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How do other countries racecourses sell their racing tv rights?
Particularly thinking of America, Australia and South Africa.
Do they have dedicated horse racing channels like we do?
Do the racecourses sell their own rights or is there a tv package that tv companies buy like in UK football?
Yes the racetracks sell their pictures and do what is called simulcasting – taking a percentage of revenue from other tracks that bet on their racing. There are two racing channels in the states – HRTV and TVG which is owned by Betfair. The companies that own tracks – notably Churchill Downs inc which owns 4 tracks inc Churchill, Calder and Fairgrounds decide which TV company they will affiliate to. Churchill also owns Twin Spires which is one of the biggest on line betting organisations in the states.
South Africa are big on selling TV rights. They to have various companies like Phumelela and Gold Circle which own racetracks and control off track betting. Phumelela has been one of the key organisations in dealing in world wide TV rights.
Sky Channel is the major racing network in Australia. They also have websites – like Racing Network – where you can watch live or recorded racing.
In the US, it’s a little complicated.
We have two dedicated racing channels, available on an extended cable package. TVG and HRTV. The latter shows other equestrian events in the evening though. Each of them gets the simulcast feeds from specific tracks i.e. HRTV can show Churchill but TVG can’t, TVG can show Hollywood Park but HRTV can’t, and both can show Belmont Park. A really dedicated racing fan can shell out the money for an at-home simulcast package with raw feeds from several hundred thoroughbred, quarter horse, standardbred, and greyhound tracks.
TVG also has a deal with CH4/BBC/RUK to show their live feeds of major English races. It’s odd that while we get Cheltenham spring races, the Grand National, Royal Ascot, the English classic races, British Champions day, etc. etc. plus the international feeds for most of the major Japanese and Australian races, none of the dedicated British racing channels bother showing many American stakes races.
Network TV/basic cable show so few horse races anyway, so they generally film the races (Triple Crown, Breeders Cup, Haskell, Travers, Hambletonian) themselves. Usually the organizers behind each of these events rather than the track itself secures a deal with the networks. For example the Hambletonian Society has secured national television exposure for the big harness race every year-they currently have a contract with NBC.
Thanks for the replies.
I was wondering whether the current set up of Racing UK is fair as obviously it is dominated by the Jockey Club courses and as they own all the big ones (except Ascot) no other company who wanted to coming into racing broadcasting can ever get the rights to the big courses.
In any other business area this would surely not be legal to not give a competitor the chance to bid for the rights.
In their defence I am sure the racecourses will say they are shareholders and work together and that they thought about ATR but decided to go with Racing UK but in reality it’s the Jockey club with the other racecourses joined on but made to look equal when they really are not.
I mean what could Bangor and Chester do if they didn’t like what Jockey Club courses decided they did?
Do you think Racing UK is ok? Do you think the way these racecourses work together is fair with regards to the tv rights?
I don’t know the full ins and outs of this but in Australia there is a totilisator which is licensed by the government to provide all the off-course betting terminals in pubs and clubs and TAB’s (betting shops on your typical ‘high street’). Every dollar wagered is taxed at around 18% and these revenues filter back to the racing industry and is their primary source of funding for prizemoney etc.
The same company that runs the totilisator owns 3/4 of our racing channels, so they run side by side with all tote odds displayed on the screen at all times.
We’re still working through how it works with all the online betting options but I do know Betfair and the online corporate bookies here have recently lost a court decision which has seen them up their take to 6.5%. They have been told they have to pay a licensing fee/tax to the clubs for the race fields.
From my experiences punting-wise the two countries are chalk and cheese – going from Australia to the UK is like going back in time 50 years.
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