Genius Sports, a New York-based sports data and technology company has joined with Mediapro Canada to promote Canadian soccer worldwide.
The aim of the partnership between Genius Sports, which provides data management and video streaming to sports organizations, sportsbook operators and media outlets and Mediapro Canada, a broadcast service, rights distribution and production company, is to help grow the market for Canadian soccer both domestically and internationally, the two companies said in a recent release.
Mediapro Canada began a 10-year contract in 2019 with Canadian Soccer Business (CSB), the organization that oversees all commercial business of the Canadian Premier League (CPL) and Canadian Soccer, the company said in the release. As a result, Mediapro manages the domestic and international media rights to all CPL and Canadian Championship games, the company said.
Genius Sports has its own pre-existing agreement with CSB to distribute live video streams of all CPL and Canadian Championship games.
Mark Locke, Genius Sports CEO, indicated the partnership with Mediapro Canada will increase the popularity of Canadian soccer around the world and enhance the experience for fans of the sport, including opportunities to bet on games.
“The convergence of official data, betting, streaming and marketing is rapidly changing the sports landscape across North America,” Locke said in the release. “Our technology is driving this convergence and at a time when Canada is embracing single-event sports betting. We are proud to have partnered with Mediapro Canada to deliver the fan experiences of the future and grow Canadian soccer.”
Genius Sports is already partnered with over 400 sports leagues globally, including some of the biggest organizations, such as the NFL, NCAA, PGA and NASCAR.
Headquartered in Toronto, Mediapro Canada is a subsidiary of Spanish company Grupo Mediapro and offers a variety of sports production services including television crews, studio rentals and mobile broadcast capability.
“We’re delighted to seal this agreement with Genius Sports, one of the leading data and technology companies in the sports media landscape,” Oscar Lopez, Mediapro CEO, said in the release. “We are confident that Genius will help unlock the value of our digital assets and extend the reach of our brands across new markets. The partnership also strengthens our commitment to transparency at a time when Canadian soccer is reaching new heights on both the domestic and international stage."