10 de febrero de 2025

Los monopolios de datos deportivos: analizando su auge y cómo hemos llegado hasta aquí (2.ª parte)

El sector de los datos deportivos no siempre ha estado controlado por un puñado de actores poderosos. En sus inicios, la recopilación de datos era un proceso descentralizado, gestionado a menudo por ligas, equipos o incluso ojeadores individuales. La información se recopilaba manualmente y se compartía con los medios de comunicación u otras partes interesadas. Sin embargo, a medida que el valor de los datos deportivos se hacía cada vez más evidente, el sector comenzó a cambiar. El auge de las apuestas deportivas y la creciente demanda de datos en tiempo real transformaron el panorama. Las empresas se dieron cuenta de que controlar el acceso a los datos podía resultar increíblemente lucrativo, y comenzaron a cerrar acuerdos exclusivos con ligas y organizaciones. Estos acuerdos les otorgaban el derecho exclusivo de recopilar y distribuir datos, dejando fuera del mercado a la competencia. Con el tiempo, esto condujo a la concentración del poder en manos de unos pocos proveedores importantes.

Neta Porre
Product Group Manager @ LSports

One of the key drivers of this consolidation was the willingness of data providers to pay large sums of money for exclusive rights. Leagues, often looking for ways to maximize revenue, were eager to sign these deals. However, this short-term gain came at a long-term cost. By handing over control of their data, leagues effectively gave up their ability to manage how their information was used and monetized.

Another factor was the lack of legal protections for sports data. Unlike intellectual property such as music or movies, facts, numbers, and figures are not protected by copyright law. This means that once a goal is scored or a match is played, the data surrounding that event is considered public domain. However, the exclusive agreements signed by leagues and data providers have created a de facto monopoly, as competitors are legally barred from collecting the same data independently.

The result is an industry that is heavily skewed in favor of a few dominant players. These providers have little incentive to innovate or improve their services, as they face no real competition. Meanwhile, leagues, media companies, and betting platforms are left with limited options and rising costs.

In the next part of this series, we’ll examine the broader implications of this monopolistic system, including its impact on innovation, competition, and the future of sports data.

Read Part 3: LACK OF INNOVATION, HINDERED FAN EXPERIENCE: THE BROADER IMPLICATIONS OF SPORTS DATA MONOPOLIES