Rush Street Interactive-owned PlaySugarHouse.com has become the first online sportsbook operator in the US to launch IMG Arena’s live video streaming service.
PlaySugarHouse.com customers will now be able to watch live coverage of and bet on major sports events such as the French Open, as well as other top tennis tournaments the ATP Masters 1000 Miami Open, Cincinnati and Indian Wells.
The agreement also covers the supply of data from leading tennis events such as Wimbledon and the US Open, as part of a package that includes the ATP, WTA and ATP Challenger Tours.
IMG Arena is now available in New Jersey and will also be rolled out in the Pennsylvania market.
“We believe that by offering players the chance to watch the action while they are live betting, IMG Arena’s streaming service will bring greater entertainment-value and integrity to our players’ betting,” Rush Street Interactive president Richard Schwartz said.
Freddie Longe, managing director at IMG Arena, added: “Bringing our official streaming product to the US is an important step for IMG Arena and the market as a whole.
“In the more mature European market, we have seen that one of the major complaints by fans is a lack of live streaming availability, and that it is a key factor in setting a tier one operator apart as markets develop.”
Formed in November of last year, IMG Arena operates as the betting and data arm of sports media giant IMG. The division has already struck up partnerships with the likes of golf’s PGA Tour.
This week, Rush Street’s Philadelphia-based SugarHouse Casino and partner Kambi began testing new online and mobile sports betting platforms in Pennsylvania, with the aim of pushing ahead with a full launch later this week.