Key facts
- Sportradar is accused by competitor Altenar of attempting to avoid US legal scrutiny.
- Altenar claims Sportradar is trying to move a multi-million dollar legal dispute to private arbitration in Switzerland.
- Sportradar has exclusive deals with Fifa, UFC, NBA, MLB, and NHL.
- Altenar alleges Sportradar abused its dominant position by denying access to US data and launching rival products.
- Sportradar's significant shareholders include Michael Jordan, Mark Cuban, and Ted Leonsis.
Sportradar, a major sports data provider with significant backing from NBA legend Michael Jordan, is facing accusations from competitor Altenar of attempting to evade US legal proceedings. Altenar claims Sportradar is trying to move a multi-million dollar dispute to private arbitration in Switzerland, where the company is headquartered, to avoid "US justice and public scrutiny."
Altenar, which uses Sportradar data to provide betting technology platforms outside the US, alleges that Sportradar has abused its dominant market position. Specifically, Altenar claims Sportradar denied it access to US data while simultaneously launching competing products. Lawyers for Altenar stated in a US federal court filing that while their contract with Sportradar allows for arbitration of disputes concerning international supply relationships, it does not cover US market issues.
"Sportradar is entitled to arbitrate the disputes it actually agreed to arbitrate – disputes concerning the foreign supply relationship governed by the MPA," Altenar's lawyers argued. "It is not entitled to use the MPA as a shield against the Sherman Act in the very market the agreement carved out. The motion to compel arbitration and to stay should be denied in its entirety."
Sportradar, which has exclusive deals with major entities like Fifa, UFC, the NBA, MLB, and NHL, has a market capitalization of approximately $4 billion. Its largest shareholder is the Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board, with other notable investors including Michael Jordan, Mark Cuban, and Ted Leonsis. A spokesperson for Sportradar stated that the company does not comment on pending litigation.