Michael Jordan to Advise Sportradar
Basketball fans take note: sports betting provider Sportradar has revealed that basketball legend Michael Jordan will be joining the company as a special advisor to its board of directors, focusing specifically on the US sports betting market. He will also simultaneously be increasing his level of investment in the supplier.
Sports betting provider Sportradar has announced that basketball legend Michael Jordan will be joining the company as a special advisor to its board of directors. ©cocoparisienne/Pixabay
Jordan to Offer Strategic Counsel to the Board
The US division of the Swiss-based sports betting provider Sportradar has announced that the one and only Michael Jordan will be hopping on board in the role of special advisor to the company’s board of directors.
The basketball legend will also be increasing his level of investment in the provider, while simultaneously offering strategic counsel to the board. His focus will naturally be on the US sports betting market, employing his extensive experience in growing fruitful business partnerships across the industry.
The sports superstar, now 58 years old, also occupies a similar special advisory role on betting provider DraftKings’ board of directors. He stepped into this role after he took an equity interest in the fantasy sports operator in 2020.
Jeffery Yabuki, chairman of the global board of directors at Sportradar, celebrated the exciting occasion by stressing Jordan’s genuine belief in the sports betting provider’s overall mission:
“Not only is Michael Jordan one of the most iconic sports figures of all time, but he is a legendary leader who believes in Sportradar’s mission to enhance fan engagement through our fully-integrated technology and services platform. We are thrilled to have Michael contribute to Sportradar’s business efforts moving forward.”– Jeffery Yabuki, Chairman of Global Board of Directors, Sportradar
Sportradar Recently Celebrated $500 Million IPO Launch
Sportradar’s US branch took the opportunity of the much-anticipated launch of its initial public offering (IPO) to announce the news of Michael Jordan’s new role as special advisor to the board of directors.
The provider experienced a $513 million IPO launch and is now finally listed on the official Nasdaq stock exchange. To demonstrate his commitment to the role, Jordan attended the opening bell ringing ceremony together with Sportradar’s directors, executive team, and lead investors.
For his part, Jordan added that he invested in Sportradar in the first place because he is convinced the provider can transform the sports technology industry for the better:
“I invested in Sportradar years ago because I believed in the vision and passion that [chief executive] Carsten [Koerl] and the rest of the team had for transforming the sports technology industry. I am looking forward to having a formal role with the company as it begins its next chapter.”– Michael Jordan, Special Advisor, Sportradar US
Sportradar Recently Signed Deal with New York Jets & Baltimore Ravens
Sportradar is showing no signs of slowing down so far in 2021, having recently signed a landmark deal in May 2021 with two major NFL teams — the New York Jets and the Baltimore Ravens.
It will be offering its world-renowned sports betting marketing technology to the two franchises with the purported goal of helping them improve and refine their sponsorship and affiliate efforts.
These solutions are widely expected to greatly enhance the teams’ sponsor performance. They should also open up several potential new avenues for their wagering partners within the US sports betting market.
What is quite unique with Sportradar’s sports technology services is their focus on a data-driven approach to programmatic advertising. This helps its clients personalize the fan experience, as well as deepen the level of engagement between franchises and their loyal fanbases.
Head of US advertising at Sportadar Mike Smith explained that the supplier was very much looking forward to working with such renowned NFL franchises as the Jets and the Ravens:
“Legalized sports betting presents new and unique opportunities for teams, as well as betting operators, and the Jets and Ravens are taking a step in raising the value of their brands for their respective betting sponsors. Our end-to-end platform provides each team a number of levers they can pull to ensure they’re delivering a personalized experience based on their distinct fanbases, while maximizing their marketing investment.”
Michael Jordan Joined DraftKings in Similar Role in September 2020
Michael Jordan’s special advisory role at sports betting provider Sportradar is far from his first: in September 2020, he took an undisclosed stake in fantasy sports company DraftKings. In addition to his investment, the agreement saw Jordan collaborating with DraftKings on a number of initiatives.
These initiatives saw Jordan also take on a fundamental role advising the company’s board of directors on issues such as product development, marketing, and diversity. Meanwhile, Jordan’s investment in Sportradar in fact dates back to 2015, when he and other NBA team executives put funds into the provider.
Michael Jordan himself has a fairly long history with betting. He has admitted to being a fairly active bettor himself, with his activities dating back to 1993. However, he has always clarified that he has never had a sports betting addiction of any sorts and enjoys betting on a diverse selection of competitions, and not just sports.
