Real American Freestyle has announced a new multi-year partnership with ALT Sports Data, which will see the league possibly leverage the popularity of sports betting to drive interest in what it has to offer.
Real American Freestyle is dedicated to the more traditional type of wrestling, the Olympic form, rather than the one promoted and glamorized by organizations such as the WWE.
Thanks to the partnership signed on Tuesday, ALT Sports Data becomes the exclusive provider of official betting data for Reel American Freestyle events.
RAF Is Betting on Data to Boost Interest in Its Sport
There are already sportsbooks that are interested in the data and will run markets based on it, among which are Bet365, FanDuel, and DraftKings. According to Real American Freestyle CEO and co-founder Chad Bronstein, this constitutes an important step forward for the league.
“We’re building the next great combat sports platform, and that means delivering the kind of live experiences and second-screen engagement modern fans expect. ALT gives us the tools and reach to make that happen, and to bring pro freestyle wrestling into the global betting ecosystem in a smart, strategic way.”
The deal comes in time for the league’s next major blockbuster event, which will see MMA stars Chad Mendes and Michael Chandler contend in the middleweight category. Then, there is Akhmed Tazhudinov, a 2024 Olympic gold medalist who will go up against Anthony Cassioppi.
Women are also represented in the league, with US Olympic silver medalist Kennedy Blades going off against Alejandra Rivera, from Mexico. These and other athletes will be wrestling in the upcoming event at the end of the month.
Sports data has been consistently linked to stronger fan engagement and higher viewership. NASCAR and the National Hockey League have successfully leveraged their data to drive similar interest in the competitive format.