Paddy Power Media rides into podcasts with horse racing show
Paddy Power is tapping into the podcasting boom by creating a show dedicated to all things horse racing as part of its new umbrella brand Paddy Power Media.
Paddy Power Media pushes into podcasts with 'From the Horse's Mouth'
‘From the Horse’s Mouth’, the bookmaker’s first foray into podcasting, will land weekly and feature talent like Mr Paddy Power himself, jockey Ruby Walsh and racing broadcaster Tom Nugent. Produced by Muddy Knees Media, makers of the Totally Football Show, it will debut on Thursday 19 December.
Paddy Power will also use the weekly show to kickstart some live experiences in 2020, including a big Dublin event ahead of the Cheltenham Festival. Host Ruby Walsh said there is a pressure to “shake things up with this new podcast in a crowded environment jammed with ‘expert’ opinion. But if anyone knows how to cause a stir it’s Paddy Power Media”.
Jack Wilson, head of content and channels at Paddy Power, described it as an extension of the brand’s top position in social media. “Audience, and engagement continue to grow year-on-year despite algorithm changes and increasing challenges in the field of social media," he said.
Wilson is aware the bookmaker cannot “stand still” and that’s where the podcast comes to play. “Podcasting has been around for years but continues to grow at a rapid rate," he added. "While not forgetting our roots as a bookmaker, our challenge now as a brand is for us to expand into new areas – while continuing to serve up high-quality content on our hugely successful social channels.”
The brand, naturally steeped in horse racing, believes it has enough talent to create a credible show. Wilson said: “Given Ruby is one of the hottest properties in racing punditry, there’s no one better served to take our listeners on that journey, to bring them the secrets from within.”
Wilson expects the show to hit the ground running. He will use the pre-established social media following as a springboard, and will get the word out in-store and online. “We will be throwing editorial support behind the project to bring the best bits to life in written form, as well as the media via our world-class PR team.”
Of course, Paddy Power is no stranger to content creation, having owned and operated a blog with opinions from top sports figures for more than a decade. Back in August, it branched out into print. The bookmaker launched a free magazine with a circulation in excess of 1m copies.
It has teased a sequel for 2020 after reporting that the mag helped the bookmaker stay atop the YouGov Brand Index during the final four weeks of the transfer window – a vital time to reestablish gambling habits and football knowledge.