Smarkets seals first horseracing deal
Smarkets is to back more than 200 horse races in the UK this year after announcing its entry into horseracing sponsorship for the first time.
The betting exchange has been announced as the sole sponsor of 35 leading Jockey Club horse racing fixtures, spanning 11 of the group’s 15 racecourses throughout 2018.
Among the key fixtures is the prestigious Rose of Lancaster Stakes at Haydock Park in August. Five of the racedays will be shown live on ITV and all 35 will be broadcast by Racing UK.
This partnership with the Jockey Club is Smarkets’ first ever horse racing sponsorship deal, having recently been the chief sponsor of football club Queens Park Rangers.
Jason Trost, Smarkets’ chief executive, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with the Jockey Club where we will be integrating our industry-leading betting exchange into the live horse racing experience.
“The breadth of Jockey Club racedays that Smarkets will be sponsoring this year is a clear indication of our commitment to the sport, which is one of the most popular on our platform. We’ve seen great volume and liquidity increases in the last couple of years and want to build on this even more in 2018.”
In total, Smarkets will be sponsoring 240 races, starting with this weekend's fixture at Wincanton on January 6.
Paul Fisher, chief executive of Jockey Club Racecourses, said: “It’s always fantastic to be able to welcome new partners into our sport and that’s very much the case with Smarkets.
“Their sponsorship of 35 racedays across 11 of our 15 racecourses means that Smarkets will be playing an important role in the Jockey Club Racecourses calendar in 2018.”
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