SportPesa sues 20 companies over FKF data use row

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A court battle over the use of Kenya Premier League data by football streaming platforms and betting firms has been filed.

Milestone Games Limited, owner of SportPesa, has sued 20 companies, alleging breach of its exclusive Sh1.9 billion contract with the Football Kenya Federation (FKF).

“Defendants are making colossal profits through mischaracterisation of the National Football League, to the detriment of the plaintiff, by undermining the correct name of the league on their online platforms streamed within Kenya,” said lawyer Willis Otieno.

Milestone sued Superport International, Sofa IT d.o.o trading as Sofascore, Livesport and Soccerway, Livescore Limited, Sportlink Limited, 365Scores Limited, FotMob, Forza Football, Onefootball GmbH, Football Media Limited, AiScore One Sports Limited, BeSoccer Solutions Limited and AzScore.

Others include Footystats, Scorebat LLC, SAS Skores Media, Livescore Group Limited, Walt Disney Company Limited trading as ESPN, Red Interactive Limited trading as Betway and Dplay Entertainment Limited (TNT Sports).

According to Otieno, Milestone has exclusive rights to brand the league as SportPesa Premier League. He said the 20 companies were providing live scores to millions of viewers causing losses and operating from offshore jurisdictions making enforcement difficult.

“The court must intervene to protect the football public, including players, fans and the federation from offshore platforms undermining the development of the local league through illegal channels that mischaracterise the competition,” said Otieno.

Financial loss 

Milestone operations director Bernard Churo said the company runs websites and apps accessible in Kenya targeting users and earning revenue locally and abroad.

He said revenue comes mainly from digital advertising affiliate marketing with betting partnerships and licensing sports data APIs through FKF league live scores.“This mischaracterisation is causing financial loss to FKF and players who depend on sponsorship revenues from the plaintiff,” he argued.

He added that SportPesa partnerships aim to invest in youth through football commercialisation but online platforms have undermined this model.

He said the platforms continue to publish live scores and league tables under unauthorised names misrepresenting the official identity and depriving Milestone of brand recognition and revenue.

Churo said the defendants accessed match and player statistics supplied to FKF and monetised them through advertising betting links and data services using names other than SportPesa League contrary to the agreement and urged the court to stop the alleged infringement and award damages.