Sports technology heavyweight Sportradar is now facing a probe by the UK's competition and markets authority (CMA), over its takeover of the IMG Arena betting and sports data division of media and entertainment heavyweight Endeavor.
The CMA has initially launched a two-week period of consultation (closing later this month), during which it will look at the potential impact of the deal – publicly unveiled as a definitive acquisition agreement in March – on the state of competition within the UK's sports betting and data services sector.
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The CMA has commented that it is investigating the merger in order to find out "whether the creation of that situation may be expected to result in a substantial lessening of competition within any market or markets in the United Kingdom for goods or services."
The CMA has requested comment from interested parties who have views on whether this deal will lessen competition within the UK, with a deadline for this of July 25. The official merger enquiry itself will follow after this (timelines have not been made publicly available yet).
This has not yet become a formal CMA investigation, and simply forms part of a phase 1 assessment by that body, under the terms of the UK's Enterprise Act of 2002.
The Sportradar-IMG Arena deal is worth over $225 million, overall.
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By GlobalDataAt the time it was announced, Sportradar said the deal would enhance its content and product offerings and strengthen its position as a leading content provider for global sports such as tennis, soccer, and basketball.
The tie-up involved Endeavor paying Sportradar $125 million to take over IMG Arena’s global portfolio of betting rights, with the agency shelling out a further $100 million to certain sports rightsholders. Overall, Endeavor has spent close to $225 million to rid itself of the business, in advance of being taken private by Silver Lake.
Endeavor originally put IMG Arena up for sale (along with OpenBet) last August, as part of the final preparations for its privatization deal with private equity firm Silver Lake.
A Sportradar spokesperson has been quoted as saying: "This is a normal part of the CMA merger control process.”
In terms of recent Sportradar activity, earlier this month the company was unveiled as a betting rights partner for Austrian men's soccer's top-tier Bundesliga, for the 2026-27 to 2028-29 rights cycle.
In addition, Sportradar will broadcast the country's second-tier 2.Liga domestically during that same period, using its Laola.tv streaming platform.
