UK Tracks Unveil New TV Channel

Arena Racing Company and seven independent tracks have partnered to produce The Racing Partnership, a new television channel that will later this year provide content for high street betting shops, according to Racing Post.

The Racing Partnership will cover 650 fixtures from the UK as well as all South African racing. The channel will debut with South African racing Sept. 1, with six ARC courses to be added Jan. 1 and the remaining tracks added throughout next year. The seven independent tracks in the partnership are Fakenham, Ffos Las, Hexham, Newton Abbot, Plumpton, Ripon and Towcester. At The Races will continue to show races from ARC tracks.

ARC Chief Executive Martin Cruddace told Racing Post, “We have worked incredibly hard to produce a compelling and valuable product for the retail betting sector. This is an exciting development and offers the LBO market a new and much more efficient way to purchase racing pictures for their customers. Under the new structure all betting operators will be able to work directly with TRP, which will help create a more effective market structure, which will benefit all parties. We look forward to working with the retail sector to maximise the value of the product for their businesses.”

Also on Friday, At The Races agreed to a deal with Fakenham, Ffos Las, Hexham, Newton Abbot and Towcester racecourses covering all domestic non-LBO and international media rights. The deal runs from May 2017 to January 2018. The deal is in addition to ATR's long-term arrangements with Plumpton, Ripon and ARC tracks.

“We are very pleased to announce the continuation of what is a very valued and long-term partnership for ATR with Fakenham, Ffos Las, Hexham, Newton Abbot and Towcester–all racecourses that we have a strong attachment to,” said At The Races Chief Executive Matthew Imi. “We take pride in helping showcase the appeal and many qualities of racing at small, independent jumps tracks, and we look forward to working ever more closely with these five racecourses now under a direct media rights arrangement.”