SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
Greyhound Racing Ireland (GRI) has extended its partnership with SIS (Sports Information Services) as the latter continues to bolster its 24/7 live betting channels.
SIS will broadcast more than 500 races per month for a further three years, including The Irish Derby, Kirby Memorial and Winter Racing Festival.
Paul Witten, EMEA Managing Director at SIS, commented: “We are delighted to continue building on our strong partnership with GRI, broadcasting over 500 races per month from 10 tracks, with a series of new venues to follow.
“Greyhound racing from Ireland has in recent years established itself as a core part of the greyhound coverage for retail and online operators, both in the UK and international markets, and our coverage showcases the very best the nation has to offer.”
SIS allows operators to receive access to over 24,000 live global greyhound races each year through an end-to-end solution, including live streaming, data feeds and on-screen graphics with betting triggers.
The new deal extends a relationship which dates back to 2011 and began with an initial two-year contract to broadcast live races from Shelbourne Park to betting shops worldwide.
“Our partnership with SIS has been instrumental in consistently delivering world-class exposure for Irish greyhound racing and we are extremely pleased to secure extended collaboration for the next three years,” added Tim Lucey, GRI’s CEO.
“The new agreement underlines our commitment to showcase the best of our sport whilst providing fans with unparalleled access to major events. It pays testament to the quality of our tracks, athletes, and the sport as a whole.”
A long-standing history
Greyhound racing in Ireland has been active since 1927, when the first official greyhound race in the country was held at the aforementioned Shelbourne Park in Dublin.
It retains a loyal fan-base and, although its overall popularity has declined in recent years, there are still 17 licensed tracks operating under GRI, hosting thousands of races annually.
As with many betting-related sports, attendance figures have dropped over the past decade, whilst growing concerns about animal welfare continue to impact the sport’s reputation.
To try to tackle this, GRI introduced a comprehensive welfare code covering all stages of a greyhound’s life back in 2021. More recently, the welfare officer workforce increased, doubling inspections from 1,221 to 2,674 in 2022.
Furthermore, welfare, traceability, and regulation budgets rose by 27% in 2023 to €3.77 m, compared to €2.97m in 2022, and in 2023, allocated €3.15m specifically for welfare and traceability initiatives. A notable amount of funding has also gone towards upgrading kennel facilities, as well as rehoming and injury support.
Meanwhile, SIS has directly supported greyhound welfare initiatives itself through contributions to breeding and broader support schemes such as the funding of the British Greyhound Breeders Forum in 2018, which improved the quality and sustainability of greyhound breeding.
