IMG Arena, the sports betting division of media giant IMG, has secured the rights to provide US sports betting operators with live streams of a selection of National Hockey League (NHL) ice hockey games.
Under the agreement, IMG Arena will provide the coverage via operators’ digital betting platforms that are available in legalized markets within the US.
The deal builds on IMG Arena’s existing partnership with NHL, whereby it has been live streaming games for sports betting operators in regulated European markets for a number of years.
“We are excited about the expansion of our international relationship with IMG Arena into the US,” NHL executive vice president of digital media and strategic planning Steve McArdle said.
“The NHL has taken a progressive approach to sports betting and this live game streaming opportunity with IMG Arena provides another innovative touch point for fan engagement.”
Freddie Longe, executive vice president and managing director of IMG Arena, added: “The NHL is a highly-valued asset in our portfolio, and we are proud to expand this successful partnership to offer one of the largest US sports to our growing customer base of sportsbooks.
“This marks a major development in the US betting rights landscape, and we look forward to driving further engagement for NHL fans.”
Upon launching the IMG Arena subsidiary in late 2018, IMG said it was keen for its new division to capture sports wagering data deals in the US market.
Just weeks after its formation, IMG Arena secured an exclusive data partnership with golf’s PGA Tour, while in September of last year, the IMG arm also entered into a wide-ranging deal with Scientific Games’ online division SG Digital.