Chief Executive Officer & Founder
Sportradar AG
2001 – Present
Founder & Manager
Betandwin (now bwin / Entain)
1997 – 2001
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Carsten Koerl
CEO
Sportradar
Carsten Koerl is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Sportradar, the world’s leading sports technology company. An engineer by training, Koerl recognized the value of real-time sports data as a tradeable asset class early on, building Sportradar from a startup in 2001 into a NASDAQ-listed global powerhouse. He is credited with creating the infrastructure that powers the modern sports betting ecosystem, serving as the official data partner for major leagues including the NBA, NHL, and MLB.
Career
Education
University of Applied Sciences Konstanz (HTWG Konstanz)
Master of Science (M.Sc.), Electronic and Microprocessor Engineering
Major Achievements
Carsten Koerl led the strategic acquisition of IMG Arena in 2025, integrating its significant portfolio of rights (including the ATP Tour, Roland-Garros, and Wimbledon) into Sportradar’s ecosystem.
He led the company’s historic Initial Public Offering on the NASDAQ in September 2021. The listing valued the company at nearly $8 billion, securing capital to fund the company’s expansion into the United States.
After the repeal of PASPA in 2018, Carsten pivoted Sportradar’s direction to focus on the U.S. market. He secured exclusive data distribution partnerships with the NHL, NBA, and MLB. This move positioned Sportradar as the essential “utility” provider for almost all major U.S. sportsbooks.
In 1997, Carsten founded Betandwin (now bwin). This marked him as one of the pioneers in the online betting industry in Europe. He guided the company to a highly successful public listing on the Vienna Stock Exchange in 2000.
Awards & Recognition
One of the major confirmations of Carsten Koerl’s legacy as a leader was the EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2022 award in Switzerland in the Service & Commerce category.
Under his leadership, Sportradar was named Data Service Provider of the Year at the American Gambling Awards (2025) two years in a row. His product innovation was recognized when Sportradar’s “Alpha Odds” won Best Sports Betting Innovation at the European iGaming Awards (2025).
Career Highlights
Carsten built Sportradar’s original data crawlers himself, thanks to his engineering background. This illustrates his view of sports not just as entertainment but as a complex mathematical set of data points.
He championed the creation of Sportradar’s integrity services, which use AI to detect match-fixing patterns. This system now serves as the official integrity guardian for FIFA, UEFA, and the AFC, as it monitors hundreds of thousands of matches per year.
Carsten revolutionized the industry by treating sports data as a high-frequency trading commodity. This allowed operators to offer “in-play” betting, which now represents the majority of global betting turnover.
His legacy and efforts at Sportradar attracted prominent investors even in the early stages of the company’s growth. These include Michael Jordan, Mark Cuban, and Ted Leonsis, who joined as advisors and minority owners.
In Their Own Words
Upon receiving the EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2022 award, Koerl expressed his gratitude, pride, and vision for the future of Sportradar:
I am proud that we are recognized for the impact that our innovative and visionary technology products have on the sports ecosystem. But we are just at the beginning of our journey as the sports, media and betting industries converge with Sportradar at the centre of this massive market.
Carsten Koerl
After Sportradar’s expansion of betting data rights with UEFA in 2024, Koerl stated:
We are thrilled to expand our partnership with UEFA, offering our clients and soccer fans worldwide unparalleled engagement and value through cutting-edge solutions and comprehensive data coverage.
This agreement supports our strategic focus on selectively investing in long-term rights across key global sports, enabling ongoing innovation and enhancement of our offerings.
Carsten Koerl
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Who is the CEO of Sportradar?
A: The CEO of Sportradar is Carsten Koerl. He founded the company and served as its chief executive officer from the beginning.
Q: When did Carsten Koerl found Sportradar?
A: Carsten Koerl founded Sportradar in 2001. He established Sportradar once he exited Betandwin Interactive Entertainment AG after its successful public listing on the Vienna Stock Exchange in 2000.
Q: What is Sportradar’s relationship with gambling?
A: Sportradar is not a gambling operator and does not accept bets itself. However, it provides B2B technology and supplies sportsbooks with real-time data, odds, and risk management tools.
Q: What is Carsten Koerl’s background?
A: Unlike many of his peers, Carsten Koerl doesn’t come from a background in finance. He holds a master’s degree in Electronic and Microprocessor Engineering. Koerl leaned into his technical knowledge as he founded Betandwin and Sportradar, developing original Sportradar crawlers himself.
Q: Does Carsten Koerl still own Sportradar?
A: Sportradar has been publicly traded since 2021. However, Carsten Koerl remains the largest individual shareholder and CEO of the company, retaining significant voting power and control over its strategic direction.
References
- 2025 American Gambling Awards Nominations (Gambling)
- Winners 2025 (European iGaming Awards)
