RTÉ has become the first high profile victim of new advertising rules, brought in ahead of gambling regulation, with Paddy Power ending its sponsorship of live televised football.
The Flutter Entertainment-owned betting company sponsored the station’s 2021 international men’s soccer coverage, but yesterday confirmed it has “concluded” its partnership with RTÉ.
The news comes ahead of new guidelines introduced by the Irish Bookmakers Association (IBA) covering ‘whistle-to-whistle’ advertising, which will be banned from January 1.
‘Whistle-to-whistle’ covers the duration of live broadcast event, from five minutes before the start of a sporting occasion to five minutes after, and includes breaks of play and half-time adverts, as well as pitch-side LED and other forms of marketing.
