Sports data is the core fuel for the operation of the global betting market and has pushed several industry giants to valuations of billions of dollars. However, the current sports data trading model, dominated by "exclusive agreements," is increasingly controversial. LSports CEO Dotan Lazar recently publicly called for a thorough reform of the sports data industry, abolishing monopolistic exclusive agreements, otherwise it will threaten the sustainable development of sports betting, rights holders, and data providers themselves.
In recent years, the market for exclusive sports data rights has rapidly expanded, with top rights holders such as UEFA joining the fray. Supporters believe that such cooperation helps attract investment and promote the advancement of data collection and processing technology. However, Lazar points out that these so-called "exclusive" rights are often just a commercial packaging, and actual game information can still be obtained through public channels such as television and streaming media. He criticizes rights holders for chasing "stupid money," focusing only on short-term high-priced sales rather than long-term joint market development, leading to continuously rising copyright prices, which could eventually lead to market collapse.
Lazar advocates for a more open collective licensing model. He believes that leagues and copyright organizations should retain data rights and license them to multiple data providers in a non-exclusive manner, thereby achieving broader coverage, higher efficiency, and more sustainable revenue sharing. Currently, sports data rights are mainly concentrated in the hands of a few financially strong suppliers, especially in football, American football, basketball, baseball, and tennis.
As a technology-driven company founded in 2012, LSports relies on artificial intelligence, computer vision, and machine learning to achieve real-time data processing and provides API services covering global events and markets. Facing the rapidly growing trend of micro-betting and in-game betting—expected to account for 30% of in-game betting volume this year—Lazar emphasizes that high-quality, low-latency data transmission is becoming increasingly important.
Currently, the LSports team has reached 400 people, focusing on R&D and actively expanding into emerging markets such as Brazil, Latin America, Africa, and North America. Lazar predicts that the annual growth rate of the sports data industry will remain at 10%-15%, with some regions even higher. He also revealed that the company is about to launch a new risk management tool based on artificial intelligence, committed to responding to customer needs with innovative solutions.
The ultimate goal of LSports is to become the absolute leader in the industry. Lazar emphasizes that the company does not rely on forced bundling or market monopolies, but rather wins a position alongside or even ahead of competitors through continuous technological improvements and customer value output. Breaking data monopolies and promoting industry collaboration have become key issues for the future development of LSports and the entire sports data field.
