IMG Arena seals streaming and data deal with WTT
IMG Arena, sports betting data arm of sports media giant IMG, has signed a long-term live betting streaming and data partnership with World Table Tennis (WTT).
The deal will see sports betting operators gain access to content across all table tennis events organise by the WTT, including the sport’s most prestigious competition, the World Table Tennis Championships.
In January 2021, WTT will launch its new WTT Series, a new competition designed to change the sport and increase fan engagement. IMG Arena’s partnership includes access to data on all tiers of the new event structure: Grand Smashes, WTT Cup Finals, WTT Champions Series and WTT Contenders Series.
“This exciting new partnership with WTT is a longstanding agreement that truly incentivises both partners to build a world-class suite of products,” said Freddie Longe, executive vice president and managing director of IMG Arena. “Table tennis is at an exciting juncture in its history, and the plans to redefine the sport through WTT will provide sportsbooks with high quality and engaging year-round content.
“Operator feedback tells us table tennis is a property that has significant untapped potential and one which the industry feels will benefit from an improved sports betting solution. Our move into the sport will allow us to significantly enhance the betting interface and boost engagement amongst existing and new fans.”
Steve Dainton, International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) chief executive WTT director, added: “Partnering with IMG Arena to distribute our sports betting live streaming and betting data rights is an important strategic development for WTT.
“IMG Arena has a strong track record of working with federations and international sports organisations to both protect and grow sports via their innovative products and solutions.”
It comes after IMG announced yesterday (8 July) that it was to serve as exclusive global licensing representative for Rocket League, the popular esports franchise developed video game publisher Psyonix.
The multi-year partnership coincides with Rocket League’s fifth anniversary, and will see IMG bring branded consumer products to market through different partnerships and collaborations.
“During a time of remarkable esports industry growth, Rocket League is one of the most popular games in the world,” senior vice president of licensing at IMG Matthew Primack commented.
“Rocket League’s combination of cars, adrenaline-fueled gameplay, competition, music and customisation gives us the perfect scope to build a creative and fun licensing programme that fans will love. We are looking forward to tapping into new territories and expanding the game’s global footprint through consumer products and collaborations.”
The first product categories to be targeted as part of the licensing deal are apparel, toys, collectibles and accessories.