Marketing News: Betfair launches world’s first betting application for Internet-connected TVs

News Release from: JD Marketing
06/01/2010
Betfair, internet connected TV, widget, Yahoo!, TV, sports, CES, interactive TV,Simon Miller,Arlo Ro

Betfair launches world's first betting application for Internet-connected TVs

BETFAIR, the world's biggest betting community, has announced the launch of the first betting application for TVs running the Yahoo!® TV Widget Engine. Seeing the importance of this emerging interactive platform, Betfair has created a specialist interactive TV team to lead innovation of this TV technology.

BETFAIR, the world’s biggest betting community, has announced the launch of the first betting application for TVs running the Yahoo!® TV Widget Engine.

Seeing the importance of this emerging interactive platform, Betfair has created a specialist interactive TV team to lead innovation of this TV technology.  By the end of 2010, industry analysts Futuresource Consulting forecast that there will be 15 million connected TVs in Europe.*

“TVs are the centre of home entertainment and live sport on TV drives our business. The way people interact with their televisions is changing.  Our investment in this exciting new platform ensures that Betfair is an integral part of the future of Internet-connected TV,” says Simon Miller, CEO, Betfair TV Ltd.

“Yahoo! is the trusted partner for publishers who want to take advantage of our global distribution channels and advancements in building a worldwide developer ecosystem for publishing and distributing new and innovative TV Widgets,” said Arlo Rose, senior director of product management and design, Yahoo! Connected TV. “

In those countries that allow it, the Betfair TV Widget provides sports enthusiasts with an online entertainment experience to enhance their sports television watching." Betfair is demonstrating its football betting application at 2010 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) – http://www.cesweb.org/ - 7-10 January 2010, Las Vegas Convention Centre.

In addition to sports betting, Betfair offers a portfolio of innovative products including casino, exchange games and poker.Betfair has twice been named the UK’s ‘Company of the Year’ by the Confederation of British Industry and remains one of the only betting companies to win a Queen’s Award for Enterprise, being recognised for Innovation in 2003 and most recently for International Trade in 2008. Betfair currently employs over 1,500 people, principally in London, Malta and Tasmania. The company is a licensed betting operator in the UK, and holds licenses in Australia, Germany, Austria, Italy and Malta.

*For information on Futuresource Consulting research visit:http://www.futuresource-consulting.com/press/2009-12_ConnectedTV_release.pd

For more information or a print quality image please contact: Caroline Powell or Jan Davies at JD Marketing, Brigade House, Brigade Street, London SE3 0TW E: carolinep@jdmarketing.co.uk or jand@jdmarketing.co.uk or T: 020 8297 5388