Last month’s acquisition of PA SportsTicker by STATS altered the landscape of sports information delivery, and not nearly enough time has passed to tell us what it will mean for our industry.

Obvious questions concern the effects on cost, innovation, customer service and employment, but the race to expand international coverage is also becoming central more important all the time.

To get the discussion started, FSB.com asked a few questions of STATS executive vice president Steve Byrd.

First of all, what does this deal change for customers who already subscribed to feeds from either STATS or SportsTicker? Will those existing customers notice anything different?

STATS clients will not notice any difference in their service. PA SportsTicker clients will receive both more accurate and timely information than they have received before.

Why did STATS decide to acquire SportsTicker?

STATS has evolved into a global company in recent years. The acquisition of SportsTicker was just a part of several overseas initiatives STATS is doing with UK based PA Sport.

What would you say to someone who worries that less competition in the field of stat and information delivery will negatively impact cost and service for the customer?

They should not worry. STATS will be honoring the existing contracts of all SportsTicker clients. They are, however, receiving better and more accurate services from STATS. They will also have the option to receive deeper and richer data offerings that PA SportsTicker did not provide - including award winning Associated Press editorial and photos.

Beyond the existing STATS/SportsTicker customer base, what would you say to the average leader of a small or mid-sized business in the sports industry who is worried that decreased competition in the delivery of sports information will negatively affect cost and service?

We don’t understand that worry. Numerous sports information options remain. At STATS, we offer the most in-depth information and the highest performance standards at a consistent value.

What does the deal mean for the fantasy arm of STATS? Are there any changes or new offerings planned that relate to this?

STATS’ fantasy sports division will see little change. PA SportsTicker was not in the business of building and hosting fantasy games. They did have a small number of clients in the fantasy space who received data feeds — those clients will now receive their feeds from STATS and will enjoy more accurate and timely delivery of those feeds.

Just about everyone reading this right now is probably already aware that STATS acquired PA SportsTicker earlier this month. Unfortunately, other projects kept us from affording it proper treatment at the time, but this move is still worth attention 24 days after it was announced.

Specifically, when one of the three major statistics and information providers is gobbled up by another, it only makes sense to consider the impact.

From a practical standpoint, the move should certainly strengthen STATS’ existing stateside efforts. It’s tough to imagine how adding SportsTicker’s capabilities to the fold could do anything but help when the two companies already focused on much the same material. Of course, the similar focuses also means overlap from the merging, and SportsTicker’s 125-person staff has seen layoffs as a result.

The acquisition also included a deal with SportsTicker’s former parent company, PA Sport to extend STATS’ reach in England. That could help with important international sports of soccer and cricket, which figure to be at the center of fantasy’s expansion to a global marketplace. STATS CEO Gary Walrath mentioned the international aspect of the deal in the company’s news release.

“We also recognize PA Sport’s world-class capabilities, and anticipate the creation of many new and compelling products for our clients and league partnerships, globally, as a result of our collaboration,” he said.

Most important to companies within our industry, though, might be the paring of information outlets. Instead of three choices, sites deciding on stat and news feeds will now be down to STATS and The Sports Network. What will that mean for areas such as pricing, service and overall quality of the product?

We want to hear what you think. What will it mean for our industry or your site in particular? Has your site already been impacted by the change? Let us know either with a comment right here or an e-mail to FantasySportsBusiness@gmail.com.

A roundup of recent posts on the FSB News page.

– Latha Iyer is looking to grab an early share of the fantasy sports market in India with her company, Presino.

– Blogger Jon Haber and Sarah Talalay of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel each take a look at the growing fantasy sports landscape.

– The timing seems a bit odd with just six weeks remaining in the NFL season following this one, but the iLove Fantasy Football ‘08 iPhone and iPod Touch application was recently released, powered by Fandora’s Box, PA SportsTicker and The Sports Xchange.

– MLB Network recently added four more personalities to its roster, including former ballplayers and ESPN analysts Harold Reynolds and Al Leiter. The network debuts on Jan. 1.

A roundup of recent posts on the FSB News page.

– “iLove College Football 2008,” from Fandora’s Box and supported by PA SportsTicker and The Sports Xchange, promises to help iPhone users track the scores and fantasy stats every Saturday.

– FantasyFootballStarters.com will now stream its weekly radio show, “The Red Zone,” live via its website.

– A report by online-ad tracking company PubMatic says that prices for display ads hit their lowest level in the third quarter, continuing a downward trend through the year.

– The Chicago Tribune reminds us that the sports calendar is packed right now, and seeks perspective from people with varying viewpoints.

– This blogger has six reasons that you should be playing fantasy basketball.

– NCAA athlete graduation rates are at an all-time high and outpacing the rates of non-athlete students. (Unfortunately, that’s all bound to turn around by next year’s report now that fantasy college football is killing amateurism.)

– John Madden will miss his first week of NFL action since 1980 this Sunday, as he takes a one-week rest offered by Dick Ebersol. Cris Collinsworth will fill in on Sunday night.

– Former 49er defensive back Merton Hanks just might beat you in fantasy football. He could definitely wiggle his neck better in celebration of doing so.