Bally's Corporation and Oscar de la Hoya's KO Entertainment Form Partnership to Innovate Combat Sports Broadcasts and Transform Fan Engagement
Bally's Corporation (NYSE: BALY) and Oscar de la Hoya's KO Entertainment have partnered to innovate combat sports broadcasting, enhancing fan engagement through gamification. The pilot event, "Oscar de la Hoya's KO Entertainment Presents Bally's Fight Night," will showcase MMA and boxing with real-time data tracking, offering transparency and a unique viewing experience. Scheduled for June 9, 2021, this initiative aims to revolutionize audience interaction while improving fighter safety and experience. Bally's plans to incorporate its Monkey Knife Fight platform into the broadcasts, elevating the interactivity of combat sports.
- Formation of a strategic partnership with KO Entertainment to enhance combat sports broadcasts.
- Integration of advanced data tracking and gamification to improve viewer engagement.
- Pilot event scheduled for June 9, 2021, featuring real-time data analytics.
- Potential for increased transparency and safety for fighters.
- None.
PROVIDENCE, R.I., June 9, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Bally's Corporation (NYSE: BALY), the premier, full-service, vertically integrated sports betting and iGaming company in the U.S., and Oscar de la Hoya's KO Entertainment, a subsidiary of the world's most elite boxing promotion company Golden Boy Promotions, Inc., today announced the formation of a strategic relationship that aims to incorporate unparalleled innovation, objectivity and gamification into combat sports, thereby transforming fan engagement. To unveil this initiative, the companies will broadcast a pilot of "Oscar de la Hoya's KO Entertainment Presents Bally's Fight Night" -- a reimagining of how the sports of boxing and mixed martial arts ("MMA") are presented, and the first development in the 2.0 gamification of combat sports.
Bally's Fight Night will feature five professional MMA and four professional boxing contests displayed in a video game type presentation. Utilizing sensors and a custom built data tracking dashboard, a variety of objective data points such as punch force, and punch combinations thrown and landed, will be captured in real time. Through the use of sports science, the data will be conveyed in an on-screen power bar, similar to those displayed in video games, summarizing a fighter's total absorbed damage. By collecting, analyzing and integrating this data into future broadcasts, Bally's and KO Entertainment will offer unparalleled objectivity that will create a more rewarding and safer experience for fighters, while also increasing transparency. To further enhance the gamification of combat sports and the viewing experience, Bally's intends to integrate Monkey Knife Fight, its daily fantasy sports platform, into live broadcasts.
Soo Kim, Chairman of Bally's Corporation's Board of Directors, said, "This partnership represents an extraordinary opportunity to bring together experts in gaming, media and combat sports to breathe new life into boxing and mixed martial arts. By integrating our innovative technology and interactive gaming platforms into combat sports, we will create new and transformative ways for audiences to engage with our live broadcasts. We look forward to unveiling the pilot of Bally's Fight Night, which represents just the beginning of this journey, and invite viewers to tune in for what should be an incredible night of entertainment."
Oscar de la Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, commented, "We have the utmost respect for the storied history and tradition of boxing and mixed martial arts. By partnering with Bally's, and working to develop this innovative product, we believe that we can deliver real-time, data-based insights into the punch-by-punch action, creating a level of transparency and objectivity that has never existed before. We will also provide an experience that is more easily understandable for the average viewer, and at the same time more rewarding and safer for fighters."
Bally's Fight Night will feature Mike Goldberg covering play-by-play, Frank Trigg as color commentator, and Holly Sonders as social host and reporter. Sonders will also provide fans with behind the scenes insight with fighters and trainers, facilitate fan interactions and present Monkey Knife Fight fantasy contests.
The "Bally's Fight Night" pilot will be broadcast on Stadium, the digital and over-the-air television network owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group, on Wednesday, June 9, 2021 at 5:00pm ET/2:00pm PT. Fans interested in viewing Bally's Fight Night can access the broadcast via https://watchstadium.com/live/ballys-fight-night/ and https://watchstadium.com/live/ballys-fight-night-2/. They can also track the action by following #BallysFightNight on Twitter and @BallysFightNight on Instagram.
About Bally's Corporation
Bally's Corporation is the premier, full-service, vertically integrated sports betting and iGaming company in the U.S. with a B2B2C business model. It currently owns and manages 13 casinos across nine states, a horse racetrack and 13 authorized OTB licenses in Colorado. It also owns Bet.Works, a first-in-class sports betting platform, Monkey Knife Fight, the fastest growing daily fantasy sports site in North America, and SportCaller, a leading global B2B free-to-play game provider.
With more than 6,000 employees, the Company's operations, pro forma for pending acquisitions, include 15,558 slot machines, 465 table games and 5,355 hotel rooms. Upon closing the previously announced Jumer's Casino & Hotel (Rock Island, IL) and Tropicana Las Vegas (Las Vegas, NV) transactions, as well as completing the construction of a land-based casino near the Nittany Mall in State College, PA, Bally's will own and manage 16 casinos across 11 states. Bally's also maintains a multi-year market access partnership with Elite Casino Resorts, through which it will provide mobile sports betting in Iowa, and a temporary sports wagering permit to conduct online sports betting in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Its shares trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "BALY".
About KO Entertainment
KO Entertainment looks to enfranchise all collaborators from athletes to creators under one roof with ONE common purpose. Which is to develop culturally significant new media content, marketing & brand extensions that uplifts all Latino communities worldwide through its united love for sports and entertainment.
Founded in 2021 by superstar Oscar De La Hoya, whose known around the world not only as one of the best fighters of his era, but as an elite promoter, Grammy- nominated singer, astute businessman and active philanthropist.
About Golden Boy Promotions, Inc.
Los Angeles-based Golden Boy was established in 2002 by Oscar De La Hoya, the first Hispanic to own a national boxing promotional company. Golden Boy is a media and entertainment brand committed to making fighting entertainment more accessible and affordable. The company's in-house production team develops creative original programming for RingTV.com and international channels across the globe.
The company holds the exclusive rights to top boxers and has promoted some of the biggest and highest grossing events in the history of the sport. Now, Golden Boy is one of the most successful boxing entertainment companies in the world and shapes the future of boxing for fighters and fans alike through its 2019 partnership with streaming platform, DAZN.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This document includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the securities laws. Forward-looking statements are statements as to matters that are not historical facts, and include statements about Bally's plans, objectives, expectations and intentions.
Forward-looking statements are not guarantees and are subject to risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements are based on Bally's current expectations and assumptions. Although Bally's believes that its expectations and assumptions are reasonable at this time, they should not be regarded as representations that Bally's expectations will be achieved. Actual results may vary materially. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the time of this document and Bally's does not undertake to update or revise them as more information becomes available, except as required by law.
Important factors beyond those that apply to most businesses, some of which are beyond Bally's control, that could cause actual results to differ materially from our expectations and assumptions include, without limitation:
- uncertainties surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, including limitations on Bally's operations, increased costs, changes in customer attitudes, impact on Bally's employees and the ongoing impact of COVID-19 on general economic conditions;
- unexpected costs, difficulties integrating and other events impacting Bally's recently completed and proposed acquisitions and Bally's ability to realize anticipated benefits;
- risks associated with Bally's rapid growth, including those affecting customer and employee retention, integration and controls;
- risks associated with the impact of the digitalization of gaming on Bally's casino operations, Bally's expansion into iGaming and sports betting and the highly competitive and rapidly changing aspects of Bally's new interactive businesses generally;
- the very substantial regulatory restrictions applicable to Bally's, including costs of compliance;
- restrictions and limitations in agreements governing Bally's debt could significantly affect Bally's ability to operate our business and our liquidity; and
- other risks identified in Part I. Item 1A. "Risk Factors" of Bally's Annual Report on Form 10–K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 as filed with SEC on March 10, 2021 and other filings with the SEC.
The foregoing list of important factors is not exclusive and does not include matters like changes in general economic conditions that affect substantially all gaming businesses.
You should not place undue reliance on Bally's forward-looking statements.
Investor Contact
Steve Capp
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
401-475-8564
InvestorRelations@ballys.com
Media Contact
Bally's Corporation
Richard Goldman / David Gill
Kekst CNC
646-847-6102 / 917-842-5384
BallysMediaInquiries@kekstcnc.com
KO Entertainment / Golden Boy Promotions
Gabriel Rivas
Golden Boy
(213)-604-7762
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SOURCE Bally's Corporation; KO Entertainment; Golden Boy Promotions, Inc.
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