At the heart of sports broadcasting in Britain since the 1990s, Sky’s impact on the sport – and especially football – has been huge. In the early years, the TV company’s money bankrolled the Premier League and football subscriptions powered a media giant. Sky Bet is a logical extension of the brand – but is it backing a winner?

One thing that really sets Sky Bet apart from the competition is powerful branding. Sky TV has a huge number of famed pundits, and they feature prominently on the site. Similarly, the trademark football shows are also channelled at the bookmaker, with popular anchorman Jeff Stelling featuring prominently. That immediately gives Sky Bet a distinctive feel, especially for football fans. It also means that while you’re watching the shows, you’re likely to get a fair amount of subtle encouragement to have a flutter – fine when it’s a bit of fun, but not so good for customers struggling to keep their betting under control.

Sky Bet also has a high profile sponsorship arrangement with the English Football League – the three tiers of pro soccer below the Premier League. Bearing in mind that, when fans are allowed into games, the Championship competes with the French top flight for a place among Europe’s top five best-supported leagues, that’s some marketing reach. Thus, it’s no surprise that football plays a big part in the Sky Bet offer.