XB Net is sponsoring Betting on Sports 2017, the second edition of the largest international sports and betting trade conference at Olympia Conference Centre in Kensington.
Ahead of the 12-15 September event, we spoke to the company’s VP Business Development René Schneider about what he is looking forward to at #boscon2017, his perfect sporting event, and how sports and betting can work better together.
SBC: What are you looking forward to at Betting on Sports?
RS: I am most looking forward to networking and meeting up with my friends and colleagues within the industry. I’m also eager to learn about the latest industry trends and will hopefully leave with some promising new business opportunities.
SBC: What are you promoting at Betting on Sports?
RS: XB Net is the leading provider of live North American horse and greyhound racing content. We manage the content rights, data, odds and signals (broadcast and video streaming) on behalf of our B2B partners, allowing them to simply integrate into our technology and start making money. We work with many of the world’s leading fixed odds and commingled wagering companies, and have partners in Europe, Asia, Mexico and Australia.
We offer our partners the ability to access more than 150,000 races annually, with the majority running between 5:00PM and 5:00AM UK time. We provide our partners access to many of the world’s most prestigious horse races, including the Preakness Stakes, Breeders‘ Cup, Belmont Stakes and the world’s richest event, the Pegasus World Cup. Our B2B solutions have generated millions in profits for our partners, and we look forward to discussing these opportunities with prospective customers.
SBC: Where can betting work together more closely with sport?
RS: There is always room for improvement. We listen carefully to the needs of the marketplace and our partners (bookmakers and commingled wagering) and strive to provide them whatever is needed to increase sales and profits. We have been incredibly lucky to partner with several influential UK betting firms who are eager and willing to work alongside us in building demand for our product.
In the US, XB Net continues to work with the racetracks (who traditionally do not operate with international markets in mind) to receive the data and pathways we need to properly promote their product. Two recent examples of how this has impacted our business come to mind:
It is important to our B2B bookmaker partners that we receive clean, high-quality feeds from the tracks, without their graphics and odds overlaid. While this sounds simple, most US tracks simply did not offer this as recently as several years ago. We have worked track-by-track to negotiate that they make an additional clean-feed available, and have made considerable investments when necessary to ensure completion.
North American tracks are notorious for delaying post time to maximize their on-track and simulcast revenue. This creates a negative experience for punters betting in the UK and logistical concerns for bet shops as they are often forced to juggle multiple races running concurrently.
SBC: What sports betting partnership has stood out in the past 12 months?
RS: On 28 January 2016, our sister property, Gulfstream Park, hosted the world’s richest horse race, the $12 Million Pegasus World Cup. To promote the event and generate excitement and awareness among novices, our parent company, The Stronach Group, hired MMA Fighter/Boxer, Conor McGregor, as a spokesman.
He starred in several short video clips in which he was training to be a jockey in the race. The race was shown nationally on NBC, with the 90-minute broadcast receiving a 1.23 overnight rating. The Pegasus World Cup also partnered with Absolut, G.H. Mumm and the SBE Entertainment Group.
SBC: Describe your perfect sporting event
RS: Within horse racing, I really enjoy the Preakness Stakes, contested every May at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It’s an incredibly fun event built around a world-class horse race. Each year, event organizers host a major music act for a concert in the infield (past artists include Sam Hunt, Lorde, Pitbull, The Chainsmokers and Armin van Buuren).
Outside of horse racing, I really enjoy watching tennis, with my favorite venue being Roland Garros. I enjoy a relaxing atmosphere and world-class talent when I attend sporting events, and both of those venues offer that.