Last week, the UFC announced that it is launching a new in-house product called UFC Event Centre which will give fans a chance to bet on UFC events.
With IMG Arena, the company’s official UFC data feed, sportsbooks and gaming operators will have access to in-round betting, official data delivery in less than two seconds, immediate bet settlement and live betting data points (i.e., knockdowns, submissions, takedown attempts, takedowns landed). The services will be available via licensing agreements to use IMG Arena according to the data operator.
The new product will allow in-fight wagering and fans will be able to find in-fight props such as takedown attempts, knockdowns, etc. Dana White noted that the new gambling offering will help serve a diehard fan base.
According to betting site, US Bets the UFC has a “statistics problem” as the data are subjective and many casual viewers are not aware of what they are looking for when watching a fight. US Bets notes a potential obstacle to in-round betting is the relatively short five-minute rounds. Compared to an NBA or NFL quarter or half, the rounds limit the betting handle. Moreover, the potential for a stoppage may contribute to issues with live betting rounds.
The new tool solicited to the gaming industry hopes to create a bridge for fans to place bets on UFC events.
Payout Perspective:
The push into sports betting looks to capitalize on an industry that is expanding as states decide whether to legalize sports gaming. The UFC, like most leagues, is cultivating its data to sell to gaming operators and sportsbooks for profit. Both the UFC and IMG Arena will share in a cut of revenues from those that bet on the fights. Also, one might infer that both are sharing in the licensing agreements it will broker with the operators. This business move hopes to make gambling easier for the casual fan and help them understand through the use of the proprietary data it will sell through IMG Arena.
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