Sportradar’s Eduardo Lobato on SBC Summit 2026 and the Future of Sports Betting

From an unprecedented opening session featuring CEO Carsten Koerl alongside Michael Jordan, to the transformative impact of AI and the booming Latin American market, discover how the sports technology giant is shaping the future of the sector in this exclusive interview that Eduardo Lobato granted to SoloAzar.

Setting Expectations for SBC Summit Lisbon 2026

What are Sportradar’s expectations?

Expectations for Lisbon are very high, as SBC Summit has established itself not just as a trade show, but as one of the main forums to discuss and anticipate the direction of our industry. Our primary expectation is to strengthen relationships and, most importantly, to listen to the market. It is an opportunity for us to closely understand the new demands and challenges that are emerging, and to demonstrate in a practical way how our innovations can help operators navigate this new landscape.

Star-Studded Leadership

How important is Carsten Koerl’s participation in the opening session?

Having Carsten Koerl share the stage with Michael Jordan, a global sports and business legend, and Jason Robins, a leading figure in the industry, clearly reflects the moment we are living in, with the ever-increasing convergence of sports, media, technology, and entertainment. For Sportradar, this panel reinforces a core message that data and technology are no longer just supporting tools. They now play a strategic role in connecting leagues, operators, and fans, enabling us to create highly personalized and real-time experiences that would have been unthinkable a few years ago. Other Sportradar executives will also take part in panels throughout the event, including Behshad Behzadi, Chief Technology Officer and Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer and Tom Mace, SVP, Integrity Services. Their participation highlights the breadth of expertise across Sportradar, with leaders who are recognized in their respective fields and ready to share insights, knowledge and perspectives with the wider industry audience.

AI, Prediction Markets, and Innovation

What will be the main topics for Sportradar during the event?

Our main discussions will center on how data, AI, and integrated content can generate greater efficiency, optimize investments, and contribute to building sustainable businesses in the long run. We will also focus on the search for operational efficiency, predictability, and business sustainability, highlighting how our Managed Trading Services (MTS) allowing operators to transfer the complexity of trading and risk management to us. We will also explore the evolution of prediction markets, a rapidly developing area that is creating new opportunities and raising important questions for the sports and betting ecosystem. This year, Sportradar announced partnerships with Kalshi and Polymarket, further expanding our engagement in this emerging market. iGaming will also be an important part of our discussions, following the launch of Playradar this year, our dedicated iGaming offering. This reflects Sportradar’s continued expansion into new areas of the industry and our focus on using data, technology and content to support the evolving needs of operators and their customers.

Will Sportradar present new products and content?

More than just presenting a product portfolio, we want to be close to our partners and understand their real day-to-day pain points. We will certainly show how our latest innovations, data and integrated content can keep pace with the dynamics of each match and deliver more personalized, fluid and contextualized experiences.

The Latin American Catalyst

What role will Brazil and LatinAm in general play in this year’s discussions?

Latin America is going through a crucial moment of transformation and consolidation, making it one of the most relevant regions for industry growth. This movement is driven by the advancement of regulation, with Brazil playing a major role as a catalyst. The Brazilian market is a main reference and is expected to account for almost 40% of Latin America's sports betting GGR in 2026, which naturally raises the level of maturity and competitiveness across the region's discussions.