NEW YORK, May 12, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- On the date that is
annually reserved for the "Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports,"
the first Saturday in May, 1.7 million viewers tuned in to watch
the 13 Triple Crown winners battle it out in "The Kentucky Derby:
Triple Crown Showdown" created by Inspired Entertainment, Inc.
("Inspired") (NASDAQ: INSE), the Company announced today. In a
virtual race for the ages, Secretariat emerged as the ultimate
champion, winning the race 47 years after winning the Kentucky
Derby at Churchill Downs.
"The Kentucky Derby: Triple Crown Showdown" was an exciting part
of Churchill Downs' nationwide "Kentucky Derby at Home" party, and
was televised at the culmination of NBC's broadcast which included
a look back at American Pharoah's 2015 Derby win. The day of
programming celebrated the traditional date of the Kentucky Derby
since the 146th running has been postponed until
September 5th this year
due to ongoing COVID-19 concerns. The virtual race allowed viewers
to experience the magic of the Derby using the latest,
best-in-class graphics and animation and featured a stunning, fully
accurate re-creation of the Twin Spires of Churchill Downs and the
traditional atmosphere of the Kentucky Derby on the first Saturday
in May.
"This was a great event for everyone involved — Churchill Downs
got to celebrate on their traditional Derby day, racing fans got to
see the greatest-of-all-time face off, we had the opportunity to
showcase the realism of our Virtual Horse Racing product, and it
was all for a good cause," said Brooks
Pierce, President and Chief Operating Officer of Inspired.
"Virtual Sports have been popular in Europe for years, but putting together The
Kentucky Derby: Triple Crown Showdown for a national television
broadcast was a great marketing opportunity for our Virtual Sports
in the U.S. In addition to the extensive viewership, social media
was abuzz for Kentucky Derby at Home, with 91% positive sentiment
before and after the race. This is a great example of how Virtual
Sports can plug the gap and bring people together for some relief
during these difficult times, just as real sports do."
"While we await Kentucky Derby 146 in September, our partnership
with Inspired Entertainment in creating the virtual Derby not only
allowed fans celebrating Kentucky Derby at Home a chance to
experience the thrill of a race at Churchill Downs together," said
Bill Carstanjen, CEO of Churchill
Downs Incorporated, "but the excitement leading up to it gave us a
platform to raise and match funds for important COVID-19 relief
efforts."
Inspired's Virtual Sports uses life-like graphics to mimic the
experience of real sports betting, thanks to technology that has
evolved over nearly two decades. Each event lasts around 90 seconds
and games are designed to be easy to play. Inspired has the
largest array of sports available 24/7, providing a consistent
stream of sports betting content, even at times when live sports
are not feasible. Virtual Sports provide new revenue streams for
gaming providers that can be easily integrated into existing
sportsbooks and websites. Trailers and demos of the latest Virtual
Sports offerings are available at www.inseinc.com/virtuals/.
About Inspired Entertainment, Inc.
Inspired
offers an expanding portfolio of content, technology, hardware and
services for regulated gaming, betting, lottery, and leisure
operators across retail and mobile channels around the
world. The Company's gaming, virtual sports, interactive and
leisure products appeal to a wide variety of players, creating new
opportunities for operators to grow their revenue. The Company
operates in approximately 35 jurisdictions worldwide,
supplying gaming systems with associated terminals and content
for more than 50,000 gaming machines located in betting shops,
pubs, gaming halls and other route operations; virtual sports
products through more than 44,000 retail channels; digital games
for 100+ websites; and a variety of amusement entertainment
solutions with a total installed base of more than 19,000
devices. Additional information can be found
at www.inseinc.com.
About Churchill Downs Racetrack
Churchill Downs, the
world's most legendary racetrack, has conducted Thoroughbred racing
and presented the Kentucky Derby since 1875. Located in
Louisville, the flagship racetrack
of Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ: CHDN) will conduct the
146th running of the Kentucky Derby Presented by
Woodford Reserve on Sept. 5, 2020.
www.ChurchillDowns.com
About Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ:
CHDN)
Churchill Downs Incorporated is an
industry-leading racing, online wagering and gaming entertainment
company anchored by our iconic flagship event - The Kentucky
Derby. We own and operate Derby City Gaming, a historical
racing machine facility in Louisville,
Kentucky. We also own and operate the largest online horse
racing wagering platform in the U.S., TwinSpires.com, and we
operate sports betting and iGaming through our BetAmerica platform
in multiple states. We are also a leader in brick-and-mortar casino
gaming with approximately 11,000 slot machines and video lottery
terminals and 200 table games in eight states.
www.churchilldownsincorporated.com
Forward Looking Statements
This news release may
contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the
"safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements may be identified by
the use of words such as "anticipate," "believe," "expect,"
"estimate," "plan," "will," "would" and "project" and other similar
expressions that indicate future events or trends or are not
statements of historical matters. These statements are based on
Inspired's management's current expectations and beliefs, as well
as a number of assumptions concerning future events.
Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown
risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other important factors, many
of which are outside of Inspired's control and all of which could
cause actual results to differ materially from the results
discussed in the forward-looking statements. Accordingly,
forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as
representing Inspired's views as of any subsequent date, and
Inspired does not undertake any obligation to update
forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after
the date they were made, whether as a result of new information,
future events or otherwise, except as required by law. You are
advised to review carefully the "Risk Factors" section of
Inspired's annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended
December 31, 2019 and in Inspired's
subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, which are available,
free of charge, on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's
website at www.sec.gov.
Contact:
For Investors
Aimee Remey
aimee.remey@inseinc.com
+1 646 565-6938
For Press and Sales
inspiredsales@inseinc.com
View original content to download
multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/inspireds-virtual-sports-take-the-main-stage-301057619.html
SOURCE Inspired Entertainment, Inc.