bet365

Bet365 Names VML U.S. Creative Agency of Record

Bet365 has appointed VML, part of the WPP network, as its first creative agency of record in the United States and Canada on a three-year contract after an eight-week review run by consultancy ID Comms. VML beat four other agencies and launched the pair’s first North American brand campaign, “Winning Is Everything,” which debuted live during UFC Fight Night on March 14 and was directed by Jody Hill. Bet365’s CMO Stephanie De Flora said the brand is positioning itself as a challenger to incumbents like FanDuel and DraftKings while expanding into more U.S. states and leveraging a multi-year UFC partnership. Industry context cited includes U.S. sports betting revenue near $17 billion in 2025 (per the American Gaming Association) and an estimated $70 million U.S. media spend for Bet365 in 2025 (COMvergence).

Streaming Dominates Live Sports: A New Era Begins

LG Ad Solutions released Stadium to Screen, a study on live-sports viewing across the UK, US, and Canada, showing a shift to connected TV as the primary platform for real-time sports. In the UK, 74% of CTV users stream live sports, with linear TV still the most preferred method; Sky Sports (40%), BBC (40%), and Prime Video (37%) lead. About 40% watch almost every game. The report highlights rising sports betting interest, with two-thirds of UK CTV viewers planning to use betting apps in 2025 and Bet365 named a leader. Multitasking is high (85% during events), with betting and other content up 50% and 25% YoY, and ad engagement remains strong (65% attentive; 76% want more relevant ads). US CTV live sports viewership is 80%; in Canada, hockey dominates, with Prime Video and Sportsnet+ leading streaming for sports content.

Adform Strengthens UK Team with Key Manchester Appointments

Adform announced two strategic hires in the UK: Gary Humphreys and Martin Roberts will assume Sales Director roles to bolster the company’s UK operations, with a focus on Manchester and the Northern England region. The appointments, effective February 19, 2024, come from Microsoft Advertising and Dentsu, respectively, and aim to deepen brand partnerships across the North while promoting Adform’s FLOW integrated ad platform and its emphasis on first-party data and identity solutions amid cookie depreciation. Humphreys brings over two decades of online media and advertising experience, most recently as client partner lead for UK & Israel at Microsoft Advertising, with clients including bet365, Paddy Power/Betfair, William Hill, Entain, and 888.com. Roberts previously led media & data partnerships for Amnet at Dentsu and headed programmatic UK for Dentsu, overseeing teams at iProspect, Carat, and Dentsu X. James Urquhart of Adform commented on the hires as strengthening the company’s position in the North.