FIFA Partners with Stats Perform for Betting Data and Live Streaming Rights Ahead of 2026 World Cup

Jakarta - FIFA has officially appointed artificial intelligence-based sports technology company, Stats Perform, as the first official distributor for betting data and betting-based live broadcast rights ahead of the 2026 World Cup. This appointment is FIFA's strategic step in expanding the distribution of official data and match content to global markets that are increasingly driven by technology and the sports betting industry.

In its official statement on Tuesday, January 13, FIFA said the cooperation includes the distribution of official betting data as well as live streaming for all 2026 World Cup matches. The world's most prestigious four-year tournament in football will be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

This deal is not limited to the 2026 World Cup. Stats Perform also acquired exclusive rights to distribute official betting data and live broadcasts for other FIFA competitions, including the 2027 Women's World Cup, Futsal World Cup, Youth Age Group World Cup, and FIFA Intercontinental Cup.

The agreement is for three years and will last until 2029. FIFA considers this cooperation to be part of the commercial and digital transformation being carried out by the organization, in particular in ensuring that match data used by the betting industry comes from official and trusted sources.

In its implementation, the RunningBall team owned by Stats Perform will be responsible for providing official betting data in real time. Meanwhile, Opta, another unit under Stats Perform that is widely known in football analysis, will supply player statistics, match insights, scores, and match trackers exclusively to sports betting operators with official licenses.

"Stats Perform will also act as the official distributor of live FIFA match broadcasts to customers of licensed sports betting operators in certain territories," FIFA said.

This step reflects the increasing role of data and technology in the modern football ecosystem, especially in the betting industry which requires high accuracy, speed, and reliability of information. By appointing an official partner, FIFA hopes to maintain the integrity of the competition while reducing the risk of using unofficial data that is prone to manipulation.

FIFA's Chief Business Officer, Romy Gai, stated that this partnership opens up new opportunities for the development of official FIFA data-based products.

"This innovative partnership will create great opportunities to bring official products for the benefit of football and its fans," said Romy Gai.

He added that the partnership with Stats Perform allows FIFA to combine the global reach of its competitions with advanced analytics and technology capabilities, so that the experience of fans and industry stakeholders can be significantly improved.

For Stats Perform, this deal strengthens its position as one of the key players in the provision of global sports data. The company has long worked with various leagues, federations, and betting operators around the world, focusing on the use of artificial intelligence to generate accurate and valuable data and insights.

The 2026 World Cup itself is projected to be the largest edition in history, with an expanded number of participants and a wider global coverage. This is expected to drive a surge in demand for real-time match data, both for broadcast, analysis, and sports betting purposes.

Through this cooperation, FIFA also confirmed its commitment to work only with licensed betting operators. Data distribution and live streaming will be limited in certain regions in accordance with local regulations, as part of efforts to maintain transparency and legal compliance.

Amid increasing attention to sports integrity, FIFA in recent years has become increasingly active in regulating the data and betting ecosystem. The appointment of Stats Perform as an official partner is considered a concrete step to ensure that information circulating in the betting market is sourced from official and accountable data.

With the agreement in place until 2029, FIFA and Stats Perform are expected to establish new standards in the distribution of match data and content, not only for the 2026 World Cup, but also for various other FIFA tournaments to be held in the coming years.