IMG Arena adds Italy’s LBA to basketball portfolio

The agreement will run for a period of five years, with IMG Arena to have rights to all LBA events, including the Supercoppa.

IMG Arena will also become the official partner for the LBA’s fastpath data, which it said will increase commercial opportunities with sportsbook partners, as well as ensure the integrity of the proprietary, licensed data and its distribution.

“We are delighted to start our alliance with the LBA; basketball has a broad geographical following that makes it one of the world’s most popular sports,” IMG Arena’s executive vice president and managing director Freddie Longe said.

“We are committed to investing in elite leagues like the LBA as part of our promise to provide the highest quality content for our sportsbook customers,”

LBA president Umberto Gandini added: “We understand the benefits of a long-term relationship and in IMG Arena we have found a partner to help grow and future-proof our sport.”

The deal comes after IMG Arena in August signed a six-season extension to its live streaming partnership with the Brazilian Liga Nacional de Basquete (LNB). IMG Arena will continue to live stream coverage of the Novo Basquete Brasil (NBB), the top-tier basketball competition run by the LNB.

IMG Arena works with more than 460 sportsbook operators around the world, and last year broadcast 175m hours of sports content to 56m unique viewers worldwide.