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IMG Arena Nets US Streaming Deal With NHL

  • IMG Arena can now provide US sportsbooks with live streams of select NHL games
  • Streaming deal will be in place until the end of the 2020-21 season
  • Existing partnership allows IMG Arena to stream games for operators in European markets
Andrew O’Malley

NHL players battling for the puck
London-based IMG Arena has expanded its partnership with the NHL by securing the rights to provide US sports betting operators with live streams. [Image: Shutterstock.com]

Expanded partnership

The sports betting division of the world-renowned IMG agency has expanded its partnership with the National Hockey League (NHL).

The London-based company’s revised deal with the NHL allows IMG Arena to provide live streams of select games to licensed sportsbooks in the US. These streams will be broadcast directly through the online platforms of the sports betting operators that are working with IMG Arena.

allows IMG Arena to provide live streams of select games to licensed sportsbooks in the US

IMG Arena has been providing the same kind of streaming service for licensed operators in regulated European market for many years.?

IMG Arena also has a deal for the international media rights of the NHL. This specific deal has been in place since the 2016-17 season and will remain in place until the 2020-21 season. Several countries are excluded from this deal, namely Canada, the United States, and Nordic nations. These are the biggest markets for the NHL across the globe.

Mutually beneficial relationship

Freddie Longe, EVP and managing director of IMG expressed his delight at the company expanding its deal with the NHL. He said: “This marks a major development in the US betting rights landscape, and we look forward to driving further engagement for NHL fans.”

Steve McArdle, the NHL’s executive vice president of digital media and strategic planning, also commented on this extension. He spoke about how the NHL has been very progressive when it comes to embracing the sports betting space. He sees this new live streaming agreement as being a great way to improve fan engagement across the NHL season.?

IMG Arena’s other deals

Since the ending of the federal ban on sports betting in May 2018, IMG Arena has been looking at different ways in which it can benefit. It now has a similar deal in place with the PGA Tour.?

Thanks to an extension signed in September, IMG Arena can now distribute official data from PGA Tour events in the North American market. Leading platforms like Scientific Games have already signed up for the new IMG Arena live streaming and data service for golf tournaments.?

NHL embracing sports betting

The NHL and its teams have been embracing the sports betting sector in recent times. The organization sees it as being a great way to grow the sport, helping to improve attendance numbers, viewership figures, and fan engagement. A number of NHL teams have also signed sponsorship deals with sportsbooks.

the NHL could benefit from an additional $216m every year thanks to legal sports betting in the US

The league is also looking at selling exclusive player and league data to the likes of sportsbooks and television broadcasters. The NHL has a number of official sports betting partners on board, such as William Hill, FanDuel, and MGM Resorts.?

According to a report from Nielsen Sports, the NHL could benefit from an additional $216m every year thanks to legal sports betting in the US. This figure includes an estimated $65m from gambling advertisers.

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