NCAA strikes landmark deal to sell official data and trademarks to sportsbook platforms

The NCAA has just announced a deal to allow licensed sportsbooks to use its official data, trademarks, and logos for its championship events, including March Madness.

Through a new partnership with UK-based Genius Sports, the NCAA is opening the doors to sportsbooks – but only those who agree to strict compliance regulations.

The deal, announced on Friday, also grants Genius Sports the exclusive distribution rights of NCAA championship data until 2032.

Sportsbooks must all agree to forfeit several perceived risky sports betting markets in order to gain access to the NCAA data. These include markets that incorporate underperformance bets, injury betting, and referee decisions-based wagers.

“The NCAA has and will continue to be a national leader in advancing responsible gaming policies,” said Tim Buckley, NCAA Senior Vice President of External Affairs.

“This extended partnership with Genius Sports continues that commitment with a first-of-its-kind ban on high-risk proposition bets, specifically underperformance wagers, negative outcome bets and wagers on injuries, officials’ decisions or fan-voted awards.”

In addition to the mandated betting restrictions, the agreement comes with a number of other caveats. These include sportsbooks agreeing to fully incorporate with any future investigations, which may also involve handing over geolocation data and wagering device records if needed.

Genius Sports – already a dominant force in the market, in part due to its exclusive rights with the NFL and English Premier League – was quick to endorse the new landmark agreement.

“This extension is a powerful endorsement of our vision, delivering cutting-edge data solutions to support NCAA schools while connecting our sportsbook partners with the highest quality NCAA official content,” said Mark Locke, Genius Sports CEO.

The NCAA’s lucrative deal has raised a few eyebrows, particularly as it appears to be monetizing its trademarks and data. Given that the NCAA amassed $1.38 billion in revenue in 2024, critics say the financial incentives appear to have finally eroded the association’s historically anti-betting values.

Nevertheless, the news of the announcement has also intensified ongoing scrutiny over how the NCAA protects its student-athletes. With a recent study finding that one in three student-athletes reported receiving threats or intimidation from angry sports bettors, detractors fear this will only worsen matters.

The NCAA has looked to address these concerns with revenues being apportioned to fund problem gambling programs, as well as protecting student-athletes from online threats. However, some argue this will do little to counter the growing social media abuse at the hands of disgruntled sports bettors should a player or team underperform.