Interactive
SPORTS BETTING IMG ARENA
and there can be no margin for error.
It’s not just knowing they can trust the data and get it rapidly, it is about using data to power more engaging and immersive consumer experiences. We want to re-imagine the way fans engage with the sports we represent while at the same time facilitating the widest-possible range of events and markets for any event that we officially partner with.
Traditional combat sports markets such as bout betting, round betting and method of result remain hugely popular. Can bookmakers be more creative in markets?
Our Event Centres combine state-of-the-art technology with an immersive fan experience. While factoring the popularity of the traditional and high-volume markets, we’ve created a blueprint for creativity, innovation and maximising the potential of a sport or an event from a betting perspective.
Beyond the markets, there’s a huge amount of detail on fighters and bouts, such as schedules and live event information, fighter statistics and ranks, as well as wider weight class and division information, that can be used to plan and inform bets. It’s deployed with a mobile-first design and also incorporates 3D visualisations of live UFC action. Tere is no comparable product.
We are constantly looking at new sports where we feel we can add value. We have taken on a big vision with golf having
partnered with both the European and PGA Tours to bring it to life as a betting product. Today betting on golf is small – only about one per cent of a UK sportsbook’s GGR – but we believe that is because it hasn’t had the same chance as other sports.
The rapid expansion of combat sport betting markets in recent years has raised fears about the sport’s integrity. Do you think an integrity risk is present for high profile bouts, or do you think the risk is greater at the lower levels of the sport?
Protecting the sports we work with is a key area of focus for us and we remain committed to upholding the highest standards of governance. Te athletes within the UFC are the highest quality MMA athletes on the planet, hence the standards and integrity they bring to the octagon are second to none. Added to which, the UFC has a robust internal integrity and education programme in place to ensure athletes understand the obligations on them as professional fighters. IMG ARENA also has a transparent contractual feedback loop on betting anomalies with our customers.
IMG Arena pioneered the mainstream P94 NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / MARKET DATA
introduction of official data rights. How do the authorities effectively prevent the supply of unofficial live data? Does unofficial data represent a threat to your service and products?
Tere are a variety of measures sports federations use to protect the official data supply and these methods will continue to evolve over time. We focus primarily on the product quality of official data service versus unofficial alternatives. For a start, federations control their onsite infrastructure and so not only are speed and reliability more solid but as technology fuels enriched data sets, the delta between official and unofficial data sets will continue to widen.
Naturally this richer content will also drive product improvements on both the back and front end so we believe that the threat of much lighter unofficial data sets will diminish over time.
You have a presence in a number of markets outside of combat sports, including tennis, football, basketball and virtual sports. Are there any markets you plan to become part of moving forwards?
We are constantly looking at new sports where we feel we can add value. It is well known that we have taken on a big vision with golf having partnered with both the European and PGA Tours to bring it to life as a betting product. Today betting on golf is small – only about one per cent of a UK sportsbook’s GGR – but we believe that is because it hasn’t had the same chance as other sports. Getting a data feed from golf courses of all shapes and sizes with weather conditions from opposite ends of the spectrum is a challenge in itself. However, we have also taken on the task of bringing the golf course to life on the front end with a mobile-first outlook. For us, delivery of world class sport content is central to our DNA and we will continue to look at driving maximum value for our clients in the spheres we operate in.
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