TalkSPORT Secures World Cup Sponsor

TalkSPORT has signed a deal with the UK’s largest interactive betting service, Blue Square, to sponsor special sports features during its coverage of this summer’s World Cup tournament.

The features will run throughout the period when live games take place and will be sponsored solely by Blue Square. The online betting firm will provide odds on the tournament, the matches and the players in an attempt to drive traffic its website.

Commenting on the deal, TalkSPORT’s Chris Morgan said: “The early kick-off times during the World Cup are made for radio and web-based betting. Blue Square have identified that many traditional betting shops will struggle to attract a punter at 6am where as the tele-betting and internet services offered by the company are ideal for the early morning audience.”

TalkSPORT, which is owned by Kelvin MacKenzie’s Wireless Group, saw its weekly reach increase by 11.7% to 2,416,000, according to the latest RAJAR data.

RAJAR came under criticism from MacKenzie last week who claimed that the audience measurement system was “flawed”. MacKenzie’s comments came as The Wireless Group presented the findings of the first UK trial of an electronic wristwatch system of audience measurement (see TWG Uses Trial Results To Challenge RAJAR).

Wireless Group: 020 7269 7180 Blue Square: www.bluesquarebetting.co.uk

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