SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
James Kennedy has begun his tenure as the first Head of talkSPOIRT Bet, BetVictor’s latest white label venture, operated on behalf of the talkSPORT media outlet.
Based in Gibraltar, the role will see Kennedy lead, manage and oversee the UK-facing talkSPORT Bet brand, which made its market launch late last year following its initial announcement in August.
The operator uses the talkSPORT brand, with its associated editorial image and following among sports fans, built on BetVictor’s proprietary wagering software and operational capabilities.
Kennedy wrote on Linkedin: “Delighted to share that I’m starting a new position as Head of talkSPORT BET! Still within the BetVictor world but leading this exciting new brand, partnered with talkSPORT. Absolutely made up, can’t wait for the year ahead.”
Kennedy assumes brand leadership after working with BetVictor for two years as Head of Engagement UK between November 2020 and March 2023, responsible for social media and site content management.
His additional roles in gaming have included a Betting Consultant position with Gaming1, whilst more prominently working for William Hill over eight years, starting as a Content Publisher in 2009 and finishing as International Operations Manager in 2016.
He joins talkSPORT Bet three months after the brand made its UK market entry in November 2022 – a launch two months ahead of schedule as BetVictor aimed to hit the ground running with its new brand just prior to the Qatar World Cup.
The sportsbook’s features include the standard bookmaker offer of in-play wagers, enhanced accumulators, bet boosts, cashout and a bet builder, as well as BetVictor’s social responsibility tools.
talkSPORT Bet sits alongside BetVictor’s existing white label portfolio, which includes Parimatch UK, BildBet and Heart Bingo – franchised from international B2B and B2C firm GR8 Tech (formerly Parimatch Tech), German daily newspaper Bild and UK radio channel Heart.
The success of the brand is yet to be seen, however, and the UK has a history of poorly performing partnerships between media companies and betting operators.
A notable example is SunBets, a joint venture between Tabcorp and News Corp UK, which was shut down in June 2018 after just two years of business.
