As a result of legislative decoupling, Magic City Jai-Alai will open on Feb. 14, 2022 as the only professional jai-alai fronton left in North America. Magic City Jai-Alai concluded its fourth season on Nov. 23. The upcoming fifth season will feature an expanded, international roster where 28 of the greatest jai-alai players in the country will face off and pay tribute to the centuries-old sport with ties to the Basque region of Spain.
“The best days of this sport are still ahead. When we reopen in 2022, we will present the ‘fastest ball sport in the world’ ready for a 21st century audience,” said Scott Savin, Chief Operating Officer at Magic City Casino, home of Magic City JaiAlai. “Since day one of this program, we have updated this game, making it more palatable for modern viewers.”
Over the past four years, Magic City Jai-Alai has adopted an unconventional approach to the traditional sport, influencing the roster, court size, game format and streaming and wagering platforms seeking to broaden the appeal. The 2021 Magic City Jai-Alai season saw the introduction of new partnerships and concepts, including Jai-Alai Head to Head (H2H).
Jai-Alai H2H, an alternate game format from the traditional style of play, features two or four similarly skilled players competing against each other in a setup similar to tennis in branded uniforms with the H2H logo. The H2H format aims to make the game easier to understand and wager on.
According to NBC News, sports betting in the U.S. generated $3.16 billion in the first 10 months of 2021. Synergizing on those numbers is a partnership with BetRivers Sportsbook and Casino Service, which presents Magic City H2H games on their platform and allows sports enthusiasts to wager on H2H games in Arizona, Illinois and Iowa, with additional states expected. Magic City’s H2H games are also streamed on LaLiga Sports in Spain which reaches an audience of approximately 1.9 million viewers.
On the digital front, Magic City created www.jaialaichannel.com and www.watchjaialai.com, which offer access to Magic City’s traditional jai-alai and H2H performances and showcase player interviews and introductory videos for those new to the sport. Further supporting these efforts is an increasingly popular TikTok channel.
“2022 will be a crucial year for our program. We have worked over the past four seasons to position this fronton and this sport to move to a wider audience,” said Savin. “We look forward to continuing our efforts and seeing this thrilling sport prosper.”