Altenar moves to deny Zurich advantage to Sportradar in US data conflict

Altenar has stated that it will oppose all attempts by Sportradar to relocate an ongoing lawsuit concerning the data rights and controls of US professional sports leagues outside the US District Court for the District of New Jersey. This morning, Altenar notified SBC that the Nasdaq-listed sports technology group is “attempting to force private arbitration in Zurich” to settle the multimillion-dollar dispute outside the US courts. In April, Altenar began legal proceedings against Sportradar in the New Jersey District Court, accusing the technology giant of abusing its position as a principal betting data supplier for the National Hockey League (NHL), National Basketball Association (NBA), Major League Baseball (MLB) and Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP). Sportradar is accused of manipulating the price and availability of US sports data that Altenar regards as essential to operating its sportsbook services. The lawsuit alleges that this conduct restricts competition and breaches Section 2 of the US Sherman Act. New Jersey court filings state: “Sportradar is trying to maintain its market dominance by unfairly eliminating its competitors. It is relying on its monopoly on sports data to squash businesses with a competing offer, despite previously decrying other companies for doing exactly the same.” Sportradar has asked the court to refer the dispute to arbitration in Switzerland, citing a binding clause contained in a master partnership agreement signed with Altenar in 2021. Altenar maintains there is no grounds to relocate an antitrust dispute that belongs in the US “in federal court, not private arbitration in Zurich”. Standing by its claims of no-relocation, Altenar denies the contract clause of Sportradar citing that it has been used to illegal bypass terms of the Sherman Act -“Sportradar is entitled to arbitrate the disputes it actually agreed to arbitrate,” / “It is not entitled to use the MPA as a shield against the Sherman Act in the very market the agreement carved out.” Altenar stands by the original claim submitted to NJ courts. The claim challenges Sportradar’s refusal to supply live pro-league data needed by Altenar to price and operate in North America and wider markets, rather than challenging the terms of its agreed partnership. Sportradar must explain exclusivity of partnerships Altenar’s legal entanglement with Sportradar is the second such case against the Swiss sportstech over the last two years. Back in March 2025, real-time sports data and tech firm Sportscastr (PANDA Interactive) expanded a previous patent infringement lawsuit against Sportradar and fellow sportstech and data giant Genius Sports to also include anti-competitive complaints, accusing both defendants of locking access to their data behind the purchase of their products. The antitrust claims against Sportradar were subsequently dismissed with prejudice by Judge Rodney Gilstrap at the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas on 9 April 2026. Altenar is now raising similar concerns, with the added context that Sportradar is breaching competition rules by ringfencing its pro-league data and simultaneously launching its own sportsbook platform, ORAKO, while also owning betting tech supplier NSoft. Both platforms are in direct competition with Altenar for operator contracts. As noted: “This has played out alongside Sportradar’s launch of its own turnkey platform, ORAKO, as well as its NSoft product, which competes with Altenar’s offer to the market.” As such, Altenar stands by its injunction to end Sportradar’s alleged refusal to supply the disputed data, as well as damages worth several million dollars (a figure yet to be disclosed). The claimant is represented by the law firm Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP. An Altenar spokesperson said: “Sportradar’s global headquarters are in Switzerland; it feels safe there. Its motion to send this case to confidential Swiss arbitration is a transparent attempt to shield itself from US justice and public scrutiny. Altenar looks forward to its day in court.” The New Jersey court must now determine whether Altenar’s antitrust claims can proceed publicly in the US or should be referred to arbitration under the companies’ 2021 agreement. Altenar seeks an NJ arbitration to determine the remit and boundaries of how Sportradar manages the collection and distribution of data for the NBA, NHL and MLB as a technology partner of the leagues handling key commercial data and IP. Competition must be upheld “to stop Sportradar from abusing its exclusive control over live official league data for the NBA, NHL, and MLB”. Sportraar informed SBC News that it “does not comment on pending litigation”. Article contributions from Viktor Kayed