Mecca Bingo Brings a Fullhouse of Britain's Talent to Online Bingo
Rank Interactive has never been shy to innovate and lead the industry and has validated this trend with the latest of its industry first initiatives. The online bingo giant has just successfully concluded negotiations with Fremantle Media Enterprises (FME) to have its Mecca Bingo brand serve as the official online gaming partner for the hugely popular TV series Britain's Got Talent. The blockbuster talent showcase topped the UK TV ratings in 2009 and has become one of the countries most recognisable and sought after media brands.
During the show's 2009 run an average of 13.3 million devoted BGT fans sat rooted to the spot for each episode and the finale is estimated to have had 18.3 million Britons on the edge of their seats. One of the shows noteworthy products and eventual runner up, Scottish lass Susan Boyle's initial audition video drew over 200 million hits on the internet.
Online and land based Mecca Bingo fans can look forward to several benefits from the 3 year deal struck with FME including a dedicated Britain's Got Talent themed bingo room which will include all the shows proprietary branding such as logo, theme music and show imagery. These materials will also be used in Mecca's marketing and communications which will further expose the partnership.
According to Angus Nisbet, Mecca's parent company, Rank Interactive's Director of Gaming, the deal allows Mecca to gain exposure to a fresh audience and the associated promotion of Mecca Bingo and its products to BGT fans. He also stressed the benefits that the exposure would have for Mecca Bingo's existing family of devotees. This collaboration will also have a positive spin off in the almost certain positive effect it will have on Rank's present financial woes.
The company has shown positive and encouraging signs of financial recovery and the Britain's Got Talent deal comes on the back of several recent initiatives including the April 2009 re-release of Mecca Bingo and the launch of Gcasino.com in September. The Gcasino.com push is an attempt to capitalize on the companies Gcasino land based facilities which have grown in number to include 10 venues since the concepts inception in 2006.
The FME deal is a major coup for Rank International and the choice of Mecca Bingo as a platform is a canny one. The site is an ideal vehicle for showcasing the partnership between these two companies and will certainly hold considerable benefits for both in terms of cross exposure and market base expansion. It's also no trade bead and whiskey deal and will add real value to the experience for both brands existing consumer groups.
The Mecca/Britain's Got Talent collaboration is one of several similar deals to have seen the light of day during the preceding 12 months and along with like initiatives such as the Netplay TV/STV Group and William Hill/ITV.com agreements characterises a new and exciting chapter in the online gaming evolutionary process. The trend is also likely to write new chapters into the mainstream media entertainment epic and is yet another definitive show of the health, strength ad potential of online gaming in general.
