IMG Arena secures NHL streaming rights for US operators
Supplier extends hockey league deal to offer live streams of games to US betting operators
IMG Arena extended its deal with the National Hockey League (NHL) to provide US sports betting operators with live streams of NHL games.
Freddie Longe, EVP and managing director of IMG Arena, said: “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.”
Steve McArdle, NHL EVP of digital media and strategic planning, added: “The NHL has taken a progressive approach to sports betting, and this live game streaming opportunity with IMG Arena provides another innovative touchpoint for fan engagement.”
Although NHL streams have been available to European sportsbooks for several years, US operators have only had access to tennis since New Jersey’s launch in June 2018.
UK betting operators have come under fire recently for offering live streams of FA soccer matches to bettors as politicians criticized the link between the betting and football industries.
In October IMG Arena announced it had partnered with the UFC to produce a new branded betting hub to be delivered to operator partners that includes official data and quicker in-play odds.
The deal included the production and distribution of an official data feed for the MMA organisation.