The NCAA for the first time ever has agreed to sell its championship data to U.S.-licensed sportsbooks.
The deal will be facilitated by sports technology company Genius Sports, who already agreed to a deal with the NCAA. The deal will give the company the right to sell data pertaining to all of the NCAA’s postseason tournaments and events through 2032.
The arrangement cover the all-important men's and women's basketball tournaments, two of the largest legal sports betting events of the year.
NCAA will sell sports data
Terms of the deal have not been disclosed, though it is expected that the NCAA and Genius Sports will continue the revenue-sharing model they implemented in 2018.
“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.,” said Genius Sports CEO Mark Locke. “Most importantly, it’s a partnership grounded in innovation, integrity, and a shared commitment to the future of collegiate athletics.”
The first-of-its-kind agreement only applies to postseason events. It also does not include the College Football Playoff, which is not controlled by the NCAA.
The NCAA’s Livestats platform will continue to be free for all schools and universities that are members of the organization. The platform will use the AI-powered GeniusIQ to supplement its real-time analytics feed.
The original 10-year deal between the NCAA and Genius Sports, which included data for broadcasters and fan sites, will continue unaffected by the new arrangement.
Changing directions
The agreement represents a major reversal in course for the NCAA, which has tried to remain at arm’s length from sports betting. NCAA President Charlie Baker has also spent more than a year encouraging state regulators to remove college player prop betting from their catalog of available bets.
Baker also in January implored the U.S. Congress to institute a federal ban on college player prop betting due to the possible negative effects on student-athletes, such as an increase in harassment and the possibility for nefarious interference.
In that spirit, Genius said it will create an Authorize Gaming License with extra game-integrity safeguards and that will force sportsbooks to limit “risky bet types.”
The NCAA stands to gain a significant amount from the deal. Genius’ agreement with the NFL included a transaction of cash and at least $450 million in stock. Other sports technology companies shared equity with their partners.
The NCAA reported $1.38 billion in revenue in 2024, with the majority of that coming from its media rights deals.
Meanwhile, the American legal sports betting market is on pace to smash its all-time record for March betting activity. Legal Sports Report detailed that as of April 24, 11 of 16 states that had reported their betting numbers saw year-over-year increases.
Estimates also suggested that the country could combine to reach more than $15 billion in wagers, a March record.