Bally’s acquires Telescope to amplify real-time interactions, attract younger audiences

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ally’s Corporation announced Thursday the acquisition of Telescope Inc., provider of real-time audience engagement solutions for live events, gamified second screen experiences and interactive livestreams.

By carrying out this acquisition, Bally’s expects to amplify existing offerings in Bally’s Interactive, Bally Bet and Bally Sports brands, “enabling viewers and players to have an integrated experience” when engaging on a multitude of platforms and channels both online and offline, said the company in a press release.

Telescope’s customized and interactive content will permit Bally’s customers to engage in “innovative ways”, something the company believes will be particularly attractive to a younger demographic.

On the acquisition, Adi Dhandhania, Senior Vice President of Strategy and Interactive for Bally’s, said: “Mobile technology continues to play an increasingly significant role in sports betting and iGaming, and Telescope brings an expert level of creativity, innovation, and effectiveness in the social and digital media space that we are confident will enhance our customers’ interactivity and engagement with our products.”

The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed and comes after Bally’s reported net profit of $68.9 million for the second quarter of 2021 and its single largest revenue quarter in the company’s history: $267.7 million, an increase of 826.3% than same time in the prior year.

Bally’s has also made other agreements in the last few months, including a deal expected to be completed by the fourth quarter with Gamesys; and the closing of the Bet.Works acquisition.

On the importance of their deal with Bally’s, Jason George, Telescope’s Chairman, said: “Being part of the Bally’s family will enable us to continue to innovate, offering our clients the best possible services, as well as helping Bally’s to drive play-along experiences and connect with their customer base in new ways.”

“Telescope was founded on the premise that viewers will increasingly seek to engage directly with live video in real-time,” further added Telescope’s Chairman. “Over the past 19 years, we’ve witnessed a material shift from TV to digital video across OTT and social platforms. We believe the next iteration is true gamification with immersive experiences offered anywhere that fans want to engage with their favorite live events.”