Entain launches four live racing channels to boost engagement in Australia
• Four horse and greyhound racing channels were launched last week
Entain - the sports betting and gambling company behind Ladbrokes and Neds - has launched online television channels in Australia to increase engagement with punters.
The company - formerly GVC Holdings - has a team of 30 working on the four horse and greyhound racing channels that were launched last week.
It is part of its media arm that produces written content and documentaries, The Sydney Morning Herald reported on Monday.
The team is lead by Andy Hoad and is recruiting commentators and writers for pre-race programs, social media and online content.
It features three areas - live channels, digital media and broadcast (in a deal with racing.com), and long form video.
The channels are currently running races through the Ladbrokes and Neds apps, and the company is using its other digital content - commentary about trainers, horses and jockeys - to fill hours.
The leading media trade publication in Australia.
Get our top stories straight to your inbox daily by signing up to our Newsletter
There are plans to expand its offering into launch pre-race programs and live commentary. For now, Entain is working with production company NEP and has broadcast deals with racing organisations across Australia and New Zealand.
According to the publication the company is working on two projects - a documentary on the history of Australian basketball and a series with three-time Melbourne Cup winner Glen Boss.
Entain chief executive Dean Shannon said the content model is a first for the global wagering giant, calling it "unique". He added: "Our ambition is to have wall-to-wall Australian and international racing broadcasts for customers and build a lot of bespoke content around that."
Shannon did not share how much money was spent into the model, but called it a "serious amount of money."
“A lot of streaming services are taking up a lot of people’s time and places where people might have ordinarily watched the races like Sky Channel, are probably declining in audience.
"We as wagering operators need to keep innovating in this space, and we need to keep the races in front of the customers to make sure it’s relevant. We are competing for that disposable income," Shannon added.
