Sportradar reports strong growth in Q1 2022

Overall revenue increased 31 per cent; U.S. revenue increased 124 per cent year over year. Company reiterated annual outlook for fiscal 2022 projecting strong annual revenue growth of 18 per cent to 25 per cent.

Press release.- Sportradar, the leading global technology company enabling next generation engagement in sports, and the number one provider of business-to-business solutions to the global sports betting industry, today announced financial results for its first quarter ended March 31, 2022. 

First Quarter 2022 Highlights

• Revenue in the first quarter of 2022 increased 31% to €167.9 million ($186.4 million) compared with the first quarter of 2021, driven by strong growth across all business segments.  In particular, the U.S. segment revenue grew by 124% to €25.7 million ($28.5 million) compared with the first quarter of 2021.
• Adjusted EBITDA in the first quarter of 2022 decreased 5% to €26.7 million ($29.6 million)¹ compared with the first quarter of 2021 primarily due to higher costs associated with being a public company as well as reversal of certain temporary COVID-19 related cost savings versus the first quarter of 2021.
• Adjusted EBITDA margin² was 16% in the first quarter of 2022, compared with 22% over the prior year period.
• Adjusted Free Cash Flow² in the first quarter of 2022 increased by 100% to €12.9 million, compared with the prior year period.  The resulting free cash flow conversion² was 48% in the quarter.
• Strong Net Retention Rate², based on the last twelve months, increased to 121% at the end of the first quarter of 2022 compared with 107% the same period in 2021 highlighting the continued success of the Company’s cross-sell and upsell strategy across its global customer base. 
• Cash and cash equivalents totalled €715.5 million as of March 31, 2022. Total liquidity available for use on March 31, 2022, including undrawn credit facilities was €825.5 million.
• The Company reiterated its previously provided annual outlook for full-year 2022 for revenue and Adjusted EBITDA². Please see the “Annual Financial Outlook” section of this press release for further details.

Carsten Koerl, Chief Executive Officer of Sportradar said: “Our fiscal 2022 is off to a fast start, with core, high-margin betting products driving growth around the world. Our U.S. business continues its tremendous growth story as more states legalize and sports betting becomes live, mainstream entertainment. As the market leader, our technology and data-driven insights continue to transform the converging media, entertainment and sports industries and fuel our consistent and long-term profitable growth story.”   

Segment Information

RoW Betting

• Segment revenue in the first quarter of 2022 increased by 25% to €86.7 million compared with the first quarter of 2021. This growth was driven primarily by increased sales of our higher value-add offerings including Managed Betting Services (MBS) which increased 51% to €26.4 million and Live Data/ Odds Services, which increased 16% to €46.8 million. MBS growth is attributable to increased turnover and Live Data/ Odds Services grew as a result of upselling content to existing customers. MBS includes Managed Trading Services (MTS) and Managed Platform Services (MPS). Additionally, increased content sales from the Synergy acquisition contributed to the growth.
• Segment Adjusted EBITDA² in the first quarter of 2022 increased by 13% to €44.6 million compared with the first quarter of 2021. Segment Adjusted EBITDA margin² decreased to 51% from 57% in the first quarter of 2021 driven by temporary savings in sports rights and scouting costs in the prior year related to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as acquisition of new sports rights.

RoW Audiovisual (AV)

• Segment revenue increased in the first quarter of 2022 by 17% to €45.9 million compared with the first quarter of 2021.  This growth was primarily a result of increased content from Tennis Australia and the National Hockey League (NHL) as well as upselling content from the Synergy acquisition.  
• Segment Adjusted EBITDA² in the first quarter of 2022 was flat at €8.9 million compared with the first quarter of 2021. Segment Adjusted EBITDA margin² decreased to 19% from 23% compared with the first quarter of 2021 primarily due to higher sports rights costs driven by the easing of the COVID-19 pandemic versus prior year, and acquisition of new sports rights.

United States

• Segment revenue in the first quarter of 2022 increased by 124% to €25.7 million compared with the first quarter of 2021. This growth was driven by increased sales of U.S. Betting services primarily as a result of new states legalizing betting. We also experienced growth from increased sales to media companies and a positive impact from the acquisition of Synergy Sports. 
• Segment Adjusted EBITDA² in the first quarter of 2022 was (€6.4) million compared with the first quarter of 2021 of (€3.6) million, primarily due to increased investment in the Company’s league and team solutions focused business. Segment Adjusted EBITDA margin² improved to (25%) from (32%) compared with the first quarter of 2021 reflecting an improvement in the U.S. segment operating leverage.

Costs and Expenses

• Personnel expenses in the first quarter of 2022 increased by €13.7 million to €52.3 million compared with the first quarter of 2021 primarily resulting from additional hires in the Company’s product and technology organizations across high and low-cost locations. Employee headcount increased by 620 to 3,075 full time employees at the end of the first quarter of 2022 compared with the first quarter of 2021.
• Other Operating expenses in the first quarter of 2022 increased by €5.0 million to €19.5 million compared with the first quarter of 2021 mainly driven by higher costs associated with being a public company, and the reversal of temporary COVID-19 related cost savings versus the prior year.
• Total Sport rights costs in the first quarter of 2022 increased by €13.1 million to €54.0 million compared with the first quarter of 2021, primarily resulting from new rights for 2022 for ICC, UEFA, ATP and a normalized schedule in sports such as NBA, NHL and MLB, as COVID-19 pandemic restrictions eased.

Recent Business Highlights 

• In April 2022, Sportradar acquired Vaix, a pioneer in developing AI solutions for the iGaming Industry. Vaix’s innovative AI technology allows betting and gaming operators to gain a personalized view of their customers, which provides a more targeted, player-friendly experience. Sportradar has partnered with Vaix previously and incorporated its technology into its Managed Trading Services (MTS) offering. Sportradar’s MTS solution is a sophisticated trading, risk, live odds and liability management offering that helps betting operators boost margins and profits, while increasing efficiency and managing risk.
• Sportradar was awarded a supplier registration for online/mobile wagering in Ontario. With this registration for online/mobile wagering from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, Sportradar now holds over 36 licenses in North America across states, territories, tribes, and Canada. Additionally, Sportradar Integrity Services and the Canadian Hockey League announced a multi-year education and bet monitoring services agreement. This new relationship increases Sportradar Integrity Services’ portfolio of ice hockey partners to nine different leagues and federations around the world and strengthens its leadership position across North American sports leagues. 
• The Company continued to strengthen its U.S. leadership by appointing former Fiserv executive Michael Gandolfo as Group Head, Regional Sales. Gandolfo led the Fiserv’s Large Financial Institution Sales and Service Team, responsible for over 300 top financial institutional clients.
• Norwegian state gaming operator, Norsk Tipping, will deploy Sportradar’s internet-based Self-Service Betting Terminal (iSSBT) into 245 retail outlets across Norway to support the gaming operator’s growth. iSSBT is deployed in over 500 retail outlets, enabling Norsk Tipping to establish a mobile-first and online digital strategy, along with a retail presence. 
• Sportradar continued to advance its mission to detect, investigate and prevent betting-related match-fixing, doping and other threats to the integrity of sport by announcing a multi-year integrity partnership with NASCAR, an expansion of a previous agreement to provide bet monitoring and reporting with its Universal Fraud Detection System (UFDS), launching a Sportradar Integrity Exchange, a network that enables bookmakers to report suspicious betting activity and extended its work with the Austrian Federal Criminal Police on anti-doping. 
• The Company also announced that it will act as an advisor to Bowl Season on the sports betting space in a responsible manner, with a focus on educating the organization’s membership on the rapidly evolving world of sports betting, as well as the opportunity to expand the scope to include Sportradar’s Integrity Services.

Annual Financial Outlook

Sportradar is reiterating its outlook for fiscal 2022 provided on March 30, 2022, as follows: 

• Revenue is expected to be in the range of €665.0 million to €700.0 million ($738.2 million to $777.0 million)¹, representing a growth of 18% to 25% over fiscal 2021.
• Adjusted EBITDA² is expected to be in the range of €123.0 million to €133.0 million ($136.5 million to $147.6 million)¹, representing a growth of 21% to 30% over fiscal 2021.
• Adjusted EBITDA margin² is expected to be in the range of 18.5% to 19.0%, an improvement over the prior year.

• “Adjusted EBITDA” represents profit (loss) for the period adjusted for share based compensation, depreciation and amortization (excluding amortization of sports rights), impairment of intangible assets, other financial assets and equity-accounted investee, loss from loss of control of subsidiary, non-routine litigation costs, foreign currency (gains) losses, finance income and finance costs, and income tax (expense) benefit and certain other non-recurring items, as described in the reconciliation below.