“The Kentucky Derby: Triple Crown Showdown” A Success
New York, May 12, 2020 – On the date that is annually reserved for the “Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports,” the first Saturday in May, 1.7 million viewers tuned in to watch the 13 Triple Crown winners battle it out in “The Kentucky Derby: Triple Crown Showdown” created by Inspired Entertainment, Inc. (“Inspired”) (NASDAQ: INSE), the Company announced today. In a virtual race for the ages, Secretariat emerged as the ultimate champion, winning the race 47 years after winning the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.
“The Kentucky Derby: Triple Crown Showdown” was an exciting part of Churchill Downs’ nationwide “Kentucky Derby at Home” party, and was televised at the culmination of NBC’s broadcast which included a look back at American Pharoah’s 2015 Derby win. The day of programming celebrated the traditional date of the Kentucky Derby since the 146th running has been postponed until September 5th this year due to ongoing COVID-19 concerns. The virtual race allowed viewers to experience the magic of the Derby using the latest, best-in-class graphics and animation and featured a stunning, fully accurate re-creation of the Twin Spires of Churchill Downs and the traditional atmosphere of the Kentucky Derby on the first Saturday in May.
“This was a great event for everyone involved — Churchill Downs got to celebrate on their traditional Derby day, racing fans got to see the greatest-of-all-time face off, we had the opportunity to showcase the realism of our Virtual Horse Racing product, and it was all for a good cause,” said Brooks Pierce, President and Chief Operating Officer of Inspired. “Virtual Sports have been popular in Europe for years, but putting together The Kentucky Derby: Triple Crown Showdown for a national television broadcast was a great marketing opportunity for our Virtual Sports in the U.S. In addition to the extensive viewership, social media was abuzz for Kentucky Derby at Home, with 91% positive sentiment before and after the race. This is a great example of how Virtual Sports can plug the gap and bring people together for some relief during these difficult times, just as real sports do.”
“While we await Kentucky Derby 146 in September, our partnership with Inspired Entertainment in creating the virtual Derby not only allowed fans celebrating Kentucky Derby at Home a chance to experience the thrill of a race at Churchill Downs together,” said Bill Carstanjen, CEO of Churchill Downs Incorporated, “but the excitement leading up to it gave us a platform to raise and match funds for important COVID-19 relief efforts.”
Inspired’s Virtual Sports uses life-like graphics to mimic the experience of real sports betting, thanks to technology that has evolved over nearly two decades. Each event lasts around 90 seconds and games are designed to be easy to play. Inspired has the largest array of sports available 24/7, providing a consistent stream of sports betting content, even at times when live sports are not feasible. Virtual Sports provide new revenue streams for gaming providers that can be easily integrated into existing sportsbooks and websites. 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
About Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ: CHDN)
Churchill Downs Incorporated is an industry-leading racing, online wagering and gaming entertainment company anchored by our iconic flagship event – The Kentucky Derby. We own and operate Derby City Gaming, a historical racing machine facility in Louisville, Kentucky. We also own and operate the largest online horse racing wagering platform in the U.S., TwinSpires.com, and we operate sports betting and iGaming through our BetAmerica platform in multiple states. We are also a leader in brick-and-mortar casino gaming with approximately 11,000 slot machines and video lottery terminals and 200 table games in eight states. www.churchilldownsincorporated.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.
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