The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has officially opened an inquiry into the proposed acquisition of IMG Arena US Parent, LLC by the sports technology and data company, Sportradar Group.
The regulator is assessing whether the major deal could harm market competition within the United Kingdom.
The announcement marks the start of a preliminary evidence-gathering phase.
The Competition & Markets Authority is now inviting public comments from any interested parties, such as customers or competitors, to provide their views on the potential impact of the merger.
The core focus of the inquiry is to determine if the deal would result in a “relevant merger situation” under UK law and if it could lead to a “substantial lessening of competition.”
Currently, this is not a formal investigation. The regulator has clarified that it is only gathering information at this stage and has not yet set a deadline for a decision on whether to launch a more in-depth “Phase 1” investigation.
Any party with relevant information is encouraged to submit written comments to the CMA.
The outcome of this inquiry will determine the next steps for the acquisition. Based on the information it receives, the CMA will decide whether to clear the transaction, require specific changes to be made, or escalate the case for further scrutiny.
This regulatory hurdle comes as Sportradar continues to expand its global operations. The company recently signed a major integrity agreement with Brazil’s Ministry of Sports and partnered with the media group Dazn for coverage of the FIFA Club World Cup.
