NASCAR Sports Betting Goes Global With IMG Arena Deal

  • Sportsbooks outside US and Canada can now access remaining 2020 NASCAR Cup Series races
  • IMG Arena also secured license to use NASCAR imagery in new virtual sports betting game
  • Agreement comes off the back of NASCAR signing US partnership with Penn National Gaming
  • NASCAR returned to action last week with Real Heroes 400, most-watched race since 2017
Andrew O’Malley

blurred image of racing track filled with cars
Sportsbook operators worldwide will now be able to live-stream NASCAR events after the company signed a deal with IMG Arena. [Image: Shutterstock.com]

A landmark partnership

NASCAR is providing live-streaming rights to global sportsbooks for the first time through a deal with IMG Arena, a leading sports betting data rights company based in London, UK. This means betting operators outside the US and Canada will be able to access the?remaining races in 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season.???

The deal, announced on Wednesday, also licenses IMG Arena to use NASCAR imagery for a new virtual sports betting game which will be created by Leap Gaming. The game designers will be able to recreate some of the leading race tracks in the sport, such as the Daytona International Speedway.?

game designers will be able to recreate some of the leading race tracks in the sport

The agreement is set to expand IMG Arena’s virtual sports betting offering, which includes horse racing, soccer, and tennis.

Reaching a global audience

The managing director of gaming at NASCAR, Scott Warfield, said the company is excited to work with a market leader to grow the sport’s global presence.

He added: “The international sports gaming landscape is mature and vibrant, and this partnership allows us to offer compelling products that further enhance our international footprint.”

IMG Arena is the operator of over 460 sportsbooks worldwide, with many of these offerings providing around-the-clock live-streaming and a range of virtual games. It has a similar live-streaming deal in place with the NHL, as well as being the official data distributor for the PGA Tour and helping the UFC to launch a new live betting product for sports betting partners.

NASCAR making headway

This latest deal comes only a few months after NASCAR secured its first US sports betting operator partner, Penn National Gaming. This gave the casino company a non-exclusive option to offer NASCAR betting on its upcoming betting app and at its 18 retail sportsbooks. A central part of the agreement is the free-to-play mobile game NASCAR Finish Line, which has a $25,000 jackpot prize available for each race.

among the first significant sports leagues in the United?States to get back in action

NASCAR was among the first significant sports leagues in the United?States to get back in action last weekend. It hosted the Real Heroes 400 at South Carolina’s Darlington Raceway on May 17, making it the first such race to take place in two months.?

The coronavirus pandemic shut down most sports in the country since mid-March. With the lack of live sporting action, Real Heroes 400 attracted a lot of attention. It was the most-watched NASCAR race dating back to 2017, attracting a larger audience than the most notable race in the sport, the Daytona 500.

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