Fernando Mora, Playradar: “Data and technology are no longer just supporting tools; they now play a strategic role in connecting leagues, operators, and fans”

In an exclusive interview with Focus Gaming News, Fernando Mora, Sales Executive Lead for Playradar in Latin America, Portugal and Spain, discusses evolving bettor expectations, prediction markets, and expansion plans across the region.

Exclusive interview.- The 2026 World Cup highlighted the growing convergence between sports, data and digital entertainment, creating new opportunities for igaming providers to deliver more interactive and personalised experiences.

In this exclusive interview with Focus Gaming News, Fernando Mora, sales executive lead for Playradar in Latin America, Portugal and Spain, discusses how changing bettor expectations are driving hybrid content, hyper-personalisation and real-time engagement. He also examines the growing role of prediction markets and Sportradar’s partnerships with Kalshi and Polymarket.

Ahead of SBC Summit Lisbon, Mora also outlines Sportradar’s priorities for the event and discusses Playradar’s expansion plans across Latin America, Spain and Portugal, as the brand looks to build on Sportradar’s expertise in sports data and apply it to the igaming space.

SBC Summit Lisbon follows the largest World Cup tournament yet. What are your main takeaways from the enlarged competition, and what did it mean for the sector?

From the perspective of my field, the 2026 World Cup accelerated innovation in igaming by showing how bettors’ expectations have evolved beyond traditional casino offerings. Driven by high fan engagement and active participation during the tournament, the industry is now demanding more intuitive, dynamic experiences centred on continuous engagement. Playradar, for instance, launched four themed titles inspired by the excitement of football, combining interactive mechanics, progression, and data to reward decision-making throughout the player journey.

This approach reflects an ongoing convergence between sports passion and digital entertainment. An authentic connection to sports, which remain active year-round, serves as the foundation for creating immersive products based on live competitions and official data. Looking ahead, igaming innovation will increasingly focus on developing integrated experiences that naturally mirror how fans already consume and experience sports.

“From the perspective of my field, the 2026 World Cup accelerated innovation in igaming by showing how bettors’ expectations have evolved beyond traditional casino offerings.”

Fernando Mora, sales executive lead for Playradar in Latin America, Portugal and Spain.

What factors do you think operators need to pay attention to in terms of trends in the types of wagering observed?

In terms of wagering trends, operators must look beyond traditional formats and adapt to a fundamental shift: players, especially younger generations, now expect highly personalised, interactive, and sports-connected experiences.

First, there is a clear demand for hybrid content that bridges the gap between sports betting and casino gaming. Today’s users are accustomed to real-time engagement and gamified digital platforms. Operators need to offer experiences that reward decision-making, progression, and participation throughout a match, rather than relying solely on static or purely outcome-based mechanics.

Second, hyper-personalisation is essential. Companies must leverage real-time data to proactively recommend specific sports, competitions, and markets tailored to individual player preferences, making the user journey as intuitive and seamless as possible.

Finally, delivering these dynamic engagement strategies must go hand in hand with operational efficiency and scalable technology, ensuring that innovative content can be rolled out seamlessly within the strict compliance standards of regulated markets.

How has the growth of prediction markets shaken up the sector? Do you see the format growing further outside of the US?

Prediction markets are not replacing traditional sports betting but rather expanding the entire ecosystem by attracting a new, tech-savvy audience and creating fresh growth opportunities through real-time, data-driven engagement. At Sportradar, we view prediction markets as a highly compelling adjacent growth opportunity, and we are solidifying our role as the fundamental infrastructure powering this entire ecosystem. Providing accurate real-time data, premium live content, and a robust integrity framework is precisely what enables these markets to price efficiently, settle reliably, and build lasting trust with participants.

Sportradar has established milestone global partnerships with the sector’s leading platforms:

• Kalshi: We partnered to serve as their official data and solutions provider, delivering real-time official league data, live odds, fan engagement tools, and AI-driven integrity services across major leagues such as MLB, NHL, MLS, and UFC to ensure rapid trade settlements and market efficiency.
• Polymarket: We recently announced a significant expansion of our partnership to cover over 20 major global sports leagues—including exclusive streaming for the Bundesliga and EuroLeague Basketball, along with official data for Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the CBA, and Australia’s NBL.

Regarding the format’s further growth outside the United States, the outlook is exceptionally positive. Extending these agreements to encompass international competitions demonstrates that the adoption of prediction markets is rapidly moving beyond US borders, and Sportradar is uniquely positioned as the ideal partner to support operators and platforms through this global expansion as the category matures.

“Prediction markets are not replacing traditional sports betting but rather expanding the entire ecosystem by attracting a new, tech-savvy audience and creating fresh growth opportunities through real-time, data-driven engagement.”

Fernando Mora, sales executive lead for Playradar in Latin America, Portugal and Spain.

What will Sportradar be highlighting at its stand in Lisbon, and what are your main expectations for the event?

SBC Summit Lisbon is one of the largest events in the industry, with around 40,000 attendees, so our expectations are high. The event has established itself not just as a trade show, but as one of the main forums to discuss and anticipate the direction of our sector. Having Carsten Koerl, our founder and CEO, share the stage with icons like Michael Jordan and Jason Robins (DraftKings) clearly reflects the moment we are in; the ever-increasing convergence of sports, media, technology, and entertainment.

For Sportradar, this panel reinforces a core message: data and technology are no longer just supporting tools; they now play a strategic role in connecting leagues, operators, and fans. This integration enables us to create increasingly relevant, personalised, and real-time experiences, many of which would have been unthinkable just a few years ago.

For us, the event is an opportunity to strengthen relationships with clients and partners and to closely understand the new demands and challenges that are emerging. We also want to show, in a practical way, how the innovations we have developed can help operators navigate this new landscape.

More than just presenting a product portfolio, we want to be close to our partners, understand their real day-to-day pain points, and discuss how data, Artificial Intelligence, and integrated content can generate greater efficiency, optimise investments, and contribute to building sustainable businesses in the long run.

It will also be a major milestone for Playradar, a Sportradar igaming brand, where I am particularly thrilled to discuss our expansion plans across Latin America, Spain, and Portugal.