The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has cleared Sportradar’s planned acquisition of IMG Arena, concluding a regulatory review launched in July 2025.
The approval removes the final major obstacle to closing the deal, which is expected to be finalised in the fourth quarter of this year.
The CMA opened its inquiry earlier this summer to assess whether the transaction could harm competition in the UK betting and sports data market.
As part of the process, stakeholders were invited to provide input on possible dominance concerns, market disruption, or regulatory risks.
The CMA confirmed that the deal can proceed without conditions, though it has not yet published the full reasoning behind its decision. That report, according to the regulator, will be released at a later date.
The transaction has been under discussion since November 2024, when Endeavour Group signalled its intent to sell IMG Arena’s assets.
Sportradar formally announced the agreement in early 2025 in conjunction with its fiscal year 2024 financial update.
At the time, the company reported annual revenue of €1.1bn, marking a 26.1% year-on-year increase.
An atypical financial arrangement
The structure of the deal stands out in comparison with conventional mergers and acquisitions.
Rather than Sportradar paying Endeavour directly, IMG Arena will provide Sportradar with $125m in financial consideration and an additional $100m in prepayments to sports rightsholders.
This arrangement, described by industry analysts as both pragmatic and atypical, has been closely watched across the sports data and betting ecosystem.
Sportradar has repeatedly emphasised that the plan remains on schedule for completion before year-end.
While progressing toward this acquisition, Sportradar has also advanced its technology and product development.
Recently, the company announced a partnership with fantasy sports and betting operator Underdog.
The collaboration will see the integration of Sportradar’s AI-powered safer gambling solution, Bettor Sense, launched earlier this year, designed to monitor and address problematic betting behaviours in real time.
The CMA’s approval provides Sportradar with fresh impetus to consolidate its position in a competitive global market.
By combining IMG Arena’s distribution reach with Sportradar’s analytics and data products, the merged entity is expected to strengthen relationships with sportsbooks, media companies, and sporting bodies as the global sports betting industry continues to evolve.
