Interactive
UK – Entain and Arena Racing sign comprehensive package for horse and greyhound racing
By Lewis - 19 March 2021
Entain and Arena Racing have announced the signing of a long-term media rights deal that covers horse racing media rights and establishes a joint venture between Entain and Arena Racing for greyhound racing, through to 31 December 2029.
The long-term deal will deliver a range of horse racing and greyhound racing products for Entain’s retail and digital channels, Ladbrokes & Coral, as well as for its digital brands – Betdaq, Bwin and Sportingbet, and will launch a joint venture between the two parties for the distribution of greyhound racing content from Entain, Arena Racing and Independent greyhound tracks.
Both horse and greyhound media rights will be produced and distributed to the UK independent bookmaking sector via The Racing Partnership and into international markets such as Spain, produced and distributed by Arena Racing subsidiary, Vermantia.
The horse racing media rights element of the Entain and Arena Racing partnership covers all UK, race day data and audio-visual coverage for races from Arena Racing’s sixteen UK racecourses, which include Doncaster, Newcastle, Chepstow and Lingfield Park. The deal also includes South African and Australian content and will commence in 2022 and run through to 2029.
The joint venture between Entain and Arena Racing will deliver a single optimised UK Greyhound Racing schedule. The joint venture will become the vehicle for licensing media rights to Entain and other domestic and international betting operators from these tracks. This joint venture will launch in 2024 through to 2029.
The joint venture will hold the long term exclusive rights to greyhound content from twelve stadia owned across Arena Racing (Newcastle, Nottingham, Perry Barr and Sunderland), independent stadia within Greyhound Media Group (Kinsley, Sheffield, Swindon and Yarmouth) as well as those owned by Entain (Crayford, Hove, Monmore Green and Romford).
Adrian Bower, Entain Chief Procurement Officer, commented: “We are delighted to be partnering with Arena Racing on such a comprehensive long-term deal that will give certainty to both parties for the benefit of both horse racing and greyhound racing, as well as helping them navigate the Covid challenges and emerge stronger when the world gets back to normal.
“This is a progressive deal for greyhound racing, that will deliver a sustainable programme going forward, support greyhound welfare, and deliver more money into the sport.
“This landmark deal supports Entain’s omni-channel strategy for its UK digital brands and emphasises the huge value we place on the horse racing and greyhound racing products. We have been looking for a long-term deal that delivers benefits to both parties, allowing us to focus on navigating the immediate challenge of Covid, while generating greater value for all.
“Ladbrokes and Coral are two of the biggest and longest standing investors in, and supporters of horse racing and greyhound racing, and this significant commercial deal with Arena Racing is just further proof of our support for these two great British sports”
Kevin Robertson, Managing Director of Arena Racing’s Media and International Division, added: “This deal between Arena Racing and Entain represents a new era of collaboration between the horse and greyhound racing industries and their bookmaker customers.”
“We are delighted to have framed this deal to offer long term certainty for both our horse and greyhound racing, as we look to recover from what have been incredibly difficult times for both industries.
“Importantly, this deal recognises the value for both horse and greyhound racing being sold directly by rights holders to their key bookmaker customers. We are delighted to be working in partnership with a significant global partner in Entain who operate historic and popular brands such as Ladbrokes and Coral, continuing their long association with both sports.”
“Both Arena Racing and Entain are committed to the future of greyhound racing, and under the new joint venture we will be able to sustain and re-invigorate a sport that has been through significant change over the years.
“The launch of evening greyhound racing on Sky Sports Racing in February is hopefully the first of many new initiatives to promote and enhance the sport.”
