Latest News
Sportradar Group Acquires Fresh Eight
Acquisition of marketing personalization platform complements Sportradar’s ad:s programmatic technology and strengthens marketing services offering
Sportradar, a global provider of sports betting and sports entertainment products and services, today announces the acquisition of Fresh Eight Ltd (“Fresh Eight“), the operator of a personalized messaging platform in the global betting and gaming market-place, through Sportradar Management Ltd. Completion of the acquisition occurred on 2 March 2021.
Through the acquisition, Sportradar will strengthen its digital marketing services platform with a DCO personalization technology in both display and paid social, enabling sportsbook operators to fully optimise their media investments. The technology also allows sports-orientated publishers to control the integration of native and personalised sport-betting content into their platforms.
The acquisition complements Sportradar’s existing ad:s platform offering which provides highly targeted programmatic advertising capabilities to a significant number of betting and gaming businesses.
The newly combined offering will widen the ad:s platform’s marketing channel access and enhance its overall performance efficiency proposition, built around reduced operator CPAs, higher ROAS and significant work-flow improvements. In particular, in addition to enhancing the ad:s platform’s display channel capabilities, it will also allow ad:s customers to benefit from the same data-driven personalization within the increasingly important paid social channel, where significant media investment is now being focused.
Fresh Eight is a highly regarded technology provider in the global market and has made significant progress in the US, with both tier one operators and publishers. Current operator clients include FanDuel, Entain, William Hill and LeoVegas, as well as major sports publishers ESPN, CBS Viacom, NBC Sports and News UK.
Carsten Koerl, Sportradar Group CEO, said: “We have developed ad:s into a substantial business for Sportradar with its platform offering and a significant portfolio of sportsbook clients. But the market doesn’t stand still, and we must continually innovate and grow. The acquisition of Fresh Eight will accelerate that growth, as we add this personalization technology to our marketing services offering.
Andrew Sharland, founder and CEO, Fresh Eight, said: “We founded the business with the ambition to substantially improve advertising efficiency and returns for the world’s leading gambling operators and media groups. Today we partner with some of the industry’s biggest brands in Europe and the US.
“Data is the core DNA of both companies with a shared vision of how intelligence and automation can transform marketing efforts in the betting and gaming vertical. The combination of Fresh Eight’s machine decisioned personalization tools and Sportradar’s proprietary marketing technology and access to real time sports and pricing data presents customers with a compelling digital marketing offering. I’m looking forward to working with Sportradar.”
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asia-pacific
Groove shortlisted for Best Aggregator at SiGMA Asia Awards 2026
Groove has been named a finalist for Best Aggregator 2026 at the SiGMA Asia Awards, with the ceremony scheduled for 2 June 2026 at the SMX Convention Centre Manila during the SiGMA Asia Summit.
The shortlist was announced by Global Gaming Insider, according to the company. Groove said its platform aggregates more than 15,000 games from over 150 providers via a single API.
Giusy Campo, Business Development Director at Groove, said: “This shortlist is external recognition of a truth we already feel internally: Groove is moving at a different pace. Asia is not a single market, it is a collection of distinct regulatory environments, player behaviours, and partnership opportunities”
Campo added: “Our platform is built to respect that complexity, not smooth it over. Being named a finalist for Best Aggregator tells us that our approach; deep integration, localised content strategies, and commercial precision; is resonating with the operators who matter most in this region. We are not just bringing games to Asia. We are bringing a roadmap for sustainable growth.”
Yahale Meltzer, Co-Founder and CEO of Groove, said: “The aggregation space is crowded. Differentiation is everything. This nomination confirms that our vision, transforming aggregation from a commodity into a strategic growth discipline, is taking hold.” He added: “Operators across Asia are no longer asking for just volume or speed. They are asking for structural resilience, data intelligence, and a partner who can execute across fragmented regulatory landscapes with precision. Groove delivers that. To be recognised alongside the best in Asia is a privilege, but the real work continues in Manila and beyond. We are here to win, not just awards, but the trust of the operators who build their businesses on our platform.”
The post Groove shortlisted for Best Aggregator at SiGMA Asia Awards 2026 appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
data providers
DATA.BET reports 168% turnover growth from virtual content in Q1 2025–Q1 2026
DATA.BET says turnover from its virtual content grew 168% between Q1 2025 and Q1 2026, with the supplier reporting the product accounted for 39% of total virtual sports turnover and 45% of profits over the period.
The company said the content is developed fully in-house and delivered through automated bot-vs-bot matches that run 24/7 without dependence on real-world fixture schedules. DATA.BET positioned the format as a way to provide continuous events and reduce operational overhead for operators.
Across the same period, DATA.BET reported +299% active users, +129% across clients GGR, +246% events per quarter, and +218% bets placed.
DATA.BET also said the audience profile overlaps with live football bettors, which it believes supports retention during seasonal breaks. The supplier added that the algorithm-driven format “carries no fraud exposure,” supports In-Stream Betting overlays, and provides near-zero latency between broadcast and market updates.
“Over the past year, our bot-vs-bot virtual content has delivered consistent, measurable results across every operator deployment. Building e-Football in-house gives us the flexibility to configure it to what each operator actually needs — whether that is a specific league structure, a particular mix of bot and player content, or a branded competition format,” mentioned Rostyslav Likhtin, Head of Product at DATA.BET.
The post DATA.BET reports 168% turnover growth from virtual content in Q1 2025–Q1 2026 appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
content studios
155.io makes fintech debut with Coverd partnership
155.io has signed a partnership with US-based fintech platform Coverd, marking the content studio’s first move into fintech. The deal was announced Thursday 21st May 2026.
Under the agreement, 155.io’s real-world games will be integrated into Coverd’s platform. Coverd said the integration is designed to turn everyday transactions into interactive experiences where users can win the chance to have purchases covered through 155.io gameplay.
Sam Jones, Founder & CEO of 155.io, said: “This partnership gives us the opportunity to bring our content to a completely new audience. We share a philosophy with Coverd around disrupting and modernising industries through more interactive experiences. They understand that younger audiences expect entertainment and engagement across every digital touchpoint, including finance, which is exactly how we think about design.”
Albert Wang, Coverd co-founder, added: “Today’s consumer is actively embracing gamified products across every category, so there’s no reason personal finance should stay in the stone age. We’re excited to work with 155.io to make financial experiences more interactive and give everyone a chance to live big by winning back their purchases. 155.io’s next-gen content fits perfectly with what we’re building at Coverd.”
155.io said the integration will bring its interactive content—built around live-action footage and real-time mechanics—to Coverd users. The studio’s portfolio includes Rush Hour from its CCTV Game
library, alongside Ducks.io and Snow Run.
The post 155.io makes fintech debut with Coverd partnership appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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