Genius Sports has announced an expansion of its partnership with The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The long-term deal, which focuses on protecting the transparency and integrity of college athletics, will now see the sports technology company become the exclusive distributor of official NCAA data to licensed sportsbooks for all post-season tournaments until 2032.

Mark Locke, CEO of Genius Sports, commented: “Since 2018, Genius Sports’ technology has transformed the college sports data ecosystem. 

“This extension is a powerful endorsement of our vision – delivering cutting-edge data solutions to support NCAA schools while connecting our sportsbook partners with the highest quality NCAA official content, alongside our exclusive NFL and Premier League rights.”

Genius will continue to deliver ‘fast, accurate and secure’ data to the regulated sports betting market. Sportsbooks also gain exclusive access to official NCAA data feeds alongside NCAA marks and logos via the Authorised Gaming Licensee program.

Genius Sports has also outlined its intention to collaborate with participating licensees to strengthen integrity protections. This would focus on limiting risky bet types, ensuring compliance and safeguarding student-athletes.

Last year, several reports revealed that college athletes were facing “significant abuse” during a surge in online harassment. 

This has been blamed on more widespread gambling, with much of the online abuse coming from people who had lost bets on games involving college players. 

Several state regulators then moved to ban legal gambling platforms from offering certain types of bets on collegiate sports as a result, particularly player prop bets.

Meanwhile, concerns have also been raised about the perceived vulnerability of college athletes to match manipulation, given that many university students often struggle with finances.

Use of data is often critical to effective integrity protection. In the case of Genius’ renewed deal this week, the arrangement will see NCAA LiveStats, the NCAA’s official platform for live game statistics, continue to be utilised – which are already delivered to thousands of schools and support over 70,000 games annually across major college sports free of charge.

LiveStats has been described as a foundational data collection and distribution tool for schools, conferences, and coaches. 

“Most importantly, it’s a partnership grounded in innovation, integrity, and a shared commitment to the future of collegiate athletics,” Locke added.

The partnership also introduces GeniusIQ, an AI and machine learning platform designed to elevate the college sports experience. 

Genius explained: “From elite-level performance analysis for schools and coaches to interactive, data-rich engagement tools for fans, GeniusIQ delivers powerful, real-time insights that enhance the way college sports are played, analysed, and experienced.”

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