Panda Interactive Broadens Lawsuit Against Genius Sports and Sportradar

SportsCastr Inc., which does business as Panda Interactive, has ramped up its legal fight against Genius Sports and Sportradar. The company has filed updated complaints that add antitrust accusations to the existing patent infringement claims. 

Panda Interactive Claims Sports Data Giants Block Fair Competition

Panda Interactive argues that the two sports data powerhouses have taken part in practices that reduce market competition. It also claims these practices force sportsbooks to accept limiting technology deals.

The lawsuit brought in October 2023 in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, claimed the defendants violated Panda Interactive’s patented technology for low-latency sports streaming and betting. The recent changes to the lawsuit now assert that Genius Sports and Sportradar have used their exclusive grip on real-time league data to push sportsbooks into using their betting platforms wiping out any competition.

Panda Interactive reports that Genius Sports and Sportradar hold long-term exclusive deals with major sports leagues such as the NBA, NFL, NHL, MLB, and NCAA. These deals grant them exclusive access to real-time game data, which plays a crucial role in sportsbook operations. The lawsuit claims that both companies have taken advantage of this control by making sportsbooks use their own betting technology to get the data.

Panda claims that these actions have stopped new companies from joining the sports betting market and pushed media companies and sportsbooks into contracts that help the data providers. The complaint also mentions statements from people in the industry who worry about the growing dominance of Genius Sports and Sportradar in the market.

Legal Battle Escalates as Panda Interactive Seeks Compensation and Industry Reform

Panda Interactive wants the court to stop Genius Sports and Sportradar from these alleged anti-competitive practices. The company also seeks compensation for what it calls ongoing financial losses due to these actions.

Donald Schupak, who chairs Panda Interactive, has slammed the defendants for using forceful methods to crush competition. He says their actions have created an unfair system where sportsbooks have no real options. CEO Kevin April agrees, stressing that they had to sue because the market has been twisted, hurting competition and new ideas.

While Sportradar and Genius Sports have not given detailed answers to the newest claims, a Sportradar spokesperson has said the company follows all current laws and plans to defend itself against these accusations. Genius Sports, on the other hand, has not issued any statement about the ongoing court case.

As live betting grows more popular, an area expected to boom in the next few years, this case’s outcome could affect many parts of the sports betting world. Panda Interactive says it wants to make things equal, so sportsbooks and media companies can pick their tech providers instead of being stuck in limiting deals.