios, increase revenue, and streamline operational efficiency.
“We engaged with operators who have concrete 2026 plans, from new entries in Latin America to strategic European expansions,” explained Giusy Campo, Business Development Director at Groove.
“My role is to translate platform capabilities into commercial velocity. At ICE, we moved decisively from concept to pipeline execution. The market recognizes Groove as a partner that delivers with precision.”
Partnerships and Collaboration: Driving Innovation
Groove strengthened its global network by connecting with game studios and exploring exclusive content and technical collaborations designed to deliver innovative gaming experiences faster.
“ICE is ultimately about partnership in its truest sense,” said Rachel Tourgeman, Head of Partnerships at Groove.
“The quality of dialogue with existing and potential partners was exceptional, covering hyper-localized game curation, tournament tools, and strategies for player retention. Groove’s model of acting as an extension of our partners’ teams—providing tools and strategic insight—is exactly what the market needs now.”
Looking Ahead: Defining Growth for 2026
Groove exits ICE Barcelona 2026 not merely as a platform provider, but as the go-to growth partner for the iGaming industry. With a fortified pipeline, strategic market mandate, and a focus on turning aggregation into accelerated growth, Groove is set to define the iGaming landscape in 2026, helping operators expand globally and engage players meaningfully.
For more information, visit groovetech.com.
The post Groove Shines at ICE Barcelona 2026 as the Go-To Growth Partner for iGaming Operators appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
betting app engagement
Inside NFL Stadiums: How Fans Are Driving Record Sports Betting Engagement During Live Games
During the latest NFL season, one of the most valuable arenas for sports betting engagement wasn’t online or at home—it was inside the stadium itself. Using insights from GeoComply Edge
Stadium Data, analysts examined how fans interacted with betting apps while attending live NFL games, revealing a powerful convergence of fandom, technology, and real-time wagering.
From the season opener at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia to the final Wildcard Weekend matchup at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh on January 12, GeoComply analyzed in-stadium activity across every NFL venue located in US states with legal sports betting. The findings provide a clear, data-driven picture of how live attendance influences digital betting behavior.
The result is a uniquely detailed view into in-stadium engagement, customer acquisition, and long-term bettor value, offering operators critical insight into where and when fans are most likely to engage.
GeoComply Edge Stadium Data: Visibility Others Don’t Have
GeoComply Edge is purpose-built to measure fan acquisition and betting engagement within precise stadium-level geofences. This advanced location intelligence allows sportsbooks and operators to identify which teams, games, and venues generate the strongest engagement, turning live events into actionable growth opportunities.
Rather than tracking generic app usage, GeoComply Edge delivers insights into:
- Which NFL games drive the highest in-stadium betting activity
- How frequently fans check betting apps during live action
- Where new sportsbook accounts are created inside stadiums
- How engagement varies by venue, team performance, and market maturity
This season-long data view highlights how in-person fandom directly translates into digital wagering behavior, offering a deeper understanding of the customer journey.
Growth Leaders: Stadiums Where Betting Engagement Is Accelerating
Five NFL stadiums stood out for year-over-year growth in geolocation checks and active betting accounts—two strong indicators of in-stadium betting engagement.
In many cases, increased engagement closely followed on-field success. Teams such as the Denver Broncos, Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots, and Carolina Panthers returned to playoff contention after turnaround seasons, reigniting fan excitement and digital interaction.
The Las Vegas Raiders emerged as a notable outlier. Allegiant Stadium continues to function as a destination venue, attracting traveling fans from across the country and creating a uniquely strong in-stadium betting environment, independent of team performance.
Engagement Rate Leaders: Quality Over Volume
While total geolocation volume remains important, the most telling metric this season was engagement rate—the percentage of fans inside the stadium actively using betting apps during games.
Top-performing venues recorded 10% to 13% engagement, meaning nearly one in every eight fans accessed a sports betting app at least once while attending a live NFL game. This highlights the growing normalization of in-game wagering as part of the live sports experience.
New User Acquisition: Stadiums as Sportsbook Growth Engines
One of the most compelling insights from GeoComply Edge data is the consistent creation of brand-new betting customers inside NFL stadiums.
Leading venues generated new sportsbook sign-ups at rates between 0.2% and 0.7% of total attendance per game. For a typical 65,000-seat stadium, that translates to 130 to 450 new accounts per game.
GEHA Field, home of the Kansas City Chiefs, led all venues in new customer creation, benefiting from Missouri’s launch of mobile sports betting on December 1, 2025, during the Chiefs’ final three home games.
Reducing Friction with Compliant Onboarding
GeoComply supports operators at every stage of the customer journey. Through IDComply®, the company enables a fully compliant KYC process that delivers 95%+ onboarding success rates, while GeoComply Edge pinpoints where and when these high-value acquisition moments occur.
This dual approach allows sportsbooks to engage fans in a way that is timely, targeted, and non-intrusive, enhancing both compliance and customer experience.
Doing More With “Where” at Live Sporting Events
NFL stadiums have evolved into digital engagement hubs, where live entertainment, mobile technology, and sports betting intersect in real time.
GeoComply Edge Stadium Data brings clarity to this intersection by providing:
- Actionable insights into in-stadium betting behavior
- Clear visibility into acquisition and engagement trends
- A season-long perspective beyond single-game analysis
As the NFL continues to grow and fan experiences become increasingly digital, one conclusion is unmistakable: the future of sports betting is already unfolding inside the stadium.
The post Inside NFL Stadiums: How Fans Are Driving Record Sports Betting Engagement During Live Games appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
betting brand marketing
Esportes da Sorte Secures Major Sponsorship for FIFA World Cup 2026 Broadcasts on SBT and N Sports
Leading Brazilian iGaming brand Esportes da Sorte has announced a high-profile sponsorship agreement for the FIFA World Cup 2026 broadcasts on SBT and N Sports, reinforcing its presence during one of the most influential sporting events in the world.
The partnership includes extensive brand activations throughout the entire tournament, spanning television, streaming, and digital media.
The sponsorship package delivers wide national exposure through SBT’s free-to-air broadcasts, simulcast coverage, the +SBT streaming platform, and the N Sports pay-TV channel. In addition to traditional broadcast placements, Esportes da Sorte will activate across the broadcasters’ digital ecosystems, including official websites, YouTube channels, and other owned digital platforms.
According to Marcela Campos, Vice President of the Esportes Gaming Brasil Group, which owns the Esportes da Sorte brand, the initiative strategically aligns the company with one of the largest moments of audience engagement in global sport. The FIFA World Cup represents a unique opportunity to amplify brand recall, increase engagement frequency, and strengthen emotional connections with football fans.
“The World Cup is a global event that concentrates attention, conversation, and excitement on an unparalleled scale. In Brazil, it represents one of the most powerful moments of sports audience mobilisation. Maintaining a consistent and high-frequency presence on SBT’s broadcasts allows us to expand our brand positioning and deepen Esportes da Sorte’s connection with the football fan experience,” Campos explained.
On television, Esportes da Sorte will feature prominently through promotional spots, opening and closing idents, commercial break placements, and video inserts. The agreement also includes sponsorship of a dedicated FIFA World Cup 2026 programme, airing throughout the competition, alongside integrated editorial content within the broadcasters’ schedules.
Digitally, the brand will be embedded within the official World Cup broadcasts on SBT and N Sports, while also appearing in additional content initiatives produced by both channels. This multi-platform strategy ensures comprehensive coverage of the tournament, maximising visibility and engagement across broadcast and online audiences.
With this partnership, Esportes da Sorte further cements its position as a major player in Brazil’s regulated iGaming market, leveraging the cultural power of football and the global reach of the FIFA World Cup to strengthen brand equity and long-term consumer affinity.
The post Esportes da Sorte Secures Major Sponsorship for FIFA World Cup 2026 Broadcasts on SBT and N Sports appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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