BT has struck a deal with high street bookmakers Betfred which will see its three new sports channels available in the chain’s 1,370 branches.
The deal is the first commercial contract announced by the broadcaster since the channels went live last week and means all Betfred shops will have access to BT Sport for the next three years.
Betfred customers will be able to watch and bet in play on a “huge range” of events including BT Sport’s 38 Barclays Premier League games which include the London derby between Tottenham and Chelsea on September 28 and the Merseyside derby when Everton host Liverpool on November 23.
Broadcast from the Olympic Park in East London, the channels will also offer exclusive Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) coverage and 800 hours of live tennis, including the TEB BNP Paribas WTA Championships.
Bruce Cuthbert, director of commercial customers, BT Sport, said: “We are delighted to announce our first major contract in the gaming space. It is fantastic that Betfred has signed up to put BT Sport in all of its bookmakers. As the largest independent bookmaker in the UK, we could not have hoped for a bigger name as an early customer.
“We are already seeing fantastic levels of interest and sign ups in BT Sport across pubs, clubs and hotels, as hard-pressed owners who have been priced out of the market by Sky in recent years look to offer their customers some really top class sport at an affordable price.”
Betfred Managing Director John Haddock, “We are delighted to have secured a deal with BT Sport and we are looking forward to showing some top quality action in all our 1370 shops nationwide. As well as showing the live sport we will continue to have the best offers on the high street including special boosts for our in play betting.”