BT Sport signs deal with Betfred

BT SPORT has signed a deal with bookmaker Betfred to show its three channels in all of its 1,370 bookmakers across the UK.

Charlie Mulgrew of Celtic and Kevin Luckassen of Ross County in action during the game between Celtic and Ross Count. Picture: Getty

Betfred is BT’s first big commercial contract in the gaming sector and means that all of the Betfred shops will have access to BT Sport for the next three years.

It will be delivered as part of the bookmaker’s own Betfred TV service and includes games from the Scottish Professional Football League, the Barclays Premier League and games from around the world.

BT says more than 500,000 households have signed up for BT Sport. But critics have questioned whether it can succeed in Scotland where others have failed.

Setanta entered administration in 2009, then ESPN’s involvement in Scotland withered as a result of its loss of English Premier League rights.

During a recent visit to Scotland, Marc Watson, the chief executive of TV at BT Retail, said: “The difference between us and previous broadcasters who have covered Scottish football is that we are a huge business.”