NFL opening day viewership, Dream Sports-the parent company of fantasy gaming firm Dream11 secures further US$225m and other news

NFL season opener viewership peaks at 22m but experiences 12.3% audience drop compared to 2019 season opener

The opening game of the 2020 National Football League (NFL) season between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Houston Texans attracted an average 19.3 million viewers on NBC Sports, a 12.3 per cent audience drop compared to last year’s opener that saw Chicago Bears play Green Bay Packers, which peaked at 23.9 million and averaged 22 million viewers.

Dream Sports, the parent company of fantasy gaming firm Dream11 secures further US$225m

Dream Sports, the parent company of Indian fantasy gaming firm Dream11, has completed a fresh round of funding worth a reported US$225 million. New investors include Tiger Global Management, TTAD, ChrysCapital and Footpath Ventures who have made a mix of primary and secondary investments. Having reportedly raised about US$325 million to date, the company officially became a unicorn – a privately held startup valued at over US$1 billion – in April 2019 after securing secondary investment from Steadview Capital.

Sportfive replaces Infront as DFB perimeter advertising supplier, strike a two-year agreement that covers international matches and DFB Pokal cup competition

The German Football Federation has hired Sportfive to supply LED perimeter advertising during Germany’s international soccer fixtures and the DFB Pokal club knockout competition. Sportfive’s new arrangement with the DFB covers virtual perimeter advertising infrastructure for all international home matches featuring Germany’s men’s, women’s and under-21 teams, excluding men’s European qualification games.

Eurosport India to show first MMA action in Professional Fighters League deal

Mixed martial arts promotion, the Professional Fighters League, has signed a ‘multi-year’ broadcast rights deal in India with the Discovery-owned Eurosport. The PFL said that the deal, which marks the first time that MMA will be televised by Eurosport India, is part of its planned global expansion, including a focus on growing the sport in India.