NHL, IMG Arena Strike Deal To Live Stream Games On Online Sportsbooks

• The details of the agreement take both IMG Arena and the NHL to new levels with sports betting.
• The two companies have had an ongoing partnership with each other since 2013.
• The move can help increase fan engagement in the NHL.

NEW YORK – The NHL and IMG Arena have partnered together once more in order to give fans more options to live stream games through online sportsbooks.

This could turn out to be a monumental step for both companies as they have worked with one another for years. The two sides are more than happy to be taking these steps to further their partnership. In the NHL’s case specifically, live streaming and betting on the NHL from the same source may be able to keep fans engaged for longer each game.

Live Streaming

Both IMG Arena and the NHL have announced an agreement that will allow sports betting operators to live stream selected out-of-market games. The agreement will more than likely get sports bettors more involved as they would now be able to watch the NHL teams they bet on.

“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,” said Steve McArdle, NHL executive vice president of digital media and strategic planning.

Other than the NHL, IMG also provides different sports betting services to other sports like the Ultimate Fighting Championship, PGA Tour and ATP.

Fan Engagement & Market Value

This agreement would help tremendously with the NHL. Out of the four major U.S. sports (NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL), the NHL ranks last in TV ratings. The agreement would not only increase fan engagement but also the market value for the teams. The fan engagement would come into play when bettors are able to watch games that are not normally shown in their city.

The market value of teams would also expand as they will get a more out-of-market following since their streams will be shown on legal sports betting operator’s platforms.

History Between NHL And IMG Arena

The NHL and IMG Arena are no strangers to each other when it comes to partnerships between the two. The two have worked with one another since 2013 when they agreed to their multi-territory betting rights deal which was later renewed until 2020-21.

More recently, they have agreed to sell the NHL’s international media rights from 2016-17 to 2020-21 as well.

“This marks a major development in the U.S. betting rights landscape, and we look forward to driving further engagement for NHL fans,” said Freddie Longe, executive vice president and managing director of IMG Arena.

News tags: Freddie Longe | IMG Arena | NHL | Steve McArdle