“The Kentucky Derby: Triple Crown Showdown” to be Televised as Part of Churchill Downs’ Nationwide Virtual ‘Kentucky Derby at Home’ Party Featured on NBC
NEW YORK, April 24, 2020 –Inspired Entertainment, Inc. (“Inspired”) (NASDAQ: INSE) announced today that it has created ‘The Kentucky Derby: Triple Crown Showdown’ for Churchill Downs Racetrack’s nationwide virtual ‘Kentucky Derby at Home’ party to be televised on NBC on May 2 from 3:00 -6:00 p.m. EDT. During the broadcast, Derby fans will witness Inspired’s ultrarealistic 3D CGI representation of the Kentucky Derby featuring the 13 Triple Crown winners from the past century in an ultimate face-off. Viewers will get to experience the magic of the Derby with a stunning, fully accurate re-creation of the Twin Spires of Churchill Downs and the atmosphere of Derby Day on the first Saturday in May.
‘The Kentucky Derby: Triple Crown Showdown’ is a computer-simulated version of a race at Churchill Downs Racetrack. Historical information about these horses and their racing records has been utilized in the software, which helps to determine the probability of their potential finishing positions. This probability is based on their past form and performance in other races.
“We are very excited about this opportunity to showcase our Virtual Sports on a much larger scale in the U.S.,” said Brooks Pierce, President and Chief Operating Officer of Inspired. “Churchill Downs is the world’s most legendary racetrack and the Kentucky Derby is the premier event in horse racing. We are honored to be a part of this special tradition and support Churchill Downs in this endeavor, as we work together to help fill the gap of live sports and bring people together for some relief during these difficult times.”
Fans will be able to visit www.KentuckyDerby.com to choose their favorite horse to win and join Churchill Downs in making a charitable donation to COVID-19 emergency relief efforts, which the Churchill Downs Foundation will match up to $1 million dollars. Inspired will also be making a contribution.
Kevin Flanery, President of Churchill Downs Racetrack, said, “Our fans will be captivated by the realistic view of the virtual race and we can debate, as we do each year, our favorite to win. The anticipation of which Triple Crown winner will emerge as the ultimate champion is thrilling, but most importantly, we are proud to use this platform as a force for good by raising money for the COVID-19 emergency initiatives.”
Join the virtual party by posting your home Derby Party experience using #KyDerbyAtHome on Saturday, May 2, and follow @KentuckyDerby on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram on the first Saturday in May to engage with a full day of exciting content and other at home Derby parties from around the world.
As the pioneer of Virtual Sports, Inspired has recreated the action of the world’s most popular sports for more than 15 years. Inspired has famously created the Virtual Grand National, which pits the 40 horses and riders most likely to run in the Grand National and has proven to be incredibly accurate in predicting the results of the actual race since 2017. This year the Virtual Grand National was held in place of the Grand National and attracted 4.8 million viewers, proving Virtual Sports are realistic enough to take center stage.
“During these unprecedented times, Virtual Sports have become a great way for fans to stay connected to their favorite sports with one of the 14 different sports we offer to our customers,” Pierce continued. “We see this as a great way to provide new content and revenue streams for gaming operators that can be easily integrated into existing sportsbooks and websites.”
The company’s award-winning Virtual Sports are popular worldwide, appealing to a wide variety of players through more than 40,000 retail channels and 100+ websites in 35 countries. Trailers and demos of the latest Virtual Sports offerings are available at www.inseinc.com/virtuals/.
About Inspired Entertainment, Inc.
Inspired offers an expanding portfolio of content, technology, hardware and services for regulated gaming, betting, lottery, and leisure operators across retail and mobile channels around the world. The Company’s gaming, virtual sports, interactive and leisure products appeal to a wide variety of players, creating new opportunities for operators to grow their revenue. The Company operates in approximately 35 jurisdictions worldwide, supplying gaming systems with associated terminals and content for more than 50,000 gaming machines located in betting shops, pubs, gaming halls and other route operations; virtual sports products through more than 44,000 retail channels; digital games for 100+ websites; and a variety of amusement entertainment solutions with a total installed base of more than 19,000 devices. Additional information can be found at www.inseinc.com.
About Churchill Downs Racetrack
Churchill Downs, the world’s most legendary racetrack, has conducted Thoroughbred racing and presented the Kentucky Derby since 1875. Located in Louisville, the flagship racetrack of Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ: CHDN) will conduct the 146th running of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve on Sept. 5, 2020. www.ChurchillDowns.com
Forward Looking Statements
This news release may contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “expect,” “estimate,” “plan,” “will,” “would” and “project” and other similar expressions that indicate future events or trends or are not statements of historical matters. These statements are based on Inspired’s management’s current expectations and beliefs, as well as a number of assumptions concerning future events.
Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other important factors, many of which are outside of Inspired’s control and all of which could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements. Accordingly, forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing Inspired’s views as of any subsequent date, and Inspired does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date they were made, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. You are advised to review carefully the “Risk Factors” section of Inspired’s annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019 and in Inspired’s subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, which are available, free of charge, on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s website at www.sec.gov.
