In an insightful interview we sat down with, Ed Abelson, Founder and CEO of Abelson Sports, recounts early-stage hurdles in delivering accurate fixtures and settlement data, underscoring the necessity of efficiency. From forging alliances to acquiring Super Soccer Oddsfeed in 2017, Ed’s enterprise has consistently evolved. He highlights 24/7 support driven by robust infrastructure, meticulous security protocols, and multi-factor authentication. Diverse collaborations with media entities spurred expansions in data granularity and coverage. Regulatory compliance remains paramount, with official partnerships ensuring integrity and swift issue resolution. Looking ahead, AI-enabled odds generation and hybrid analytics promise even broader horizons for Abelson Sports.
Gaming Eminence: You launched Abelson Sports in 2003 just as online betting was taking off. Can you walk us through the specific challenges you faced in those early days of supplying data to bookmakers, and how that experience shaped the development of your current ODDS division and Football Player Markets product?
EA) When I first started Abelson Sports, I was operating alone, gradually expanding the team as demand grew. My background at Mirror Group, where I sold my initial sports databases and helped set up Soccerbase for the Racing Post, gave me a strong foundation in sports data. My first major clients were Betfair, for whom we provided worldwide football fixtures, and Ladbrokes, where we played a key role in improving their settlement times for goalscorer markets, from 10pm on a Saturday night to just 30 minutes after a match. These early experiences underscored the importance of efficiency and accuracy in data services, shaping the standards that we uphold today.
Early on, the company diversified into various products, including Test Match scorecards for major bookmakers, live tennis scores, and sports TV listings. We also produced video previews featuring industry experts like Alastair Down, Jim McGrath and Phil Tufnell. Over time, we strengthened our position by partnering with Opta to deliver comprehensive sports fixtures and results to operators like Ladbrokes and William Hill. Our biggest step forward came in 2017 when we took over Super Soccer Oddsfeed, a key move that enabled us to enhance our Football Player Markets product. Super Soccer Oddsfeed provided the odds, while we handled settlement, making for a seamless and highly effective collaboration.
In the early days, proving the value of our products was a challenge, particularly in the niche goalscorer markets, which have since surged in popularity due to bet-builder products. Initially, we delivered services through emailed spreadsheets before evolving to bespoke feeds tailored to each client’s needs. Our commitment to listening to client requirements led to key innovations, such as incorporating match IDs for first- and second-leg fixtures, which streamlined automated market creation. Similarly, for Football Player Markets, we refined our feeds to include attributes like raw price, player expectancy, and player percentage, ensuring our data remained as accurate and actionable as possible.
Gaming Eminence: Abelson Sports prides itself on providing 24/7, 365-day support for operators around the globe. What does that look like under the hood—how do you ensure real-time accuracy and reliability of data delivery across multiple time zones and sports, especially when unexpected disruptions occur?
EA) Ensuring real-time accuracy and reliability in data delivery requires a robust infrastructure, rigorous security measures, and a highly responsive support system. We’ve invested heavily in building what we believe to be an industry-leading customer support framework. Our UK-based team follows a structured internal escalation process, ensuring swift responses to any issues that arise. This commitment to reliability has been instrumental in fostering long-term client relationships and reinforcing our reputation for excellence.
Our proprietary software is designed with restricted access controls, ensuring data security while maintaining operational efficiency. We employ best practices in cloud-based infrastructure, utilising recognised cloud service providers that offer built-in protection against external threats. Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is enforced across all our servers, with access granted only to designated personnel. Additionally, we distribute our services across multiple server providers to enhance redundancy and mitigate the risk of downtime. To maintain peak system performance, we implement a regular release schedule for security patches and software updates also. These measures, combined with our around the clock support, ensure that we can swiftly address any disruptions. By continually refining our processes, we maintain the highest standards of data integrity and service reliability for our clients.
Gaming Eminence: Your data and tech services now power not only bookmakers but also major media corporations. Could you share some behind-the-scenes insight into how you tailor your solutions to such diverse clients, and how that process has led to innovations within your own technology stack?
EA) Our TSS (TV Sports Schedule) product is a prime example of how our services have evolved to meet the needs of both bookmakers and media companies. Originally designed as a bet stimulation tool, helping operators highlight live sports events for bettors, it has since expanded into a broader market, including entertainment platforms and rights holders like OneFootball. We also provide data services to scores apps such as LiveScore and Betway Scores, which target new audiences and drive conversions to sportsbooks in emerging territories. Additionally, we work with brands like FANZO, a venue finder and fan engagement platform that collaborates with rights holders and brands to enhance live sports experiences, as well as leading bookmakers, including Oddschecker, SNAI and bet365.
As we’ve worked with a more diverse range of clients, we’ve had to refine and enhance our service offerings. This has involved expanding data coverage, adjusting the level of granularity in our feeds, and ensuring that key data points are readily accessible for different use cases. This client-driven approach has fuelled innovation within our technology stack, allowing us to build more flexible, scalable, and responsive solutions that cater to both betting operators and media companies alike.
Gaming Eminence: As regulations evolve and the demand for integrity in sports betting data intensifies, how do you stay ahead of compliance and security requirements while still pushing the boundaries of new product development and market expansion?
EA) Regulatory compliance and data integrity are at the core of everything we do. Where supplier licensing is required, we proactively apply for the necessary certifications, with Peru being a recent example. We closely monitor regulatory developments, conducting regular gap analyses to ensure our operations align with the latest industry standards. On the data integrity front, we collaborate with official competition data suppliers Stats Perform and Genius Sports. For in-play betting, where data accuracy is paramount, we implement human oversight to validate and flag potential discrepancies in real time. Our 24/7 communication channels with data providers ensure that any issues can be swiftly addressed. By combining regulatory vigilance with rigorous data validation processes, we can maintain the highest standards of compliance while continuing to innovate in our product offerings.
Gaming Eminence: Looking ahead, advanced technologies like AI and machine learning are poised to transform how odds are generated and how player markets are priced. How do you envision Abelson Sports harnessing these technologies, and where do you see the most significant impact for your customers in the next few years? EA) AI and machine learning are already playing a role in enhancing pricing accuracy, particularly in more granular player markets. We’ve embraced a hybrid approach that combines AI-driven models with human expertise. While AI can process vast amounts of data and identify patterns at scale, human intelligence remains crucial for contextual analysis—reacting to team news, unexpected scenarios, and market nuances that models may not fully capture. For pre-match and in-play player markets, we’ve partnered with Twenty First Group, a leading sports analytics company, to refine our offerings further. The primary benefits for our clients are twofold; expanded competition coverage without the need for a significantly larger workforce and improved market uptime. As AI technology continues to evolve, we’ll remain committed to leveraging it in ways that enhance our data quality, pricing precision, and overall service reliability for our customers.