Indeed, the operator offered a ‘commentator bingo’ market, whereby punters could bet on exactly which phrases Martin Tyler, Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville said during the match.
Bets were settled on exact phrases used by Sky Sports commentators during the match, with nothing said before the match, at half-time or full-time being counted towards the market.
Selections offered included a Football Cliche Double, ‘acres of space and dangerous free-kick’ at odds of 5/1, with a reference to England manager Gareth Southgate or former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard being odds-on at 1/3.
Phrases such as ‘towering centre-half’ or ‘park the bus’ were at longer odds, 12/1 and 16/1 respectively, while there were a number of other examples.
Sportsbooks will often offer very similar, if not identical, markets and odds on huge games like this one across the board, so any little way a brand can differentiate itself can often make a considerable impact.
However, it looks as though Sky Bet may not offer the market again, following an unpopular reception and criticism, showing just how difficult it is for bookmakers to attempt to stand out…
