Entain, the U.K.-based sports betting and iGaming company, has partnered with Verizon Media in search of new avenues for the meeting of gaming and entertainment.
Entain CEO Shay Segev said the agreement with Verizon will examine consumer attitude towards sports in the next five to 10 years.
“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 halftime or feel like they’re on the pitch with the players,” Segev said in a statement.
The deal with Verizon follows the release by Entain of results from research conducted for YouGov, which said technological advances shape much of the behavior in gaming and entertainment. Immersive experiences, such as virtual reality and 5G, could help grow gaming and eSports.
Entain, the former GVC Holdings, has a 50 percent stake in BetMGM as part of a joint venture with MGM Resorts International. As a result of its relationship with BetMGM, Entain has an existing relationship with Verizon Media, which owns Yahoo Sports. The connections allow customers access to place a bet from the Yahoo Sports app.
Verizon Media and Entain will work on a first-of-its-kind virtual reality experience that will combine live sports viewing with sports data and gaming for socializing and wagering. One example puts fans in the stadium, participating in play, competing, and betting on outcomes.
The two companies will also develop new formats as technology advances.
“Together, we are building the next generation of content experiences for sports and gaming fans,” Verizon Media CEO Guru Gowrappan said in a statement. “This new alliance takes the collaboration between our two companies to a new level, and will allow us both to maximize new opportunities across sports betting, content, and entertainment.”
According to YouGov, gaming and entertainment are meeting through multiple devices and becoming increasingly interactive. Two-thirds of consumers combine viewing with social media to increase their enjoyment.
Segev, who became Entain’s CEO in July, said in an interview with CDC Gaming Reports, that U.S. growth is a primary focus.
“The market is booming and it’s accelerating faster than anyone thought,” Segev said. “It shows that the demand for legal sports betting had been there for many years. We are firmly on track to be the leading operator in the U.S., as well as in many other newly regulated markets that are now opening around the world.”
