William Hill seals new BT Sport and Sky packages
UK operator beats rivals to secure "top bookmaker package" for the 2015-16 football season
William Hill has sealed headline TV advertising contracts for the 2015-16 football season after upping its spend to secure a “top bookmaker package” with BT Sport and a new deal with Sky TV.
In an analyst call held after the firm reported 38% decline in online profits this morning, chief executive James Henderson confirmed the bidding for UK TV rights for both channels had been completed with Hills winning the rights to advertise first during the half-time advertising break on BT Sport from August 2015.
The BT deal covers 38 Premier League games, 145 Champions League ties, 205 Europa League games and 17 FA Cup matches, in addition to a multi-sport package on Sky TV which the operator said would help to showcase the company’s new products in the upcoming season.
William Hill did not reveal the investment made to secure the new deals but Henderson said the firm had to offer more than in previous years.
“This demonstrates our commitment to retaining a leading presence on key media platforms,” Henderson said. “We probably paid a little bit more to get those two packages but it was what we wanted because we believe they are key media packages which will help promote our brand,” he added.
Last year, the operator signed a new partnership with BT Sport and as part of the agreement, the BT Sport website and mobile app also includes a new betting tab which links directly to William Hill’s sportsbook.
William Hill is also due to start discussions in autumn with Channel 4 to extend its contract with the channel’s racing coverage which is due to expire 31 December.
Chief financial officer Neil Cooper this morning said marketing costs were up £2m in Q1 2015 but that the firm’s 2015 marketing spend would be “broadly the same” compared to last year.