Paddy Power launches four-part TV series The VAR Room

Over the years, the folks over at Paddy Power have enjoyed churning out content to keep the public entertained, whether by touring a giant motorised vuvuzela across the UK during Euro 2012, trolling an unsuspecting stranger over text and livetweeting the whole conversation, or even releasing a spoof message from Kim Jong-un announcing his acquisition of Sunderland AFC. Now, seizing upon the chance to exploit a controversial sporting topic, they’re stepping things up a gear with the launch of their very own sitcom, The VAR Room, now available to view in its entirety on Amazon Prime.

The four-part series of 23-minute episodes, written by creative content managers Steven Quick and Noel Slevin, imagines life behind the scenes at Stockley Park, the West London business estate from where the Premier League’s infamous video assistant referee (VAR) systems operate.

It also features cameo appearances by footballing legends including Teddy Sheringham and Paul Ince as well as referee Mark Clatterburg, so longtime football fans are sure to enjoy it — especially if, like so many, they have been infuriated by the influence of VAR on Premier League games.

The series is the second launched by Paddy Power, following the release of The Mascot, which focused on the trials and tribulations of a fictional football mascot put out of work by the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, last year.

The show was a hit with fans, gaining a million views within 48 hours, so the content and marketing teams will presumably be quietly confident about the success of The VAR Room.

It will be interesting to see what further TV projects Paddy Power has in store after this, and whether the release of The VAR Room marks the beginning of a new era of entertainment shows produced by online sportsbooks.

To keep up with any potential future announcements, you might want to check out our list of the top 10 sports betting sites.