Time To Strike: UFC Set To Launch First Live-Betting Product

UFC is launching its "first live-betting product" in partnership with IMG Arena, and it will feature "more than 50 betting opportunities per bout, including 20 new types of wagers updated in real time," according to Eben Novy-Williams of BLOOMBERG NEWS. UFC Event Centre will "take official data from UFC, plus logos, photos and fighter bios, and create a full suite of gambling options for betting operators to incorporate into their apps and sportsbooks." IMG Arena said that only 8% of bets placed on UFC matches are "done after the bout starts," compared to 70% for tennis matches. Event Centre "aims to help that imbalance." Options include odds on the "number of take-down attempts, whether a fighter will get knocked down, total strikes landed, and the amount of time a fighter spends on the mat." IMG Arena Exec VP & Managing Dir Freddie Longe said that sportsbooks that want to use the product "will pay a licensing fee for the software, and a share of gross gaming yield for access to the data" (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 10/10).