Sportradar Unveils Simulated Reality Product Range To Drive New Sports Betting Offering

In the ongoing absence of live sports, Sportradar, a global provider of sports content and intelligence, today has announced the launch of Simulated Reality, an AI-driven product for professional sports matches, which will be made available to customers within its existing portfolio of events.

In an industry first, Sportradar has tapped into its AI and machine learning capabilities to deliver a sports betting experience which is as close to real life as possible, seamless and with no integration needed.

Carsten Koerl, CEO, Sportradar, said: “We have listened carefully to our customers and the betting community who have made it clear there is an appetite for alternative means of betting during this time where this is a void in live sports action. Simulated Reality will give our sports betting partners seamless access to a highly unique product that is first to market at no extra cost and integration. As market leaders in the industry, we pride ourselves on our ability to quickly pivot our business strategy and redirect our resources towards delivering new and innovative solutions such as this.”

Drawing on Sportradar’s historical football database and statistical output to provide match data for the product, the first simulated reality games will offer a comprehensive range of pre-match and live (in-play) betting opportunities. The simulations will reflect team form and normal match play creating an advanced gaming experience.

Simulated Reality will be launching on Friday, 3 April covering the top-tier football leagues from England, Germany and Spain. Simulated Reality football will offer fans the chance to complete the current football season, with all remaining fixtures scheduled to be played as per their original date and kick-off time. 

Played out over a full 90 minutes, fans will be able to bet on their favourite teams, access match analysis and league tables, while the game itself will be visualised by live match trackers.

Sportradar plans to extend its Simulated Reality product to several other leagues and competitions in the near future, with other sports earmarked for production including tennis and basketball.

IMG ARENA And ATP Media To Launch ATP Masters 1000 Virtual Tennis Product

IMG ARENA, a leading sports betting service and content hub, is launching an official virtual tennis product in partnership with ATP Media, the global sales, broadcast production and distribution arm of the ATP Tour. The game will be available in April and will help sportsbook partners fill the void whilst the ATP Tour is suspended.

This new deal expands the longstanding partnership between IMG ARENA and ATP Media and is the first time they have launched a virtual sports offering.

IMG ARENA is using licensed assets to create the first-ever officially branded virtual tennis product, featuring logos from the ATP Masters 1000 series along with official tournament names, to deliver an authentic, fan-first experience.

This unique and exclusive product is evidence of the ATP Media’s innovation strategy and adds to IMG ARENA’s growing portfolio of virtual products, which also includes golf, motorsport, football, horse racing, speedway, greyhound racing and cycling.

As the broadcast arm of the ATP Tour, ATP Media provides centralised media distribution across the ATP Tour, host broadcast production for the Nitto ATP Finals and ATP Masters 1000s, world feed production for the ATP 500s, Next Gen ATP Finals and certain ATP 250s, as well as the international distribution for the ATP Cup.

Mark Webster, CEO of ATP Media, said: “This is a landmark agreement for ATP Media at a challenging time. We are excited to be working with IMG ARENA to deliver fans around the world innovative content and new ways to enjoy their favourite tennis tournaments.

“Together we are creating a compelling, always-on product that will boost and diversify our sports betting offering, while helping to continue to further develop our international footprint.”

Freddie Longe, Managing Director at IMG ARENA, said: “ATP Media are one of the most progressive and forward-thinking media companies – we are delighted to partner with them to launch the world’s first officially branded virtual tennis product.

“When we invested in virtual sports specialists Leap Gaming, our vision was to create official products and unlock new revenue streams and forms of fan engagement for our clients. ATP Media share this vision and desire to evolve the way that its fans could connect with tennis. The result is a game-changing product that maximises player engagement and operator returns. As with all of our virtual sports offerings, we have developed the most realistic look, feel, and betting experience.”

Member Insights: COVID-19 – How Ticketing Has Felt The Impact

David Hornby, UK MD of ticketing engagement platform SecuTix whose clients include UEFA, Everton FC, Lancashire Cricket, The R&A and England Netball, looks at the challenges facing sports ticketing in the light of the coronavirus outbreak and the potential future ramifications for this vital part of sports business. 

In just the space of a few days, COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on the 2020 sports calendar with events cancelled or postponed. The latest being the Tokyo Olympics which have been postponed until 2021 to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. It’s the right thing to do in this unprecedented situation. The consequences for the business of sport will be far and wide, with the economic ramifications from the loss or suspension in ticket sales, one of the principal revenue streams for sports, being a very serious concern.

For those working in sports ticketing, the immediate challenge is managing mass refunds. For tickets bought online with a credit or debit card, refunds can be processed fairly simply. But those purchased by direct debit, credit schemes or PayPal are more complicated to process. Added into the mix is managing the inventory of different types of tickets – one-off games, season ticket holders, hospitality and VIP packages – and working out whether to roll payments forward to later games and events or give automatic refunds.

At SecuTix our focus right now is supporting our clients through this difficult time. Our clients are facing a complicated situation and are at the coal face of dealing with the frustrations of their fans. What is clear is that good customer service and maintaining strong fan relationships is fundamental at a time of crisis.

Will we go from 0 to 100% attendance overnight? I’m not sure. The sports business needs to prepare itself that this might not happen straight away.

Major sports clubs and rights holders are at the forefront of using fan data to improve the customer journey. They use insights to get a true picture of who every fan is and harness the data to enhance the fan experience. Now is the time to use that fan data to really show fans how much they are valued.  Ticketing teams are having to respond quickly in this fast moving situation, but I urge them to consider how they can personalise their dealings with ticketholders. The same degree of personalisation used when selling tickets should apply to all interactions. Think about what added value you could offer the loyal season ticket holder or the big spenders on VIP packages. In some cases, forget about the emails, pick up the phone, ask how they are and what you can do for them. How you treat fans in a time of crisis could future proof your fanbase and business. 

By David Hornby, UK Managing Director of SecuTix

In this unprecedented situation, any single sports club doesn’t hold all the answers and now is the time to learn from other live entertainment areas, other sports, other geos. We need to share best practice and examples of what people are doing that’s making a real difference. By doing so, hopefully sport can come out of this stronger.

Moving forward and once we are all through this, will we go from 0 to 100% attendance overnight? I’m not sure. The sports business needs to prepare itself that this might not happen straight away. There will be some tough questions to address over the coming weeks and months. 

We all want a swift return to full stadiums as they are a key driver for economic stability and fan engagement. They attract sponsors, broadcasters and ultimately more fans who want to be part of these vibrant, rich and engaging live sports communities. What we can be sure of is that when sport returns back to normality, there’s going to be one hell of a celebration.

Major National Team Kit Launches Postponed By Nike, Report States

A number of key footballing countries have been forced to postpone the upcoming reveal of their new kit by Nike, says SportBusiness.

England and France are two of the countries that are supposed to have suffered this consequence due to the coronavirus outbreak which has ground almost all of sport across Europe and the rest of the world to an extreme halt.

These kits will have been planned to be released ahead of EURO 2020, however that has since been postponed until 2021, leaving many of these kits now up in the air as to whether a possible new launch date can be arranged or even if a new style is decided by the time next year’s event comes around.

With production likely to have been completed, it will be interesting to see what happens next, whether any of the federation decide to continue through with Nike and release the kit anyway later this calendar year.

iSportconnect Insights: Gambling The Most Dominant Area Of Sponsorship, Says Sports Industry

Gambling has been named as by far the most dominant area of sports sponsorship, according to those working within the sports industry.

A massive 64% of people who took part in the latest edition of our iSportconnect Insights survey, centred around sponsorship in sport, placed it in their top three most dominant sectors.

That figure then rises even further, to 75%, when looking at responses from UK participants, but could a drastic change in terms of gambling’s relationship with sport soon be on the horizon?

While gambling is becoming legalised more and more on a regular basis in the USA, it is no secret that the British government, as well as others, is looking at reducing the ability of gambling companies to so blatantly sponsor sport on a number of levels and it remains to be seen how big of an impact this will have on sport sponsorship as a whole.

Gambling in sport is also taking a large hit financially during the coronavirus pandemic, with betting sites losing out on most of their offerings, and it may be interesting to see if, following the culmination of this crisis, whether gambling organisations will be more or less inclined to sponsor sport.

iSportconnect’s latest Insights survey was completed in accordance with Goodform, who collated the results from professionals working in sports business.

Interestingly, direct communication with fans has been named as the biggest key to sponsorship within sport for brands.

68% of people told us that the ability to communicate directly with fans was in their three most valuable points for a sponsorship package.

Interestingly, influencer engagement was revealed as one of the least important factors when considering sponsor activation, possibly surprising considering its popularity in 2020.

53% of those who completed the survey believe access to players/athletes for promotional activities is one of the three most important factors in sponsorship packages for brands.

However, that number rises up to a huge 73% when focussing on answers provided by those working with rights holders and clubs, indicating that people working outside of these organisations do not see this as such a key factor.

You can receive a download of the full survey to find out even more interesting details by emailing Alexandra.kyrke-smith@goodformgroup.co.uk

Wanda Sports Group Agrees Sale Of IRONMAN Group To Advance

Wanda Sports Group Company Limited today announced that it has entered into a definitive stock purchase agreement with Advance, a private, family-owned business, to sell The IRONMAN Group in an all cash transaction at an enterprise value of US $730 million (subject to customary purchase price adjustments).

The IRONMAN Group is comprised of a global portfolio of mass participation sports events, across triathlon, running, trail running, cycling and mountain biking.  As part of the agreement, Wanda Sports Group will continue to operate IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 triathlon series, Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series and Epic Series off-road mountain bike series races of The IRONMAN Group in China under an exclusive license agreement.

Hengming Yang, President and CEO of Wanda Sports Group, said: “This transaction represents a great outcome for both parties. Advance is acquiring the world’s largest organizer of mass participation sports events and a portfolio of brands synonymous with excellence, and we will unlock significant value for our shareholders.

“Looking ahead, we will continue to leverage the strengths of our Infront and Wanda Sports China businesses to expand our global sports, media and marketing platform,” added Mr. Yang. “Our focus remains on ensuring our long-term partners get the most out of every event by increasing appeal, reach and fan engagement, organizing, operating and licensing popular mass participation events, and strengthening our foothold in China to serve the large and fast growing sports market. We will also benefit from a stronger balance sheet as we execute our strategy and create shareholder value.”

Andrew Messick, President & CEO of The IRONMAN Group, said: “We thank Wanda Sports Group for its support over the past four years and are proud of what we have accomplished together.

We look forward to continuing our work in China with Wanda Sports Group in the coming years.  Further, we are excited to join forces with Advance and benefit from its breadth of expertise as we continue to deliver the exceptional experiences for which we are known.”

Based in New York, Advance owns, operates and invests in companies spanning media, entertainment, technology, communications and education.

The sale is subject to customary conditions, including regulatory approval, and is expected to close in the second quarter of 2020.  The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the sale to repay the principal amount of US$230 million and related interest and fees outstanding under the Credit Suisse facility and the US$50 million outstanding under a promissory note issued to Wanda Sports & Media (Hong Kong) Holding Co. Limited.  As to the balance of the proceeds, the Company intends to use all or a substantial portion of them to fund dividends or share buy-backs, subject to shareholder approval.

Programme Of Revenue Relief For Lower-League Sports Clubs And Governing Bodies Launched

Halfspace Group have today announced the launch of a programme to open new revenue streams designed to support lower league sports clubs and governing bodies of all sizes during the Coronavirus.

Halfspace Group agencies (including ESB Connect & Scale Digital) have partnered with over 50 leading brands across sectors such as personal finance, home delivery, on-demand services, energy, clothing and more to offer monetisation campaigns for local clubs to activate to their fanbases. With each qualified fan engagement – which varies per brand partnership – the clubs will earn more revenue. The team hope that, with the correct messaging, fans will continue their online shopping through their local clubs thus ensuring revenue is attributed back to the teams they love.

The agency will be waiving their normal client retainer fees and will offer their services to clubs and governing bodies for free in light of the current economic circumstances. The team will cover their costs on a performance-only basis from the brands they work with.

“We have already seen the impact of the Coronavirus on local teams having to lay off staff,” Commented Halfspace Co-Founder Sanjit Atwal. “These clubs serve a crucial role in our communities to bring people together, offer hope and shared experiences. We will do all we can to help bring more brands to this endeavour and if we help save one job in the industry then it’s been worth it.”

ESL And PUBG Mobile Partner To Launh New Esports Programs

ESL, the world largest esports company, has joined forces with PUBG MOBILE, the most popular mobile game by Tencent Games and PUBG Corp., to establish a new esports program that will give players all over the world a chance to battle their way to a share of a $5 million USD prize pool.

The all-new format will be part of the PUBG MOBILE 2020 esports ecosystem, and ESL will be supporting in the delivery including building a brand new, innovative studio, exclusively dedicated to PUBG MOBILE esports, in Katowice, Poland. This will become the home of offline matches once all parties are advised that it is safe to do so by the relevant global health organizations. The construction of this studio demonstrates the long-term commitment from ESL and PUBG MOBILE to building the future of esports, while in the short-term competitions will be adapted to prioritize the safety of our competitors.

“We are very excited to support PUBG MOBILE in growing as a truly global esports title, sharing our expertise on how to successfully create an open competition on all levels. In the current climate it is important that all involved in the esports community act in a way that protects both our long-term future and our immediate concerns for the safety of our competitors. PUBG MOBILE and ESL together can achieve this, culminating in a high-class esports ecosystem” said Fabian Scheuermann, Vice President Product Operations & Strategy in Publisher Development at ESL.

Having already started the esports action for millions of players in January, ESL and PUBG MOBILE will be hosting numerous competitions leading up to a World Championship held later this year.

“In order to bring more opportunities to compete and great viewership experience to all PUBG MOBILE players, we have further grown our global esports ecosystem as amateur-semipro-pro level and country-regional-world level in 2020” , said James Yang, Director of PUBG MOBILE Global Esports, Tencent Games. “PUBG MOBILE is always committed to create bigger opportunities for players to enjoy the game and start their esports path to be the #1.”

As part of the agreement ESL becomes a commercial partner for the PUBG MOBILE Esports Program in 2020. ESL will, together with PUBG MOBILE, enhance media rights as well as solidifying brand partnerships to set the foundation for a long and successful competition system for teams and partners.

Players will qualify for regional finals through PUBG MOBILE Club Open competitions across North America, Europe, Turkey, CIS, Germany, Middle East & Africa, Iraq and Saudi Arabia, leading into the PUBG MOBILE Pro League of their respective regions. The PUBG MOBILE Pro League Americas will consist of one month of action with 16 teams battling it in 16 playdays. The leagues will give regional aspiring PUBG MOBILE gamers the chance to make their way to the PUBG MOBILE World League, where they can fight it out for a $1 million USD prize pool for each of the two seasons.

The World League will be the top level of competitive gameplay in PUBG MOBILE and will, if the health climate allows, take place for one month in the newly built studio in Katowice. The competition will consist of five broadcast days per week and 130+ players taking part, split up into the East and West Conferences. Emerging champions of The PUBG MOBILE World League will face off against each other at the World Championship, where the best of the best will compete for the lion’s share of a $1 million USD prize pool.

Australia Announced As Host Of FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2022

FIBA has awarded the hosting rights for the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2022 to Basketball Australia.

Basketball Australia and the Russian Basketball Federation were the two finalists bidding to host FIBA’s women’s flagship event two years from now.

The decision was taken by FIBA’s Central Board today, which took place via video conference, having both candidates submit their bids and then each give presentations to the Central Board.

This will be the second time that Basketball Australia will host FIBA’s Women’s Basketball World Cup, having done so in 1994.

Hamane Niang, President of FIBA, said: “The Central Board saw two excellent presentations today from two basketball strong National Federations. I would like to congratulate them on their outstanding work and the effort and commitment which has gone into their bids. There can only be one host country for this event, and for 2022 it will be Australia.

“We look forward to the biggest women’s event in basketball taking place in Sydney, and also the 12-month qualification period that will take place to be among the 12 teams playing in Australia.”

Andreas Zagklis, FIBA Secretary General, said: “I would like to congratulate Basketball Australia on their successful bid. Australia really is a powerhouse in basketball, with the women coming in second at the previous FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in 2018.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for the city of Sydney to both promote and take women’s basketball to the next level. We witnessed many successes at the last World Cup, and I am sure that in 2022 we will see even more. We are looking forward to a fruitful cooperation over the next two years in planning for this pinnacle event.”

The iconic Australian city of Sydney will host the event over 10 days in September and October 2022. The tournament will be played across two venues, both of which are located in Sydney Olympic Park. The sport-loving nation of Australia will get to witness firsthand 144 of the best players in the world, from 12 international teams in 38 games.