Tabcorp ups bet on US sports with Major League baseball streaming deal

The wagering giant has deals for three big American sports, which are proving popular with punters

Brandon Workman of the Boston Red Sox pitches in an intrasquad game during Summer at Fenway Park last week. Picture: Getty Images

Tabcorp is betting the impending return of the big US sports will kickstart an rise in punter interest in sports wagering after agreeing a deal to broadcast more baseball games.

US Major League Baseball, which can feature up to 15 matches per day, returns to the field of play for a truncated season on July 24 and will give Tabcorp much-needed sports betting content for its customers to complement its racing and local football coverage.

Tabcorp on Tuesday clinched a deal with MLB to become the sport’s official wagering partner in Australia, a partnership which including giving Tabcorp customers access to the live streams of baseball matches via the wagering giant’s app and website.

Some games will also be broadcast on Tabcorp’s Sky Channel in up to 4400 TAB venues around Australia, which will show up to 10 games per week from the MLB Network television channel.

Tabcorp’s managing director of wagering and media Adam Rytenskild said there was “growing demand for US sports content in Australia, particularly among TAB punters” and the MLB deal “helps us to fulfil our ambition of being the home of US sport in Australia”.

A further boost will come from the popular National Basketball Association (NBA) competition, featuring Australian stars such as Ben Simmons and Patty Mills, which has become one of the most popular sports to bet on for Australian punters.

The NBA starts again on July 31. Tabcorp last year clinched a deal with that competition to become an authorised betting operator for that sport in Australia, allowing it to show NBA matches in TAB venues across the country and enabling its customers to stream the games online or via the TAB app.

More bets are placed by Tabcorp punters on NBA matches, which schedules up to 15 games in the morning or early afternoon Australian time, than any other sport.

Tabcorp is also the official wagering partner of the National Football League (NFL) in Australia. The 2020 NFL season starts on September 10.

Tabcorp is scheduled to deliver its full-year results mid-next month, with COVID-19 expected to put its sports betting and gaming businesses under pressure during the June half.

Shares in Tabcorp ended down 2.4 per cent at $3.24.