Internap gets Sportradar distributed

Internap Network Services Corporation, a provider of high-performance internet infrastructure services, has announced that supplier of sports and betting-related data services Sportradar is using Internap’s content delivery network (CDN) to stream live professional sporting events and data directly into 1,000 retail betting shops worldwide. With more than a petabyte of data at its disposal, Sportradar’s Live Channel provides a unique combination of a live event stream, statistics and odds – all integrated on a single screen. Given the real-time nature of sports and betting, Sportradar needed a high-performance CDN that could minimise latency and keep up with the demands of its global customer base.

Large betting retailers rely on Sportradar to add measurable value for their in-store customers by providing sport statistics, odds and other data that enables them to make more informed betting decisions. The company’s Live Channel is designed as a complement to a retail bookmaker’s traditional TV feed so they can show additional sports content from ATP Tennis, Major League Soccer, French Ligue 1 and other professional leagues throughout the day to offer more betting options and increase turnover. Based on customer requirements, delivering a quality picture and accurate data were critical to Live Channel’s success; Sportradar had to ensure that the service could be delivered on a global basis without jitter, latency or other performance issues.

“Our business extends from our experts recording statistics and analysing matches at stadiums all the way to our Live Channel displays in retail bookmakers worldwide. Delivering high quality video streams and up-to-the-minute data are critical,” said Joern Anhalt, Managing Director Media Rights at Sportradar. “In a competitive review, Internap stood out in providing the performance and resilience required to support today’s betting landscape through a highly customisable, turnkey solution that is easy to deploy and can seamlessly support our expansion into new markets with Internap’s global infrastructure footprint.”

Internap’s route-optimised CDN puts rich media and streaming content closer to end users and is built upon the company’s patented Managed Internet Route Optimizer (MIRO) technology that dynamically sends traffic over the best performing route at any given time across major Internet backbones for maximum speed and reliability. Working with an outside consultant to define its requirements and selection process, Sportradar reviewed five different CDN providers before selecting Internap. After an extensive six-month testing period, Sportradar began delivering all of its Live Channel content over Internap’s CDN.

“As end users increasingly expect instant access to accurate sports and other information, the ability to guarantee seamless content delivery to any device, at any time, is critical for organisations like Sportradar that offer real-time data services,” said Paul Vian, director of business development at Internap. “Internap’s CDN combines superior performance with global reach, allowing Sportradar to rapidly and reliably stream customer content into retail bookmakers worldwide and ensure an optimal experience for end users.”