Horse Racing

Concurrent auction processes for three UK media rights deals in recent weeks generated strong competition between free-to-air broadcasters, helping each rights-holder to a healthy fee increase.

Media rights clips from December 17 to January 20

Racecourse Media Group, the holding company responsible for a range of media and data rights involving 34 of the UK’s premier racecourses, has secured a deal to simulcast live coverage of the Dubai World Cup Carnival horse racing series in the Caribbean, as well as North, Central and South America.

French horse racing rights-holders France Galop and LeTrot have opted against renewing rights deals with public-service broadcaster France Télévisions and digital-terrestrial-television channel L’Équipe 21.

UK commercial broadcaster ITV’s exclusive rights deal for British horse racing will provide the sport with an even greater audience reach according to Simon Bazalgette, chief executive of the Jockey Club.

Sky Racing World, a US-based distributor of international horse racing to the Americas, has entered into a partnership with Spanish multinational gaming group Codere to provide live video streams of Australian racing in Brazil.

The NBC Sports Group division of US media company NBCUniversal has extended a rights deal for the Breeders’ Cup Challenge horseracing series.

UK racecourse owner and operator Arena Racing Company has agreed a deal to distribute audio-visual coverage of South African horse racing to betting shops in the UK and Ireland.

Satellite Information Services, a provider of end-to-end products and services to the betting and broadcast industries, has extended its exclusive licensed betting offices rights deal with Dubai’s Meydan Racecourse for a further two years.

Racecourse Media Group, the holding company responsible for media and data rights involving 34 of the UK’s premier racecourses, is to delay the announcement of its next cycle of domestic rights until the New Year, with rival commercial broadcasters ITV and Channel 4 going head-to-head, according to the Daily Mail newspaper.

Aintree Racecourse, host of UK horseracing’s showpiece event the Grand National, has confirmed that the 2016 edition of the race will start an hour later than in previous years in an effort to help increase television audience figures.

Racecourse Media Group, the holding company responsible for a range of media and data rights involving 34 of the UK’s premier racecourses, has agreed a deal to distribute Dubai-based Meydan Group’s international broadcast rights.

TVG will rebrand HRTV, a pay-television broadcaster acquired by the US horse racing broadcaster in February from gambling and horse racing company the Stronach Group.

Racecourse Media Group’s betting rights deal with Satellite Information Services will provide UK racecourses with a significant uplift in rights fees, while also ensuring more of its revenues will be distributed directly to the racecourses.

Racecourse Media Group, the owner of media rights to many of the UK’s major racecourses, has signed an exclusive partnership with gambling services provider Betgenius to distribute content to online bookmakers.

The new deal with Racing Victoria, the representative body of the state’s four racing clubs, covers domestic and international broadcast rights, plus digital rights.