Funteron, the white-label odds comparison start-up founded by former BOYLE Sports CEO Keith O’Loughlin with funding of €10m (£8.6m), has made its first major move in the UK by signing a partnership with ITV.
The Belfast-based venture, which launched last September and describes itself as “the SkyScanner of sports betting”, has joined forces with the broadcaster to launch an app that allows sports fans to compare odds from UK bookmakers.
ITV OddsFinder launched ahead of Glorious Goodwood with advertising on ITV1 and ITV4 during the racing festival in West Sussex. It runs on Funteron’s odds comparison infrastructure, which aggregates real-time pricing from a network of licensed bookmakers across the UK.
O’Loughlin, who also counts stints at OpenBet, Ladbrokes and Coral in a 25-year career in gambling, has assembled an experienced leadership team to help him run Funteron, which he describes as “the discovery layer between media brands and licensed sportsbook operators”.
This includes former OpenBet senior exec Andy Hoskins as COO and ex LiveScore sportsbook director James McKay as director of product.
Commenting on the ITV partnership, O’Loughlin said: “Funteron exists to give sports fans genuine choice and the confidence that they are seeing the best available price. ITV OddsFinder brings leading bookmakers together in one independent comparison, built around the live racing audience on ITV. ITV is the right anchor partner to set that standard.”
Mike Barrett, controller of agency and client sales at ITV, added: “At ITV we’re constantly exploring new commercial opportunities around live sport, for the benefit of both our advertising partners and viewers. Building on Funteron’s experience in this area we are pleased to be launching ITV OddsFinder to give our viewers a streamlined experience when watching the racing they love.”
The app is available to download from the App Store and Google Play, with a web version to follow in due course.
The launch marks ITV’s latest foray into gambling after a short-lived move into real money gaming.
ITV Win Bingo & Spins was shuttered in May just six months after launch, with operator partner Richmond Atlantic stating the UK’s remote gaming duty hike to 40% in April made the product “unsustainable”.
The post Former BOYLE Sports CEO’s odds comparison venture lands ITV deal first appeared on EGR Intel.
Funteron launches ITV OddsFinder app during Glorious Goodwood as Keith O’Loughlin hails broadcaster the “right anchor partner” for UK
The post Former BOYLE Sports CEO’s odds comparison venture lands ITV deal first appeared on EGR Intel.