Genius Sports announced a strategic relationship with Caesars Sportsbook Tuesday, securing another sports betting data partnership with a prominent sportsbook on the eve of the NFL regular season.
The multi-year deal grants Caesars access to Genius’ full suite of official sports data content offerings, including customer acquisition tools and fan engagement solutions. Under the deal, Caesars will receive access to official sports betting data streams from the NFL and global sports leagues ranging from NASCAR to the English Premier League, as well as top soccer leagues in Argentina, Colombia, and Mexico.
In April, Caesars was one of three top sportsbooks named by the NFL as official sports betting partners of the league — joining DraftKings and FanDuel Michigan Sportsbook. DraftKings signed a similar deal with Genius last month when it became the first of the three sportsbook operators to ink an expanded sports betting partnership with the data provider.
“Acquiring and retaining fans now requires a broader suite of innovative and interactive engagement tools than ever before. We are thrilled that Caesars Entertainment has recognized our investment in official sports data as it fuels the next generation of fan experiences,” Genius Sports CEO Mark Locke said in Tuesday’s statement. “Our range of live sport, in-game betting products and media services will support Caesars’ acceleration of its U.S. market growth, through exciting new brand, acquisition and monetization opportunities.”
Next Gen Stats included
Genius is riding the momentum of a historic deal it signed with the NFL in the spring. The partnership gave the data provider exclusive rights to the global distribution of the league’s sports betting feed. The multi-year deal is worth as much as $1 billion and provided the NFL with a 5% equity stake in the London-headquartered company.
As with Genius Sports’ partnership with DraftKings, Caesars will receive the NFL’s real-time play-by-play statistics and the league’s proprietary Next Gen Stats (NGS) data as part of its partnership with Genius. Powered by Amazon Web Services, the NFL’s Next Gen Stats platform has the capability to track player data such as location, speed, and distance traveled in real time. For sports betting purposes, top sportsbooks are working on developing props formulated through the tracking system (i.e. an over/under wager on Detroit Lions running back D’Andre Swift’s top-end speed over the course of the game). The props still need to receive regulatory approval in most states that offer legal sports betting.
“We are excited to see the continued growth in the relationship between Caesars and Genius, two key strategic League partners,” said Christopher Halpin, who serves as the NFL’s chief strategy & growth officer. “NFL fans expect the best, and the combination of their data, capabilities and resources ensure they will provide our fans with exceptional betting experiences.”
Last month, Caesars Entertainment completed the rebrand of its sports betting product by dropping the William Hill name in favor of Caesars Sportsbook, a more recognized label among non-sports bettors. Caesars announced the acquisition of UK-based William Hill PLC for $3.7 billion in September 2020 in a deal that closed in April.
“True to the Caesars experience, it’s our goal to treat our sports bettors like royalty,” said Kenneth Fuchs, head of sports at Caesars Entertainment, in a statement. “We know how exciting NFL betting is for our players, and through our partnership with Genius, we can now provide bettors with the live NFL data they need to make wagers like a true Caesar. We look forward to improving our NFL sportsbook offerings through this partnership by giving customers a more engaging and exciting way to play.”
On Sunday, the Lions are 7.5-point underdogs against the San Francisco 49ers in a Week 1 opener. The Lions are also a +320 underdog at Caesars Sportsbook on the moneyline.
Detroit has odds of 25/1 at Caesars to win the NFC North, along with odds of 100/1 to win the conference. The Lions’ season win total is 4.5 wins (over -140/under +120).
Image courtesy of Caesars Entertainment
