Sports technology company Sportradar and Baseball Australia (BA) have entered a multi-year partnership “to engage sports fans globally” by broadcasting Australian Baseball League (ABL) games live on a dedicated OTT platform for the very first time.
The new live-streaming service, onDemand, is part of a strategic partnership struck between Baseball Australia, Sportradar, and the ABL. In addition to powering the new OTT platform, Sportradar will serve as ABL’s exclusive betting data and audiovisual rights distribution partner, connecting the game through products and services to its global network of sportsbook operators and media customers.
Sportradar has also been chosen as the ABL’s official integrity partner, with the company’s Universal Fraud Detection System (UFDS), described as “an advanced and proven bet monitoring system,” deployed to safeguard the integrity of Baseball Australia and ABL competitions.
The first games to be broadcast on the Baseball Australia-owned OTT platform will be Round one of the ABL season, commencing on November 10. The service will initially launch as a Web platform, with a dedicated App to be built by Sportradar for the start of the 2023/24 season.
With national team members returning for Round one of the ABL, the eight-team league has a busy schedule of 160 regular season games over ten rounds. “The return of the Auckland Tuatara and Geelong-Korea teams this season means fans across the entire Asia region, and around the world, will be able to watch their teams fight down under for the Claxton Shield,” a press release explains.
📢 We’ve signed a multi-year partnership with Baseball Australia (BA) to engage sports fans globally by broadcasting Australian Baseball League games on a new live streaming service, On Demand Baseball*.
Learn more ➡️ https://t.co/EO3oXquIVT@ABL pic.twitter.com/lXmWkhRAZs
— Sportradar (@Sportradar) November 8, 2022
Dave Edwards, Sportradar’s Director of Sports Media and Partnerships – Oceania, said: “We’re pleased to partner with Baseball Australia and the ABL to help them reach and engage new audiences both here in Australia and around the world. By taking an intelligent, technology-driven partnership approach to content distribution, rights holders can directly control how their assets are commercialized while learning more about their fans in the process. We look forward to assisting BA and the ABL as they pursue their ambitious growth strategy.”
Glenn Williams, Baseball Australia CEO, added: “An ability to house Australian baseball content onto the one platform for fans to see is something we are really excited about. This is a one-stop shop for the fans to consume their baseball content from Little League all the way through to the ABL and Team Australia. Partnering with Sportradar, a global company that works with major sports leagues around the world will be a major boost for baseball in Australia.”
Paul Gonzalez, ABL General Manager, concluded: “We are excited to partner with Sportradar to bring the ABL into the homes of sport and baseball fans across the world. This is a revolutionary deal with the Australian Baseball League that will not only provide a high-quality stream but also integrity and opportunity to the league. We are proud to partner with such a global brand that works with other elite sports bringing the focus back to the Australian Baseball League and its athletes.”
