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SIS boost as Racecourse Media Group betting shop deal gets three-year extension

Racecourse Media Group and SIS have extended their betting shop deal
Racecourse Media Group and SIS have extended their betting shop dealCredit: Charlie Crowhurst (Getty Images)

Racecourse Media Group (RMG) and SIS have extended their betting shop picture and data deal for a further three years in a major boost for the retail and online gambling industry supplier.

The contract will run from April 1 2023 to the end of March 2026 and follows the current five-year agreement between the two sides which started in 2018.

RMG chief executive Martin Stevenson said one of the results of the deal could be the introduction of in-play betting on racing in betting shops.

SIS has been hit hard by the closure of betting shops during the Covid-19 pandemic and was forecast to lose between £9 million and £10m last year, although the company expected to return to profitability in the current financial year.

The current deal covers content from 37 British racecourses, including those under the Jockey Club banner and the major independents such as Goodwood and York, which is distributed to betting shops across the UK and Ireland.

Martin Stevenson: Looking at the introduction of in-play betting in LBOs
Martin Stevenson: Looking at the introduction of in-play betting in LBOs

Stevenson said: "LBO [licensed betting office] revenue remains an extremely significant media rights income source for RMG’s racecourses. This deal will further increase the value of LBO rights by invigorating betting turnover via first-rate production and presentation of horseracing for the LBO audience.

"We look forward to working with SIS on new and innovative ways in which the quality content from our racecourses can be produced and presented, including the introduction of in-play betting on racing in betting shops. This deal guarantees quality, core content for bookmakers in the UK and Ireland until 2026, while ensuring there is minimal 'leakage' from the sport, in line with RMG’s ethos of returning its profits to the sport."

The news also appears to end any prospects of a return to just one company supplying pictures and data to the bookmaking industry.

Arena Racing Company, the driving force behind SIS' rival supplier The Racing Partnership, was understood to have made a bid as part of the tender process.

SIS: Confident deal will deliver 'excellent value'
SIS: Confident deal will deliver 'excellent value'

SIS chief executive Richard Ames said: "SIS is very pleased to extend the relationship we hold with RMG and are confident that this agreement will continue to deliver excellent value for racecourses and bookmakers with a collaborative approach to growing the value of horseracing.

"Winning this extension in a competitive situation is testament to the good work and excellent relationship that has been fostered between the companies over the last three years. I look forward to RMG's premium racing content being the cornerstone of SIS' racing services for many years to come."

Among those welcoming the deal was Jockey Club chief executive Nevin Truesdale, who said the new agreement "represents the best possible LBO rights arrangement for our sport".

He added: "Betting media represents such a key revenue stream and one that is fundamental to how racecourses fund their substantial contribution to prize-money levels.

"The process has been a great example of multiple stakeholders working together to try to achieve the best outcome and I would commend the leadership of RMG and our fellow racecourses in this regard."


Read more:

Arena Racing Company and Entain sign major new media rights deal

SIS facing 'significant' damages claim following Court of Appeal ruling


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Bill BarberIndustry editor

Published on 27 June 2021inNews

Last updated 19:19, 27 June 2021

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