Sportradar has completed its acquisition of IMG Arena to cement its position as market leader in the sports data space despite investigations by the UK’s anti-competition authority.
The deal means that Sportradar is adding dozens of additional sports data rights to its current portfolio, including PGA Tour events and Grand Slam tennis tournaments. The purchase was first announced in March, with the total financial consideration amounting to $225m.
At one point, the plan appeared to be in jeopardy after the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) investigated whether the merger would be anti-competitive.
two parties argued that IMG Arena would have left the market regardless of the acquisition
It ultimately determined last month that the agreement was acceptable after the two parties argued that IMG Arena would have left the market regardless of the acquisition, so the merger doesn’t change the competitive landscape.
Sportradar CEO Carsten Koerl has said that the completion of the acquisition is a “significant milestone” and will allow the company to accelerate its “innovation at scale across the global sports ecosystem.”
