For Premier League supporters, the international break can feel like an unwelcome interruption.
Just as the domestic season begins to gather momentum, club football is put on pause, fantasy football managers are left twiddling their thumbs and fans reluctantly swap title races for qualification permutations, unless you support Manchester United, who will no doubt welcome the domestic break.
For sportsbook operators, however, the international break may be becoming something worth celebrating rather than enduring.
With November’s fixtures approaching, Liam Normanton, representing Ivy Bet, reveals how the September and October international breaks defied expectations, delivering surprisingly strong commercial returns and attracting a distinct audience from the Premier League.
Speaking to SBC News, Normanton discusses the betting trends emerging from international football, why simpler markets are proving popular and how operators can capitalise on these opportunities to drive customer acquisition and long-term engagement.
SBC News: Looking back at the September and October international breaks, what were the most noticeable differences in betting activity compared to a typical Premier League weekend?
Liam Normanton: The most striking thing was how well the breaks held up. A dip was expected, but break weekends sat comfortably within the range of normal club weekends, and sometimes ahead of the quieter ones.
The mix of markets was different, too. Premier League weekends bring a wide spread of markets, while international football was more about the fundamentals: who’s going to win and how many goals there will be.
SBC News: How did overall betting turnover, bet volumes and average stakes compare between international fixtures and Premier League matches? Were there any particularly surprising trends?
Normanton: The Premier League is still the main event, and no international fixture is going to change that. But international football contributed a meaningful slice of activity on the days it was on, and average stakes were in the same ballpark, if a touch more modest.
The surprise was how profitable the breaks were from a sportsbook point of view. Break weekends compared very well against club weekends on that measure, which hadn’t been predicted.
SBC News: Did Ivy Bet notice any significant changes in the types of bets players were placing during international fixtures, particularly across accumulators, in-play betting and player-specific markets?
Normanton: International football was a lot simpler. Customers gravitated to match result and goals markets, and there was far less appetite for the more intricate markets that do well on Premier League weekends, such as correct scores, half-time/full-time and goalscorer props.
Accumulators fit that pattern well. Customers tend to know the Premier League inside out, but their knowledge of internationals is usually thinner, so they lean towards the big teams when building accas and trust the established names over backing a smaller nation.
Enhanced match-result prices were a popular add-on too. Fans backed the teams they know, but they kept the bet straightforward rather than going deep on individual players.
SBC News: International breaks are often perceived as quieter periods for sportsbooks. Does Ivy Bet’s data support that assumption, or can international football deliver comparable commercial value to Premier League fixtures?
Normanton: Only partly. In raw volume the breaks are lighter than a full Premier League weekend, but “quieter” undersells them.
The break weekends held their own against club weekends and often did better on returns.
The right word is “different” rather than “quieter”. International football can hold its own commercially when it’s priced and presented well.
SBC News: Did the September and October breaks attract different types of customers or betting behaviours compared to the domestic season? Were there any notable differences in customer acquisition, retention or returning players?
Normanton: Yes. A large share of the people betting on international football weren’t betting on the Premier League at all, so the breaks reached a different audience rather than just moving regulars around.
A good proportion were new to Ivy Bet this season. The international bettors were also among the most active customers, coming back on more separate days than most general football customers.
It’s an early read, and keen bettors naturally cover more competitions, but it’s an encouraging sign for retention.
SBC News: With November’s international break approaching, what lessons from September and October will influence Ivy Bet’s sportsbook strategy, particularly around market selection, promotions and customer engagement?
Normanton: The main lesson is to keep it simple and make it easy. Customers want strong match-result and goals markets for international games, so those need great pricing and clear presentation, and enhanced prices on the big fixtures fit naturally.
It’s important that the schedule is easy to browse, because break fixtures are scattered and customers want to find the games that matter quickly.
Because the breaks bring in new faces, there’ll be considerations on how to give those customers a good first experience that makes them want to stay once the league season is back in full swing.
SBC News: Looking at the wider 2026/27 season, what do these early trends suggest about the relationship between international and domestic football betting, and how should operators adapt their strategies to maximise engagement across both?
Normanton: International and domestic football complement each other more than they compete.
Much of the international audience is distinct from the Premier League crowd, which means the breaks widen the customer base rather than just shifting it around. The operators who’ll do best treat the football calendar as one continuous season.
That means keeping the product, pricing and promotions strong through the breaks and giving customers a reason to carry on into the domestic fixtures
