BSkyB to sell Racing UK commercial service

UK pay-television broadcaster BSkyB has become the exclusive sales agent for horse racing pay-television channel Racing UK’s commercial television service.

The deal is separate to Racing UK’s residential service on Sky, which enjoys 45,000 subscribers as a stand-alone channel, and it excludes betting premises. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Racing UK airs action from 33 racecourses across the UK including Cheltenham, Aintree, Newmarket and Epsom, with Ascot joining the channel in June 2014.

The new deal will allow licensed customers to feature full coverage of every UK and Republic of Ireland race, at every race course, through a discounted Racing Pack subscription that combines Racing UK and fellow pay-television channel At The Races.

The Racing Pack will provide coverage of approximately 10,500 races in 2014 at an average of around eight hours’ coverage per day from all 58 UK racecourses and 26 Irish tracks.

Customers purchasing the pack when it is made available from October 1 will enjoy access to Racing UK’s Club Day scheme, which provides more than 165 free tickets to over 33 race days every year.