Four operators agree ATR turnover-based streaming deals

Four high-profile operators have followed Betfred in signing a multi-year, turnover-based streaming and data deal with Sky and Arena Racing Company’s horse racing digital platform At The Races (ATR).

BetVictor, Betway, Boylesports and Kindred Group’s Unibet have all agreed new deals under which ATR will receive a share of turnover on all bets placed on racing, and away from the previous price-per-stream pricing model.

Each deal, effective from January 2020, covers the delivery of streamed pictures and raceday data, which ATR sells as the licensee for Arena’s racecourse rights holders. All content is delivered to partners via ATR’s proprietary streaming platform, Sport Mediastream.

“We are delighted to have concluded these four important agreements and look forward to working closely with our partners to maximise betting turnover on our racing product,” ATR chief executive Matthew Imi commented.

The announcement follows the news last week that Betfred had become the first operator to sign up for a streaming deal under the new model.

It also suggests growing acceptance of the turnover-based model. It has been widely reported that bookmakers are concerned that margins will be eroded by this new model, or even lead to a coverage blackout should some refuse to work with ATR under the new terms.

The industry’s main argument against the structure is that the erosion in margins could force the betting industry to drop promotions such as best odds guarantees, in turn leading to a decline in customer spend and lower revenue for both the tracks and operators.