Sportradar signs deal with Activision Blizzard’s Overwatch and Call of Duty leagues

The Overwatch League and Call of Duty League, two global, city-based esports organizations, and Sportradar announced Thursday an agreement for a comprehensive integrity program to protect both leagues from betting-related corruption.

Sportradar will provide both leagues with access, as needed, to its specialized Intelligence and Investigation Services unit. Further, Sportradar will help educate players on betting integrity risks and rules and will also develop an app to enable players to anonymously report suspected integrity issues. The company’s Integrity Services support more than 80 of the most prominent US and international sports and esports bodies, including the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, FIFA and Tennis Australia.

"Call of Duty League and Overwatch League have long taken steps to safeguard the integrity of matches, and working with Sportradar is a step to further reinforce the importance of fair play," said Jason Hahn, Head of Strategic Initiatives at Activision Blizzard Esports. "As our esports activities continue to grow and as fans increasingly engage with wagering on matches, we need to ensure we are doing as much as we can to proactively protect our ecosystem. Working with Sportradar, an industry leader, is important in protecting our players, teams, and matches and giving fans the best experience they deserve. We look forward to establishing this relationship with Sportradar and continued expansion of our work together."

Sportradar will monitor betting data to identify potential issues such as match-fixing, inside information misuse, and other unethical and illegal betting and gaming activities, with the goal of safeguarding the integrity of all Overwatch League and Call of Duty League competitions. 

The company’s Fraud Detection System (FDS) monitors odds from over 600 betting operators worldwide, utilizes proprietary algorithms to identify anomalous activity and is operated by a team of dedicated integrity analysts that review any unusual betting patterns. If abnormalities and potential integrity issues are flagged, Sportradar’s team alerts the relevant league in real-time of any integrity issues and aids in any resulting investigations.

"Integrity is a crucial component to the overall success of esports, especially in a time with more betting opportunities available and more tournaments taking place," said Andy Cunningham, Head of Integrity Services and League Relations, North America at Sportradar. "We look forward to working with The Overwatch League and Call of Duty League to fortify their already powerful integrity measures."