Sportradar seals integrity partnership with Riot Games
Sports data company Sportradar has announced an integrity services partnership with League of Legends developer and esports competition organiser Riot Games.
Under the deal, Sportradar Integrity Services will monitor betting around League of Legends esports competitions organized by Riot Games and report suspicious activity or integrity issues to the company.
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.
“Through this partnership, Riot Games is bolstering its capabilities by implementing an effective and innovative integrity program,” Andy Cunningham, North American head of integrity services and league relations at Sportradar said. “With legal sports betting expected to grow over the next several years, especially in the U.S., we are encouraged by Riot’s proactivity, as it looks to maintain and further establish its leadership position in the esports space.”
Riot Games will also gain access to Sportradar’s Intelligence and Investigation Services unit, and the companies will work together to review the esports organiser’s in-house integrity policies, procedures, and future educational programs for professional esports competitors.
“The competitive integrity of our sport is of the utmost importance for Riot Games. As our sport continues to grow, it’s important that we monitor developing trends and ensure we have the necessary mechanisms in place to account for shifts in our industry,” Doug Watson, Head of Esports Insights at Riot Games said. “This partnership with Sportradar enables us to protect our players, teams, and competitions and continue to deliver a best-in-class product to our fans.”
Sportradar already provides integrity services to esports tournament organisers including ESL and ESEN eSports, as well as various traditional sports bodies around the world including Fifa, Major League Baseball, the International Cricket Council and the National Basketball Association.