IMG Arena, a sports data and content provider, has just announced its intention to purchase Leap Gaming. There are expectations that the deal will settle in the first half of 2023, with the acquisition boosting IMG Arena’s capabilities in the sports betting, virtual betting, and casino gambling spaces. At present, the specific terms of this transaction haven’t been revealed, and both firms are awaiting a regulatory review process.
Leap and IMG Arena already have an existing, mutually-beneficial partnership, but this acquisition is set to take things to the next level. Until now, the combination of the two companies has brought to fruition virtual sports betting products targeting the likes of EuroLeague and NASCAR. Reportedly, IMG Arena seeks to ‘take the virtual sports experience to new levels’, and the acquisition of Leap Gaming is exactly how that goal will be accomplished.
From Acquisition to Acquisition
Earlier this year, IMG Arena was acquired by Endeavor in a landmark deal worth almost $1 billion. Now, in order to load value on top of value, IMG Arena is undergoing further expansion, buying our Leap Gaming to bolster its wagering content portfolio. Not satisfied with being ‘just’ a wagering firm, Leap boasts innovative, proprietary 3D and motion capture technologies, developed in-house to boost the immersion of virtual sports betting products.
With Leap, IMG Arena will be able to embed 3D logos, advertising, venues, and a whole of other branded assets into a range of virtual sports betting solutions. It’s a huge quality-of-life overhaul for fans of virtual sports betting practices, and it promises to be lucrative for both organisations.
In a statement, Freddie Longe, the President of IMG Arena, said:
‘When we invested in Leap Gaming in 2018, our aim was to create official products and unlock new revenue streams and forms of fan engagement for our clients. We are delighted to extend that partnership and officially welcome Leap into the IMG ARENA team. The acquisition will enable us to build on the work we have already done with Leap to take the virtual sports experience to new levels and continue to enhance our sports betting content portfolio.’
IMG Arena has been an industry-leading company for quite some time, providing live data streams and video streams to a whole host of top-tier clients. On the IMG Arena books are the likes of the MLS, the FA, the ATP, and the UFC. With this latest acquisition going ahead, IMG Arena can move more into the valuable realms of sports betting and virtual sports betting, bolstering its abilities to service a growing market of users.
