IMG Arena will be British Basketball League’s exclusive global betting data and streaming partner by securing the rights as announced from London today. The BBL’s domestic betting stream package involves 214 games per season in a multi-year deal and marks the first time both data and video streaming rights are bundled and sold together. The leading sports data business for betting, media and specific professional industries will stream 10 franchise-strong BBL Championship, its end-of-season BBL Play-offs, and knockout competitions, the BBL Cup and BBL Trophy. BBL official data rights need to be delivered from venue to sportsbook clients in seconds so relying on IMG Arena’s FastPath ultra-low latency delivery infrastructure that is both fast and accurate, meets the demands of trading professionals and fan consumers alike. The Sports Techie community blog is proud to share stories about digital rightsholder, league shareholders and punters from the U.S. to across the pond for our entire global following and readership. IMG Arena’s eco-system for sports betting for sport to fan showcases their official FastPath data feeds, Live Streaming service, Event Centres, and Virtual Sports Products.
FastPath
IMG ARENA will capture then near-instantaneously provide more than 460 sportsbook operators in their global network the BBL’s data from 214 matches across the UK per season. This incredible sports technology feat also involves distributing live streams for betting as part of the data stream.
Mark Wrigley, Senior Director, Rights at IMG ARENA, said, “Basketball is a sport that we are incredibly passionate about and committed to helping grow its global reach. The BBL and its competitions are an exciting addition to our portfolio, increasing our offering of premier-level basketball from key territories around the world.”
The BBL
British Basketball League is at the heart of British hoops since its inception in 1987 and represents the highest level of the professional game in the UK. The League has grown to 10 franchises in the football soccer dominant UK, a historical achievement over 30 years in the making. The assortment of super teams, dynasties, top level players, and respected coaches, along with memorable moments is all part of their colorful past, dynamic present and exciting future.
All clubs retain equal League shares. A separate independent Management Board oversees implementation of the evolving Business Plan and maintains day to day BBL aspects.
The current franchises are:
– Bristol Flyers
– Caledonia Gladiators
– Cheshire Phoenix
– Leicester Riders
– London Lions
– Manchester Giants
– Newcastle Eagles
– Plymouth City Patriots
– B. Braun Sheffield Sharks
– Surrey Scorchers
BBL clubs have focused on building foundations based on strong community programs. As part of the League’s allure, the emphasis on positive role models for young people is at the forefront while the progressive clubs are also actively involved in developing the next generation of British basketball players. Further promotion of the sport of basketball is tied into healthy lifestyles aimed to inspire the UK’s young people in the regions and local cities, or anywhere around the world where fans of the BBL are located.
Portfolio Growth
Acting as a premier partner, IMG ARENA has committed to supporting the BBL meet their growth strategy and creating new revenue streams by optimizing the basketball organization’s recent £7m investment funds by 777 Partners.
Andy Webb, Chief Operating Officer at BBL, said, “BBL has a stated mission to grow basketball and its following in the UK and beyond. Working with IMG ARENA helps us to do this by maximizing returns from an important commercial asset while also widening BBL’s audience and fan engagement.”
The newly expanded IMG ARENA roster of top tier basketball leagues also includes EuroLeague, NBL Canada, Italy’s LBA and Spain’s ACB.
IMG ARENA is the sports data and technology hub serving the sport, sport betting and sport media industries. The sports tech company delivers live streaming and data feeds for more than 45,000 sports events annually. In addition, they provide on-demand virtual sports products and front-end solutions for the likes of UFC Event Centre. IMG ARENA’s premium clients and federations partnerships include the DFB, ATP, UFC, DP World Tour, PGA Tour, EuroLeague, MLS and the FA.
IMG
IMG is a global leader in the sectors of sport, events, fashion, and media. The business manages some of the world’s greatest athletes and fashion icons; owns and operates hundreds of live events annually; and is a leading independent producer and distributor of sports and entertainment media. IMG also specializes in licensing, sports training and league development. IMG is a subsidiary of Endeavor (formerly WME I IMG), a global sports and entertainment company operating in over 30 countries.
Sports Techie, league development is the name of the game and IMG Arena, IMG and Endeavor as poised to make it so for the BBL.
Sports punting is a critical part of the UK fan experience. Real-time engagement from the sport to fan is also crucial to the success and trust of sportsbooks. This makes IMG Arena technologies the perfect tech partner for the BBL to meet these demands, as well as to help uncover new business development opportunities, increase revenues, and grow the brand, while providing fast and secure data for improved wagering and streaming.
Anyone know what a Scorcher from Surrey is?
The ‘Scorchers’ team name is a first for me!
See you later sportstechie in Seattle, Atlanta and around the world!
Sports Techie Social Media Networks
Sports Techie Twitter: @SportsTechieNET: http://twitter.com/SportsTechieNET
THE #SportsTechie Twitter: @THESportsTechie: https://twitter.com/THESportsTechie
Sports Techie Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/SportsTechie
Sports Techie YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/sportstechie
Sports Techie LinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/2958439/
Sports Techie LinkedIn (Robert Roble): https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertroble
Sports Techie Instagram: http://instagram.com/sportstechie
Sports Techie Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/SportsTechie/
Sports Techie Skyword: http://bobroble.skyword.com/
Sports Techie Snapchat, Skype: sportstechie
Sports Technology Podcast with Bob Roble.
Sports Techie Quora: https://www.quora.com/Bob-Roble
Sports Techie Moby Picture: http://www.mobypicture.com/user/sportstechieNET
Sports Techie Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/86791607@N04/
Sports Techie Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/user36773456
Sports Techie Guy: https://twitter.com/sportstechieguy
Sports Techie Alignable: https://www.alignable.com/atlanta-ga/sports-techie-llc