International sports data technology company Genius Sports has agreed a partnership with the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) for the newly formed OFC Pro League soccer competition.
Through the agreement, Genius Sports will serve as the official integrity partner for the league.
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The firm will help to safeguard the OFC Pro League through a combination of 24/7 betting monitoring, a series of educational workshops, and model integrity rules.
The Pro League, which contains eight teams from seven different nations, kicked off this past weekend at Eden Park in Auckland.
Franck Castillo, OFC general secretary, said: “Genius Sports is well-renowned in its field, being industry leaders in sports data and analytics, with their support of the Pro League helping to kick-start a new era in football in the Pacific region.”
Stephen Thurley, head of integrity partnerships at Genius Sports, added: “Ahead of the launch of the OFC Pro League, we are proud to partner with the OFC to help safeguard the transparency and fairness of their games.
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By GlobalData“The combination of our round-the-clock bet monitoring technology with bespoke educational services and thorough integrity audit will provide OFC with a proven level of protection.”
Genius Sports has integrity partnerships with over 100 leagues and federations globally.
The partnership comes as the OFC looks to build out its commercial strategy, having hired tech-led sports media agency TGI Sport to secure sponsorships for its competitions, including the inaugural OFC Professional League.
Under the partnership, TGI Sport is tasked with building a commercial program that will ultimately lead to more competitive international teams.
Specifically, it will refine OFC’s commercial assets, lead market engagement, and secure partners for the confederation’s entire portfolio, including next year's first continental club competition, the OFC Professional League, which aims to raise standards across the region and eventually provide a route to the expanded FIFA Club World Cup.
The partnership marks a move towards a coordinated commercial strategy for the OFC, following the piecemeal sponsorships for its previous tournaments.
At the time, the OFC said the new strategy will strengthen all levels of the confederation’s pyramid, from youth and development competitions to its flagship tournaments, while also increasing fan engagement across the region.
