The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has announced an official partnership with Sportradar for worldwide data and associated media rights for all the major AFC competitions during 2021-2024 and 2025-2028. This eight-year agreement also sets Sportradar as the official video and data distribution partner for the upcoming AFC Champions League and the AFC Asian Cup 2023 in China.
Switzerland-based Sportradar globally provides sports betting and sports entertainment products and services. Established in 2001, the company presents cutting-edge solutions and services to media companies, bookmakers, sports federations and state authorities. They are the official partners of NBA, NFL, NHL, MLB, NASCAR, FIFA, UEFA, and 1000 other companies in over 80 countries where they monitor, analyse and deliver insights.
🤝 We are proud to announce our partnership with @theafcdotcom, as the Official Video and Data Distribution Partner for Major AFC Competitions from 2021 to 2028.
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— Sportradar (@Sportradar) January 14, 2021
Since this deal will allow Sportradar to use and distribute audio-visual content and AFC match-related data, Carsten Koerl, CEO of Sportradar sees this as a ‘strategic opportunity’. He said, “With the importance of Asia, we believe that this agreement is a strategic opportunity that will provide Sportradar further leverage in the region with a sport that is growing exponentially in terms of participation and viewership. This puts us in an unrivalled position that will showcase a wider range of services we have to offer to engage more sports rights holders in the region.”
AFC, the governing body of Asian football, is one of the six Confederations that are part of FIFA. With its headquarters situated in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the confederation has 47 Member Associations. As per Dato’ Windsor John, general secretary, AFC, the contract will connect AFC to the global soccer fanbase. He said, “We welcome Sportradar as our official video and data distribution partner. The agreement will bring AFC football closer to an ever-growing international fanbase and consumers.”
According to Patrick Murphy, Board Member and CEO at Football Marketing Asia (FMA), this deal will positively impact AFC as innovation has always been key for the new era of Asian football. He further added, “Enabling AFC data and related media to be distributed in real-time and with minimum delay is key in enhancing the fans’ experience, which in turn positively impacts the value of AFC football.” FMA is the exclusive commercial partner of the AFC for the rights cycles 2021-2024 and 2025-2028.