Inspired Entertainment pulled off a national showcase of its virtual racing product with its Virtual Grand National, a virtual race that was broadcast on national television in the U.K. ahead of a live event at Aintree racetrack.
Following an exclusive long-term partnership with Carm Productions and The Jockey Club, Inspired’s Virtual Grand National was developed to feature the 40 declared runners and riders from the 2017 Grand National field, and used complex data algorithms to eventually predict Cause Of Causes as the winner of the 2017 Grand National. In a nail-biting climax, One For Arthur took the title, with the virtually predicted winner finishing a close second.
“Trying to predict the result of what can often be one of the most unpredictable races in the sporting calendar was always going to pose a risk and a challenge,” said Steve Rogers, CCO digital games, Inspired, “but I’m delighted that the strength of the algorithms which we used to devise the product have proven their sophistication.”
Rogers added, “We have seen an amazing response to this project, both online and in the racing community, and it is a success story which we will certainly look to replicate in the future. Such is the quality of the animation and graphics which we’re now able to produce, the line between the virtual and reality is ever tightening; it’s an extremely exciting arena to be working in right now.”
Following the Virtual Grand National’s debut, Aintree will now become the first race course in the U.K. to be featured daily in Virtual Horse Races provided exclusively by Inspired. Events will be streamed to online and mobile players and broadcast into retail betting and gaming locations worldwide through Inspired’s network of digital and land-based platforms.
The TV show, The Virtual Grand National 2017, is available via the ITVHub.
