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It has been announced that the Berkshire course is leaving Racing TV and changing allegiances to SSR on 1st April 2023, on a five-year deal. Given that RTV are frequently criticised on this forum and elsewhere for trying to cram in too many meetings (particularly on busy Saturdays), could that have played a part in their decision?
One wonders if this will be the first of many defections.
I must admit I don’t care who the broadcaster is so long as I can watch reasonably conventional (zoom in free) coverage on my iPhone.
I watch nearly all Racing on mute via the betting sites where I’ve had a wager and take little notice what the broadcast source is.
I suspect I’m not alone in that.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"Am aware might be selfish and not what many want, but for me there’s too much Racing full stop.
The TV Racing I most enjoyed was a four race card at one course, showing the best quality racing, with pre and post race analysis and features.
All the British dross and Irish Racing on RTV makes this impossible, so – with fewer top class racing on SSR – am glad Newbury is changing.
Value Is EverythingI think this news will be down to the most important factor in these decisions. Money.
There has been a fair bit of movement in recent years with Scottish and Irish racing going to RTV and Bangor, Ascot and Chester moving the other way. This will continue whenever various tv contracts expire at various courses. Whichever channel offers the most money will win the next contract.
Both SSR and RUK have good presenters so I’m not too fussed which channel the meetings are on. Although less adverts on SSR would be nice.
I can see why being part of the Sky Sports brand is appealing for a lot of racecourses. I suspect Newbury will not be the last.
RUK/RTV has never been the same since the Irish racing joined. Last Saturday, every meeting in Britain and Ireland was on RTV. It was too much for one channel. Race after race with little time for analysis.
It’s taken time to absorb this news and for me it’s a case of Sky using financial muscle and throwing money at a sport in order to drive competitors off the air.It started with football and continued from that point to extend to so many other sports.I’ve warned of this domination previously as it’s only to the detriment of sport in general and the public in particular as once rivals are gone up go the prices!
With rivals gone these venues will have nowhere else to turn and Sky will have them dancing to their tune as they do now with so many others.
So I say beware of what you wish for……you may not like what you end up with!
good luck to allReports of RUKs demise have been greatly exaggerated.
Three meetings in the UK and Ireland combined each afternoon, a race every ten minutes, all broadcast on the same channel.
Two such meetings each evening, one every 15 minutes, again on the same channel.
A maximum of five meetings in the UK/Ireland each day, all races structured to attract minimum fields of eight per race.
Is this a silly impossible utopian dream?
I am "The Horse Racing Punter" on Facebook
https://mobile.twitter.com/Ian_Davies_
https://www.facebook.com/ThePointtoPointNHandFlatracingpunter/
It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"The BHA should have its own media rights monopoly racing channel, the BHA should have its own data rights monopoly Tote, the BHA should have it’s own data rights monopoly betting exchange.
Still, none out of three, not a chin in sight, but plenty of old school ties ain’t bad.
I am "The Horse Racing Punter" on Facebook
https://mobile.twitter.com/Ian_Davies_
https://www.facebook.com/ThePointtoPointNHandFlatracingpunter/
It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"
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