Entain and Verizon Media forge “global innovation alliance”
Plans include a first-of-its-kind VR experience for viewing live sports and placing bets on operator’s platforms
Entain and global media/technology company Verizon Media have announced a global innovation alliance to develop new opportunities across interactive sports and entertainment.
The duo will collaborate to create a first-of-its-kind proof of concept virtual reality (VR) experience combining live sports viewing with interactive layers of sports data and gaming.
The ambition is to allow users to participate in sports events, have access to data, socialise with friends and place bets on Entain platforms.
The FTSE 100 operator of BetMGM will also work with Verizon to develop concepts for new formats using emerging technologies like 5G, VR and augmented reality.
The goal is to create immersive experiences, such as being in the stadium, taking part in the play and being able to gamble on in-play outcomes.
“To win in the future we need to understand where consumers will be in five, 10 years’ time and work with other global businesses also investing in that,” said Shay Segev, CEO of Entain.
“We envisage consumers meeting at a game with friends, who could in fact be elsewhere, using virtual reality headsets to watch, interact and share the experience together and, potentially, compete between themselves at half time or feel like they’re on the pitch with the players.”
Guru Gowrappan, CEO of Verizon Media, a division of Verizon Communications Inc., said: “This new alliance takes the collaboration between our two companies to a new level and will allow us both to maximise new opportunities across sports betting, content and entertainment,”
“Together, we are building the next-generation of content experiences for sports and gaming fans.”
The partnership builds on an existing relationship between Yahoo Sports, which is part of Verizon Media, and BetMGM, a $450m JV between Entain and MGM Resorts.
The announcement also coincides with initial findings from research for Entain by YouGov that revealed the use of technology is increasingly shaping consumer behaviours in gaming and entertainment, notably in the US and Australia.
YouGov found that social media has become central to consumer enjoyment, with new immersive experiences, driven by VR and 5G, speeding up the growth of gaming and esports.
Two-thirds of consumers combined gaming and entertainment with social media to increase their enjoyment, YouGov said.
When it comes to sport, 31% of 25 to 39-year-olds and 34% over 55s are engaging digitally to boost their experiences.
Most esports viewers interact with social media simultaneously and more than half place bets while consuming live action, the research found.