The UK gambling and sports betting operator Entain is entering the media world with the launch of 4 online channels featuring greyhound and horse racing. The operator, which currently owns brands such as Ladbrokes, bwin, Sportingbet, and PartyPoker, has now created a media arm that would produce written content and documentaries as part of the gambling company’s effort to become a “fully-fledged media business”.
The new media division of Entain currently involves only about 30 people, with the team being divided into 3 arms – long-form video, live channels, and digital media and broadcast – that are already working on the progress of two projects. The current projects of the company’s media unit involve an entertainment show featuring Glen Boss, a 3-time winner of the Melbourne Cup, and a documentary that focuses on the development of Australian basketball through the years.
The gambling operator already has open job listings for commentators, pre-race program writers, and online content and social media managers.
The television channels of the UK gambling and sports betting giant have been online since last week. They already provide race coverage for Ladbrokes and Neds – two of the sportsbook brands owned by Entain. The operator has unveiled plans to expand its content with pre-race and live commentary programmes, and a number of racetracks in the Australian states of Victoria, Queensland and South Australia, and in New Zealand have already agreed on proposed broadcast deals, which are aimed at ensuring enough content for the new media channels.
Entain Invests Heavily into Its New Media Initiative to Compete with Tabcorp
Dean Shannon, the CEO of Entain, confirmed that the new media arm of the gambling giant was its first step into the entertainment and broadcasting industry. He further noted that the company was planning a variety of unique content centered around its live broadcasts. As Mr Shannon explained, it is Entain’s ambition to offer wall-to-wall Australian and international racing broadcasts for its customers.
The boss of Entain believes that the popularity of racing content was being reduced because of the fact that the market is currently oversaturated with streaming services. Mr Shannon were actually responsible for maintaining innovative solutions for their audience and popularising racing content to the wider public.
The launch of the latest Entain’s media initiative was a significant investment, but the company’s boss expressed his confidence that it would turn out to be beneficial. The UK gambling operator followed Tabcorp’s footsteps, the largest gambling company in Australia, in establishing an in-house media unit. In fact, back in 2021 Entain made an attempt to purchase the wagering and media business of
Now, the UK gambling and sportsbook operator will have to compete with Sky Racing – the same media business of Tabcorp that it failed to acquire last year. For the time being, Sky Racing owns the majority of racing broadcast rights in Australia and Entain will definitely have to spend a serious amount in order to become a worthy competitor to the company, especially considering the fact that it has no prior industry experience.
Entain’s Head of Talent and Racing, Adam Hamilton, also shared an opinion saying that the future of the business is actually linked to content, which makes it much more than just a wagering business.
- Author
Olivia Cole
