Nearly 5 million viewers tuned in to watch virtual horses and riders run a virtual race on Saturday.
The real Grand National had been cancelled, like so many other sporting events, due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis.
A virtual event was televised instead and it attracted a peak audience of 4.8 million on Saturday afternoon.
This was almost a third (30%) of the TV audience at that time, and the whole event attracted an average viewership of 4.3 million.
The Virtual Grand National also raised more than £2.6m for NHS charities.
Bookmakers had announced in the run-up that all profits generated from bets placed on the simulated race would go to NHS Charities Together, an umbrella organisation representing more than 140 NHS charities.
The Betting and Gaming Council was also to donate to charities in Ireland and said that it expected some viewers who had a flutter to donate portions of their winnings.
This was not the first time that the simulation had been run.
The Virtual Grand National has taken place over the previous three years.
It is seen as a good predictive tool, but betting has not previously been allowed on the simulation itself.
This year, with the race turned into a charitable event, bets were limited to £10 per horse per customer, or £10 each way per horse.
Simulated event uses complex AI algorithm
The simulation itself, which is operated by Inspired Entertainment and was broadcast on ITV, uses a complex AI algorithm.
The makers did not divulge details of exactly how the system works, but it takes into account a large number of factors, including detailed information on all 40 runners, including weight, age, past form and current form.
Expected weather and ground conditions are also added, along with a random element, to produce a simulation that Inspired Entertainment believes is as accurate as is currently possible.
It’s certainly had a lot of predictive success in previous years, with the virtual winners placing in the top three in the real Grand National each year.
In 2017, Cause Of Causes won both the virtual and the real Grand National.
The predicted race is then presented in breath-taking CGI, with plenty of virtual thrills and spills.
Potters Corner won the virtual event at odds of 18-1.
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