The focus in modern sports fandom and betting is shifting from teams to individuals, particularly evident in the growing popularity of player prop betting. Once a niche aspect, player props are now becoming integral to sportsbook offerings, strategies, and bettor engagement globally.
"Sport is now more people-focused," stated Karl Danzer, SVP of Odds Services at Sportradar. He highlighted that team sports are increasingly personality-driven. While not every organization embraces this, it significantly influences betting behavior.
Generational and technological changes are driving this interest in player-specific betting markets. With enhanced investment in micro-betting and innovation in bet builders and same game parlays (SGPs), sportsbooks are adapting to a reality where fans tend to follow players rather than teams.
Danzer emphasized the generational differences in sports allegiance. "If you look at older generations and in the European space with football, how you grew up was to support a team first and foremost. That has always historically been different in US terms. The whole draft concept usually means players don’t stick with a team and the fans might follow the players over the team."
The growth of social media has accelerated this trend, allowing players to promote themselves beyond their teams. "Now the players have the platform to promote themselves over the team," Danzer remarked. This change includes a broader range of players, not just the superstars, influencing fan engagement and betting preferences.
Sportradar is responding to this shift with strategic investments. "We are definitely seeing the growth of player markets, particularly within bet builders and SGPs," Danzer explained. The focus on micro player markets aims to create real-time, player-specific betting opportunities that resonate with dedicated fans.
Tom Daniel, SVP of trading at Huddle, concurs with Danzer's assessment, noting that the structure of US sports—with its discrete, measurable events—naturally supports player-focused betting. According to Daniel, six of the top seven SGP markets emphasize individual performances, with player props making up around 70%–75% of all bets in this category. He attributes this trend in part to the American cultural embrace of statistics, particularly in baseball, where analytics like Sabermetrics have been important for decades.
Daily fantasy sports (DFS) have also contributed significantly to the current betting landscape, as many bettors have experience evaluating player performances through DFS. "Many of today’s sports bettors will have played DFS and so will be extremely familiar with assessing and taking an opinion on player performances," Daniel added.
While the trend began in the U.S., it is now expanding into Europe as well. Daniel pointed out a growing demand for player-specific markets in European football, where players have developed significant personal brands and social media influence. Marc Thomas, managing director of Algosport, shared this perspective, noting that player props have become much more prevalent in recent years, especially during high-profile tournaments like the 2024 Euros and Copa America. These events, he said, provided excellent opportunities for in-play bet builders and he anticipates continued growth in this area.
Beyond traditional props, companies are exploring more advanced betting options. Tomash Devenishek, CEO of Kero Sports, envisions a future where AI-driven contextual betting markets thrive, offering instant betting opportunities based on real-time player performance. For example, if a player is performing exceptionally well in a short time, a platform could quickly present a relevant prop bet.
However, despite the advancements, hurdles remain. Daniel warns that pricing and risk management must evolve with the increasing complexity of SGP requests. He notes that modern systems need to efficiently handle numerous simulations and detect potential large payouts tied to similar SGP bets.
Danzer acknowledges a need for more data regarding the efficiency of player props in acquiring customers and emphasizes the importance of understanding fans and crafting appropriate offers to maximize performance.
Overall, as trends towards personalization and player-focused betting continue, the dominance of player props in sportsbooks is likely to increase. "Operators like parlays; margins are better for a start," Danzer remarked, suggesting that the future of sports betting may focus more on individual performances rather than final scores.
