Global sports and entertainment company Endeavor announced its intention to merge its global sports betting and data businesses, OpenBet and IMG ARENA. According to the announcement, IMG Arena will be integrated under the OpenBet banner.

As a part of OpenBet, IMG ARENA will continue to offer its sports data, integrity and fan engagement products.

The resulting entity, Endeavor said, would leverage both brands’ expertise. It will pair OpenBet’s industry-leading betting technology, content and services with IMG ARENA’s data rights and capabilities. As a result, the new OpenBet will be an end-to-end sports data, tech and content ecosystem for operators and rightsholders.

The new OpenBet will be led by Jordan Levin, OpenBet’s current chief executive officer. He will respond directly to Endeavor’s president and chief operating officer, Mark Shapiro. In the meantime, IMG Arena’s president, Freddie Longe, will serve as strategic advisor to OpenBet during the transition period.

Openbet, for reference, boasts some 25 years of experience in sports betting innovation, offering a modular range of tech, content and services. IMG Arena, on the other hand, supplies sports data and tech to the betting, media and performance sectors, delivering live streaming and data feeds for over 65,000 events.

The pairing of the two companies follows a string of business deals for both companies.

The Merger Has Always Been Endeavor’s Goal

Mark Shapiro, Endeavor’s president and COO, commented on the merger of the two companies, saying that his team had envisioned a holistic integration with IMG ARENA ever since it acquired OpenBet in 2022. He called the new announcement the “culmination of that ambition.”

Leveraging Endeavor’s complementary sports and entertainment capabilities, we will unlock meaningful value for the sports rights and IP of our owned and operated properties, and most importantly, for our partners.

Mark Shapiro, president & COO, Endeavor

In the meantime, Jordan Levin, OpenBet’s CEO, said that the resulting entity is “uniquely positioned as a leading, end-to-end, sports data, technology and content ecosystem for gambling companies, rightsholders and media.

Putting our customers and their players at the heart of our product and tech innovation remains the key to our ongoing success. As an integrated business, we are focused on providing a unique solution to leagues, federations, and sportsbooks worldwide.

Jordan Levin, CEO, OpenBet

Last year, OpenBet powered Sazka, the company behind Allwyn, with its Neccton technology.

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Global sports & culture company IMG has extended its exclusive international media, data and streaming rights partnership agreement with the Australian Professional Leagues (APL). Under the extended partnership, IMG will distribute APL media rights for several more years.

The partnership extension will allow the sports specialist to manage APL’s media rights in international markets, excluding Australia and New Zealand. At the same time, IMG’s IMG ARENA brand will record and provide official data from all APL matches over, supplying it to its extensive network of partnering sports betting operators.

The renewed contract covers both ALP’s men’s and women’s teams, allowing the APL to grow its presence. The league explained that the partnership with IMG will help it “drive audience and commercial growth” for some of the most highly-anticipated events of the seasons.

More Soccer, More Goals and More Stories for Fans

A-Leagues commissioner Nick Garcia commented on the extension of APL’s partnership with IMG, highlighting its potential to promote Australian and New Zealander soccer.  Garcia said that his team is looking forward to continuing the partnership with IMG, tapping into the global sports company’s extensive expertise in sports and benefitting from its expansive global network.

Garcia added that the A-Leagues are home to a variety of international soccer talents. He noted:

With three new women’s teams in the A-League Women, and two men’s teams to come to the A-League Men, we have more football, more goals, and more stories for fans to connect with.

Nick Garcia, commissioner, A-Leagues

In the meantime, Dale Levin, senior vice president and head of Australasia and Southeast Asia for IMG’s media business, also commented on the matter. He said that his team is very proud of its lasting relationship with the Australian Professional Leagues. According to Levin, the partnership has allowed the leagues to grow significantly over the past six years.

Earlier this year, IMG ARENA expanded its partnership with Major League Soccer, agreeing to supply tracking data for MLS Next Pro, a major soccer league in the United States and Canada.

In April, IMG ARENA also wrapped up its acquisition of the high-end virtual games provider Leap Gaming. The deal was officially announced in December 2022 and allows IMG ARENA to enhance its offering. IMG ARENA president Freddie Longe remarked that the acquisition will allow his company to “shape the future of sports betting entertainment.”

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SBC News reported that IMG Arena filed a lawsuit against Stats Perform over alleged breaches of exclusive data collection rights during Austrian, Czech, German, Greek, and Swiss soccer matches.

Stats Perform Accused of Breaching IMG Arena’s Exclusive Data Collection Rights

In the claim, IMG Arena alleges that Stats Perform has been operating an unauthorized network of data collectors or scouts to obtain real-time data from matches that are covered under IMG Arena’s exclusive soccer license. The suit further alleges that the unauthorized scouts collected betting data and shared it with Stats Perform in real-time.

In February 2022, IMG Arena was awarded the contract for the Collection and Supply of Fast Data for Betting Purposes for 19 European soccer leagues and 44 competitions, including top and lower-tier domestic leagues, domestic cups, super cups, and women’s soccer competitions.

IMG Arena claims that Stats Perform breached their exclusive data collection rights during several matches in the five countries, including a match between Lafnitz and Sturm Graz II in the Austrian league and a match between FK Teplice and FC Zbrojovka Brno in the Czech league. 

Unauthorized scouts were also present at men’s tier 3 (3 Bundesliga) and women’s tier 1 (Frauen-Bundesliga) matches in Germany and the men’s top tier (Super League) match between PAS Lamia 1964 and OFI Crete in Greece. An unauthorized scout was also present during a men’s second-tier (Challenge League) match between Neuchatel Xamax and FC Lausanne-Sport in Switzerland.

IMG Arena President Urges Rights Holders to Protect Their Data from Unscrupulous Companies

In a statement for SBC News, Freddie Longe, president of IMG Arena, said there is evidence indicating that Stats Perform has been sending unauthorized scouts to collect official data from European Leagues. The data was collected in several mature markets. 

According to IMG Arena, Stats Perform’s actions have caused substantial loss and damage to the company, although the full extent of the damage is not yet known. The company estimates the damages to be at least $1.6 million. IMG Arena believes that the data breaches by Stats Perform are undermining the value of the rights holders’ data and intellectual property in the marketplace.

Longe has further called on rights holders to take a more active role in protecting the value of their rights and to refuse to work with companies that engage in unscrupulous practices. He also urged entities like the Sports Rights Owners Coalition to play a more active role in protecting media rights.

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