Connect with us

Latest News

Aintree and Cheltenham festivals bring big boost to audiences for Racing

Published

on

Reading Time: 2 minutes

 

Rachael Blackmore’s win in the Randox Grand National generated record interest © focusonracing.com

The Randox Grand National Festival and the Cheltenham Festival has brought unprecedented interest in horseracing from audiences stuck at home, according to Racecourse Media Group (RMG), which described the last few weeks as a “watershed” period for the sport.

With most of the nation at home due to lockdown restrictions, which have resulted in the closure of retail betting shops, pubs and clubs, and exclusion of spectators at the racecourse, media distribution has been critical to bringing the action from the racecourse to fans at home – and more people than ever are watching.

ITV posted record audiences for every day of the Cheltenham Festival, with an average audience of 1.14m across the week (23% increase on 2020), capped by a peak of 1.9m watching the WellChild Gold Cup, while it registered an audience of 8.8 million for the 2021 Randox Grand National, and record figures for the opening day’s racing from Aintree and the Opening Show.

The TV audience at Aintree was bolstered by more than 3m video streams for the three-day fixture, generated via RMG’s Watch & Bet service. This is more than double the number of streams that the previous staging of the festival produced in 2019.

The media rights company, responsible for the interests of 34 racecourse-shareholders, including Aintree and Cheltenham, also reported that there were 345,000 streams of the Randox Grand National itself, nearly double the 2019 running. The streaming figures reinforce the recent news that the Randox Grand National was Britain’s biggest ever online sports betting event.

The appetite for the festival was bolstered by the international coverage which RMG generated. More than 25 broadcasters took live coverage while more than 30 outlets covered the race for their news bulletins. CNN International, which reaches over 370 million households, covered the race for World Sport programmes, while the likes of Fox News (US), CGTN (China and International), Globo (Brazil), Sky News Arabia and Channel 10 (Australia) also offered the fixture valuable airtime.

The Aintree festival contributed to RMG’s subscription channel, Racing TV, breaking through the 65,000-membership barrier for the first time, while its website, www.racingtv.com attracted 3.3m page views, up more than 50% against 2019.

The streaming numbers for Aintree come on the back of an even more successful Cheltenham Festival, where video streams for the four days totalled more than 6.5m, 60% up on 2020 – the highest number ever seen for a racing fixture.

Martin Stevenson, CEO of Racecourse Media Group, said: “The last few weeks have been a watershed period for the sport, headlined by Rachael Blackmore’s brilliant win in the Randox Grand National and it represents RMG’s highest performing period in terms of audiences.

“While lockdown restrictions will undoubtedly have contributed to the growth, it emphasises how important our first-rate television production and presentation is, and how important our digital platforms are, given how betting and the consumption of racing is transitioning more and more to online.”

Powered by WPeMatico

Continue Reading
Advertisement

BMM Testlabs

BMM Testlabs hires Michael Minor as SVP and North America BD lead

Published

on

bmm-testlabs-hires-michael-minor-as-svp-and-north-america-bd-lead

Minor will lead land-based gaming sales strategy and customer engagement across the region.

BMM Testlabs has appointed Michael Minor as Senior Vice President & North America Market (NAM) Leader, Business Development, the company said.

In the role, Minor will lead land-based gaming sales strategy and customer engagement across North America, with a mandate to expand BMM’s regional presence and relationships with manufacturers, suppliers, and operators.

Minor brings more than 20 years of experience in business development leadership, client engagement, and sales strategy, according to BMM. He previously held senior roles at NEXTEQ, Pavilion Payments, and IGT.

Kirk White, Global President, Land-Based Gaming & Inspections, said, “Michael is a respected leader with deep experience across the North American gaming market. He understands our customers, knows how to build strong teams, and has a proven track record of delivering growth. With BMM’s full NAM coverage for certification services, we are excited to welcome Michael to BMM, supporting our client-engagement experience as we expand our services across the region.”

Minor said, “I am excited to join BMM Testlabs at such an exciting time for the company as the industry highly values what BMM is offering for Compliance and QA services. BMM has a strong reputation and focus on quality, speed, and integrity, and I look forward to working with our customers and teams across North America to support their growth and success.”

More data as follows:
  • BMM Testlabs: https://bmm.com/ Company site for confirmation of the executive appointment and BMM’s testing and certification services.
  • American Gaming Association: https://www.americangaming.org/ Trade body resource for North American gaming market context referenced in the appointment.
  • Pavilion Payments: https://www.pavilionpayments.com/ Background on one of Minor’s prior employers cited in the release.
  • IGT: https://www.igt.com/ Background on one of Minor’s prior employers cited in the release.

The post BMM Testlabs hires Michael Minor as SVP and North America BD lead appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Continue Reading

Latest News

BMM TESTLABS WELCOMES EXPERIENCED GAMING EXECUTIVE MICHAEL MINOR AS SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT & NAM LEADER, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Published

on

bmm-testlabs-welcomes-experienced-gaming-executive-michael-minor-as-senior-vice-president-&-nam-leader,-business-development

BMM Testlabs (“BMM” or “the Company”), the world’s original gaming test lab renowned for exceptional product compliance and certification services, today announced that Michael Minor has joined the Company as Senior Vice President & North America Market (NAM) Leader, Business Development.

In this role, Minor will lead land-based gaming sales strategy and customer engagement across the region, helping expand BMM’s presence and strengthen relationships with manufacturers, suppliers, and operators.

Minor brings more than 20 years of leadership experience in managing business development teams, client engagements, and sales strategies, and in-depth knowledge of gaming technologies and enterprise platform solutions. He previously held senior-level roles at NEXTEQ, Pavilion Payments, and IGT, where he led major initiatives and supported large-scale deployments of systems and technologies.

Kirk White, Global President, Land-Based Gaming & Inspections, said, “Michael is a respected leader with deep experience across the North American gaming market. He understands our customers, knows how to build strong teams, and has a proven track record of delivering growth. With BMM’s full NAM coverage for certification services, we are excited to welcome Michael to BMM, supporting our client-engagement experience as we expand our services across the region.”

Minor said, “I am excited to join BMM Testlabs at such an exciting time for the company as the industry highly values what BMM is offering for Compliance and QA services. BMM has a strong reputation and focus on quality, speed, and integrity, and I look forward to working with our customers and teams across North America to support their growth and success.”

 

The post BMM TESTLABS WELCOMES EXPERIENCED GAMING EXECUTIVE MICHAEL MINOR AS SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT & NAM LEADER, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

Continue Reading

Aglaja Geta

“Stories”, a new feature design to elevate sportsbook engagement and promotional visibility from BETBY

Published

on

“stories”,-a-new-feature-design-to-elevate-sportsbook-engagement-and-promotional-visibility-from-betby

BETBY, the leading sportsbook provider, has announced the launch of Stories, a new feature designed to transform how operators present promotions and key events to their players.

Inspired by the widely adopted Stories format seen across social media platforms, the feature introduces a familiar, intuitive way for bettors to discover and engage with content directly within the sportsbook interface.

As competition for user attention continues to intensify, operators face the ongoing challenge of delivering promotions and updates in a way that cuts through the noise without overwhelming the user experience.

Stories addresses this by offering a dynamic, swipeable format that brings key content — such as bonuses, tournaments, major sporting events, and boosted odds — into a more engaging and accessible space.

Fully integrated into BETBY’s sportsbook environment, Stories enables bettors to seamlessly browse through short, interactive content cards, mirroring the mechanics they already use daily on social platforms.

This familiarity plays a key role in driving immediate interaction, lowering the barrier to engagement, and creating additional touchpoints between operators and their users.

By introducing a format that naturally encourages exploration, Stories helps increase visibility across promotional campaigns while supporting higher engagement rates.

Each new Story acts as a trigger for curiosity, prompting users to click through and discover new offers or events, ultimately contributing to improved promo turnover.

The feature feels particularly intuitive to younger demographics, who are already accustomed to this style of interaction.

By aligning sportsbook UX with established digital behaviors, BETBY allows operators to connect with these audiences in a more organic and impactful way.

Stories is about meeting users where they already are, in terms of how they consume content,” said Aglaja Geta, Head of UX & Analytics at BETBY.

We wanted to introduce a format that feels instantly familiar, while giving operators a powerful new way to highlight their most important promotions and events.

It creates a smoother, more engaging experience that encourages interaction without adding complexity to the platform.

From an operational perspective, Stories offers a streamlined way to enhance the front-end experience without requiring structural changes to the sportsbook.

The feature integrates seamlessly, allowing operators to enrich their content strategy while maintaining a clean and intuitive interface.

About BETBY

BETBY is a leading B2B provider of top-tier sports betting services, renowned for its groundbreaking technology and dedication to excellence.

BETBY’s team of industry veterans tap into their knowledge and expertise to deliver a premium, adaptable, and scalable sportsbook platform tailored to meet the varied demands of operators across the globe.

From dynamic in-play betting options to robust risk management tools and ground-breaking AI tools, BETBY is committed to propelling the success of its partners in the rapidly evolving landscape of online sports betting.

For more information visit betby.com

The post “Stories”, a new feature design to elevate sportsbook engagement and promotional visibility from BETBY appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

Continue Reading

Trending

Get it on Google Play

Fresh slot games releases by the top brands of the industry. We provide you with the latest news straight from the entertainment industries.

The platform also hosts industry-relevant webinars, and provides detailed reports, making it a one-stop resource for anyone seeking information about operators, suppliers, regulators, and professional services in the European gaming market. The portal's primary goal is to keep its extensive reader base updated on the latest happenings, trends, and developments within the gaming and gambling sector, with an emphasis on the European market while also covering pertinent global news. It's an indispensable resource for gaming professionals, operators, and enthusiasts alike.

Contact us: [email protected]

Editorial / PR Submissions: [email protected]

Copyright © 2015 - 2024 - Recent Slot Releases is part of HIPTHER Agency. Registered in Romania under Proshirt SRL, Company number: 2134306, EU VAT ID: RO21343605. Office address: Blvd. 1 Decembrie 1918 nr.5, Targu Mures, Romania