SBC News FanDuel confirms UK August launch with Opta agreement

FanDuel confirms UK August launch with Opta agreement

KarolFanDuel
Karol Corcoran, FanDuel

Fantasy sports operator FanDuel has today announced a partnership deal with sports data provider Opta, ahead of launching its fantasy football product in the UK later this summer.

FanDuel has secured an agreement with Opta, part of Perform Group, to provide live performance statistics for FanDuel’s brand new fantasy football platform, to be launched in early August.

It will be available on web and mobile, and the product is being built from the ground up by the same UK-based team that developed FanDuel’s US product. This product is aimed specifically for the UK market and so will focus on the Premier League. Further European expansion is expected down the line.

In seven years FanDuel has amassed over 6 million registered users across the US and Canada and garnered 4 million app downloads. Its main North American rival, DraftKings, launched in the UK last season and signed some impressive club partnerships with Liverpool, Watford and Arsenal.

Beyond these though there was little in the way of marketing and promotional campaigns. Back in the US the ad space battle between DraftKings and FanDuel was well known and all encompassing. With the likes of Mondogoal and Oulala also growing at an impressive rate in the UK and beyond, it’s quite possible that another such marketing battle will ensue ahead of and during the new season on UK shores.

Karol Corcoran, Director of International Marketing at FanDuel, said of the new partnership: “We are thrilled to be working with Opta, they’re a world-leader in their field. Their expertise and data will add to the excitement of our live game experience, letting users watch their fantasy team rack up points as the real games play out on the pitch.

“Opta’s stats also play a critical role in our unique scoring system, which considers the contribution of every player on the pitch, not just those who score goals – ensuring a more realistic and compelling reflection of the on-field action.

“Our team has spent a lot of time on developing the right product for the UK’s football fans and we’ve already had a lot of positive feedback from users during our beta contest phase, which was rolled out during the 2016 Euros. We can’t wait to bring the full product to market.”

Angus McNab, EVP Perform Content, North America stated: “We’re delighted to supply FanDuel with data to power their new fantasy contests. The growth of football as an offering in the Daily Fantasy Sports world is fantastic, as it gives fans a great way to test their skill in analysing player performance and making every game matter.

“Football also offers a global calendar with so many different and varied competitions, which we think will make FanDuel’s offering really popular with fans across the globe.”

The official launch is planned for the English Premier League 2016/17 season, following a successful beta contest phase run during the 2016 European Championships.

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