BetMakers signs agreement to stream UK and Irish racing in Australia

The group, which recently submitted a AU$4.0bn (£2.18bn/€2.54bn/US$3.09bn) bid to acquire Tabcorp’s wagering and media business, has signed a multi-year streaming agreement with Racecourse Media Group (RMG) and SIS for the distribution of live horseracing vision and wagering content. The deal covers more than 60 tracks in the UK and Ireland, with 34 courses through RMG and all 26 Irish racecourses plus Ascot and Chelmsford City with SIS.

The agreement was announced in the same week that RMG, the owner of Racing TV, announced a new five-year extension of its deal for audio-visual and data rights at more than 30 courses across the UK.

Todd Buckingham, BetMakers’ chief executive, said: “The model of a global racing network, importing and exporting live vision and wagering-related data and content to promote racing across regulated jurisdictions across the world 24/7, is something BetMakers has been successfully promoting.

“We are delighted to partner with SIS and RMG to bring British and Irish racing to as many punters as we can through our partner operators in Australia. This deal also supports British and Irish racing by increasing commercial returns for the sport.”

As well as its recent bid for Tabcorp’s wagering division, BetMakers last month completed its acquisition of the racing, tote and digital business from Sportech in a deal worth £30.9m.

Discussing the BetMakers partnership, Paul Witten, SIS’s commercial director, said: “This is an important step in driving greater access for British and Irish horseracing content in Australia where we know it is popular with punters.

“SIS has over 30 years’ experience promoting and facilitating vision and data to grow racing revenues on an international basis and this deal with BetMakers allows us to grow that reach through a number of new integrations with Australian digital operators.”