Riot Games and Sportradar join forces.
The Swiss sports data service provider, Sportradar, has formed a partnership with American game developer and e-sports organizer, Riot Games. This partnership aims to prevent and address integrity issues within the realm of e-sports. Sportradar is furthering its global growth with this move as the company has sealed multiple deals recently. Here's an overview of the recent developments.
Anti-match-fixing efforts
Based in St. Gallen, Switzerland, Sportradar will now collaborate with Riot Games, the company behind League of Legends. They will set up various data processing systems and integrity monitoring initiatives to detect and mitigate suspicious betting activities related to match fixing. The focus, therefore, lies in effectively handling e-sports data. The Director of Sportradar North America, Andy Cunningham, remarked,
"With this partnership, Riot Games is enhancing its integrity capabilities by implementing an efficient and innovative program. As sports betting liberalization in the USA is anticipated to increase in the next few years, we'll support Riot Games in its plan to hold and expand a leadership role in sports betting."
Win-win for both parties
This agreement benefits Riot Games as well since it will have access to Sportradar's Intelligence and Investigation Services division. This platform will be used by both companies to establish internal integrity policies and procedures as well as develop future educational programs for their staff. Plans for multilingual workshops are already being made.
Doug Watson, Riot Games' Head of E-Sports, is looking to refine their portfolio in the face of increasing competition within the booming e-sports industry, as he stated in a press release,
"The integrity of our sport is of utmost importance to Riot Games. As our sport grows, it's vital that we track emerging trends and ensure we have the necessary structures in place to respond to changes in our industry. Partnering with Sportradar allows us to protect our players, teams, and competitions while continuing to offer a top-notch product to our fans.
Riot Games was established in Los Angeles in 2006 and has since gained fame for its League of Legends tournaments initiated in 2009. This includes the World Championship, Championship Series, and Mid-Season Invitational. The tournaments are primarily supported by microtransactions that grant in-game advantages. The multiplayer game has a wide audience, with more than 100 million people playing monthly. The World Championships from 2019 attracted over 200 million viewers.
Operators have been offering bets on the results of matches for some time now. E-sports providers like ESL (Electronic Sports League) and ESEN eSports have partnered with bookmakers to introduce sports betting under stringent security standards.
Sportradar leading the way
Sportradar is currently the foremost player in the sports data integrity processing market. In recent months, the company sealed several high-profile deals, such as with FIFA, the International Cricket Council, the NBA (National Basketball Association), the NHL (National Hockey League).
In March, Sportradar signed a contract worth millions with the MLB (Major League Baseball). Deals with the RFL and USL were also finalized. Moreover, a deal with Major League Soccer (MLS), the premier soccer league in the USA, was announced. Sportradar would thus already cover three of the Big 5 US sports leagues.
Keeping the upper hand
Sportradar's primary competitor is the London-based data protection enterprise, Genius Sports. Genius only signed an integrity agreement with the LPGA - a women's golf league - in June. Genius will now monitor all of the golf association's national and international betting activities as the LPGA's official data protection partner.
The collaboration's focus is on developing LPGA rules related to sports betting, including possible actions against fraud. Workshops and e-learning courses for players and employees are already in development.
Genius is seeking to gain more US market share from its major rival, Sportradar.
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Source: www.onlinecasinosdeutschland.com
