The Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL) has formed a deal with Sportradar which, until 2024, will include audio-visual distribution rights and integrity operations.
AIHL’s data is set to be distributed by the sports data company worldwide, with the exception of Australia and New Zealand, whilst also leveraging its Universal Fraud Detection System (UFDS).
Peter Hartshorne, AHL Chairman, said: “As we ramp up our efforts to grow the AIHL, with the addition of two more teams over the next three years, it is imperative that we have the right technological solutions to realise the league’s commercial potential.
“With Sportradar’s track record with some of the world’s largest sports leagues, we are confident that this partnership will yield positive results in the near future.”
Furthermore, the UFDS will be used for bet monitoring and match fixing detection services, which the firm’s Sportradar Integrity Services (SIS) unit currently provides to 10 global ice hockey leagues including the NHL, Canadian Hockey League (CHL) and European Champions Hockey League (CHL).
“The suite of industry-leading technology solutions that we provide is vital for the AIHL to engage a wider audience and grow the profile and participation in ice hockey, both in Australia and other key regions,” added David Edwards, Sportradar’s Director of Sports Media & Sports Partnerships – Oceania.
“This is a great opportunity for us to showcase how our expertise and technological capabilities are used to support sports federations and leagues in this region.”
The deal will also include a fan engagement element using Sportradar’s technological solutions such as Connected Stadium, which captures live games and ‘enhances the quality of video production’.
Melbourne’s O’Brien icehouse will be the first of six AIHL venues to host Connected Stadium, with Sportradar detailing that it will cooperate with the league on increasing viewership and expanding its fanbase.
