ST. GALLEN, SWITZERLAND/NEW YORK — (February 5, 2019): Sportradar, the leading global provider of sports data intelligence, today announced the expansion of their global board including four prominent international names: Tony Aquila, Marc Walder, Herve Couturier and George Fleet. These four join shareholder representatives Carsten Koerl (CEO of Sportradar), Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB), and Silicon Valley-based growth equity firm TCV on the Sportradar Group Board.
Aquila will serve as the Global Chairman of the Sportradar Group Board. He serves as Founder, Chairman and CEO of Solera Holdings, Inc., a global technology company that develops next-generation solutions which manage and protect both businesses and consumers within the automotive, mobility, financial and cybersecurity industries in over 90 countries. He is an inventor with 100+ patents, serial entrepreneur and philanthropist who was named EY’s National Entrepreneur of the Year in 2013 in the Technology category.
“We are delighted to welcome Tony and our new group board members during such an opportune time of explosive growth for Sportradar, the source code of sport,” said Carsten Koerl, Chief Executive Officer, Sportradar. “Each board member brings an incomparable wealth of experience and strategic vision that will further enhance the expertise of our board as we continue to build the ecosystem of sports insight. We have not only doubled down on the U.S. as the betting market continues to open but are ramping up our efforts to transform the way our betting partners (bookmakers, lotteries and casinos), leagues, broadcasters, and digital/social media companies delight fans and protect the business of sport.”
Walder, a former professional tennis player on the ATP Tour, is currently the CEO of Ringier, a Swiss media group employing 7,000 employees in 18 different countries, and founder of the nationwide initiative digitalswitzerland. Couturier is a non-executive board member at Sabre, the world’s leading provider of solutions for the travel industry, at SimCorp SAS, the leading provider of investment management software solutions for the world’s leading financial organizations, and is the former CTO of Amadeus. Fleet is Head of Advisory at Canaccord Genuity and comes to the board with almost 25 years of experience in investment banking with particular experience in complex public and private acquisitions, mergers and disposals.
“I am thrilled to serve at the helm of Sportradar’s global board, especially now, during this exciting time of growth,” said Aquila. “Sportradar has always played a pivotal role in innovating and strengthening the industry as it continues to gain marketshare in key regions such as the U.S. and secure its leadership position. I, along with the board, look forward to working with Carsten to help take the company to the next level and continue its aggressive growth and expansion.”
In July, CPPIB, through its wholly owned subsidiary, CPP Investment Board Europe S.à r.l., and TCV acquired a stake in Sportradar at an enterprise value of EUR 2.1Bn (~USD 2.4Bn) from private equity firm EQT and certain minority shareholders. EQT also reinvested a portion of its sale proceeds into Sportradar. Additional existing shareholders include Revolution Growth, entrepreneur Ted Leonsis, basketball legend Michael Jordan and entrepreneur Mark Cuban.
ABOUT SPORTRADAR
Sportradar is the leading global provider of sports data intelligence. The nexus between sports and entertainment, the company serves leagues, news media, consumer platforms and sports betting operators with deep insights and a suite of strategic solutions to help grow their businesses. Sportradar is the trusted partner of more than 1,000 companies in over 80 countries and serves as the official partner of the NBA, NFL, NHL and NASCAR as well as FIFA and UEFA. It is also the only provider entrusted to work with the US sports leagues in an official capacity to distribute sports data (NBA and NHL) and AV rights (MLB) around the world for betting purposes. The company monitors and delivers insights from more than 400,000 matches annually across 60 sports categories, having developed the industry’s most proficient software while setting new standards for speed and accuracy. With deep industry relationships, Sportradar is not just redefining the sports fan experience; it also safeguards the sports themselves through its Integrity Services division and advocacy for an integrity-driven ecosystem that is fair to partners, players and fans. For more information, visit www.sportradar.com.
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