New Delhi, Jan. 13 -- FIFA deepened its commercial ties to the betting industry Monday in a four-year deal that will let some gambling operators livestream World Cup games this year.

The deal with data provider Stats Perform - with brands including soccer statistics specialist Opta - runs through 2029 for most FIFA competitions "to distribute official betting data and livestreams" to account holders.

"It also grants exclusive betting rights to thousands of matches per season across FIFA Member Association competitions powered by FIFA+," the soccer body said, without stating the value of the deal.

The FIFA+ website - which shows games from some FIFA competitions and lower-ranked leagues plus highlights from much of the World Cup archive...