IMG ARENA pots enlarged long-term deal with World Snooker Tour

IMG ARENA, a leading sports betting service and content hub, has agreed a long-term deal with the World Snooker Tour (WST), extending its partnership for live streaming rights for the betting industry.

The partnership grows the existing live streaming agreement, covering a greater number of matches and tournaments on the Tour.

Snooker has grown rapidly in recent years to become a truly global sport with vast levels of popularity and engagement among fans worldwide. Despite current challenges, WST has successfully maintained its momentum with 20 events staged in 2020. Tournaments have up to 128 players competing with the action closely followed by a loyal audience.

WST Chairman Barry Hearn said: “We are delighted to extend our agreement with IMG ARENA. This is a perfect match between two businesses with a shared vision for the future for our sport and enthusiasm for creating new opportunities. We have worked with IMG for many years on various aspects of our sport and we admire their professionalism and intelligence. Snooker continues to develop as an outstanding property and we have long-term ambitions for further international expansion.”

Freddie Longe, Executive Vice President and Managing Director of IMG ARENA, said: “This significant extension and expansion of our relationship with the World Snooker Tour demonstrates the commercial confidence on both sides and establishes a renewed platform for even greater success.

“With its global footprint and loyal fanbase, snooker is an essential part of the sports and sports betting eco-systems. We are delighted to increase the volume and quality of the content we offer to our sportsbook customers, which this deal makes possible.”