OpenBet secures major £349m management buyout deal from Endeavor

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Last week, FIRST covered the news that Endeavor Group were offloading IMG Arena – a sports betting data service that is currently run by OpenBet – for a fee in the region of £97m, with Sportradar making the acquisition.

OpenBet are still running things until the deal is eventually finalised, which looks like it will occur towards the end of 2025.

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Sportradar CFO Craig Felenstein expressed his delight for the deal: “Our announcement that we entered into an agreement to acquire IMG ARENA and its global portfolio of sports betting rights reinforces this position and, following closing, will further expand our leading global content portfolio and footprint in some of the most bet upon sports including tennis, soccer and basketball.”

Now, OpenBet – one of the biggest B2B sports betting and content companies in the world – has reportedly secured a £349m management buyout from UFC and WWE-owner Endeavor.

The reason? Endeavor are currently in the process of going private, led by a £10bn buyout by Silver Lake. 

As such, OpenBet and IMG Arena – deemed non-core assets by Endeavor – were expendable as they didn’t fit within the narrower focus the company was taking in regards to events, media and talents.

Due to this streamlining process, OpenBet and IMG have now been sold.

CEO of the company, Ariel Emanuel, has backed the buyout, which was also supported by other key figures from OpenBet along with Jordan Levin, who will be staying on as the CEO. This will allow him to continue to lead the company into the next chapter.

However, OpenBet is being folded into a new entity called OB Global Holdings, although a price for this purchase has yet to be disclosed.

“As this new chapter begins, OpenBet is better positioned than ever to drive market expansion and product innovation while defining the future of betting and gaming entertainment,” said Levin in a press statement regarding the deal.

“Our group is extremely excited about OpenBet’s path forward, and we are confident in our business’ long-term growth profile considering our premium product offering, exceptional talent, and existing momentum in the marketplace.”

As part of this strategy, OpenBet will be enhancing its presence in Brazil, having launched with BandBet while also securing partnerships with other main operators in the sector.

Not only that, but the company will also be looking to bolster its position in the lottery sector, hoping to power more than 20 World Lottery Association (WLA) members across the entire globe.

OpenBet could be entering a new era with this continued investment. The new chapter will allow the company to utilise BetBuilder – which delivers one of the finest same-game parlay experiences in the industry – with other innovations to keep the company focused on delivering the next generation of entertainment.