Bayes Esports Solutions strikes distribution deal with Riot
Bayes Esports Solutions today announced that it has acquired the exclusive worldwide data distribution rights of League of Legends esports competitions operated by Riot Games.
Under the deal, game data from League of Legends esports competitions will be delivered to media customers and data consumers.
Bayes was launched in January through a partnership between Sportradar and big data company DOJO Madness, who have been working together on an exclusive basis to provide the market with live-odds for a wide range of online and offline esports competitions since 2016.
In July, Sportradar formed a partnership with Riot Games to monitor betting around League of Legends esports competitions organised by Riot Games and report suspicious activity or integrity issues to the company. Bayes managing director Martin Dachselt said the link to sportradar was an important part of his company’s appeal to Riot.
“Sportradar sets the standard in the sports data industry and is an expert in providing crucial services to its customers and federation partners,” Dachselt. said. “Working together with Sportradar, Bayes aims to help League of Legends esports strengthen its ecosystem by creating additional value that will contribute to the sport’s sustainability.“
Riot Games operates many of the world’s largest competitive League of Legends events, including the League of Legends World Championship, the League Championship Series and the Mid-Season Invitational. According to CNBC, last year’s League of Legends World Championship drew almost 100m unique viewers.
The multi-year agreement will initially cover live data for the regional League of Legends leagues for North America, Europe, and South Korea, as well as the World Championship and Mid-Season Invitational, with further expansion under discussion.
Doug Watson, head of esports insights at Riot Games, said: “Riot Games aims to bolster our community engagement and continue to grow the sport. We have the most engaged audience in the entire global esports ecosystem, and we want to continue to provide them with new and evolving ways to interact with our game.”
Mark Balch, Bayes’ head of product and partnerships, added: “The esports industry is growing rapidly, which presents challenges and opportunities. This partnership will help grow League of Legends esports while helping maintain the sports competitive integrity so that it remains the world’s most premier esports scene for generations to come.”