- This topic has 324 replies, 45 voices, and was last updated 4 years ago by
.
-
Posts
-
I thought it might be interesting to start a thread for TRF users to express their opinions throughout the year about these two ‘new’ specialist channels for 2019.
I have subscribed to RUK for several years and only watch the Jumps, so that’s my existing bias. Having purchased a 10-month pass at a discount price for other sports I will soon be able to watch SSR on a big screen too (via NOW TV). I will review both subscriptions in June.
Right, the first thing that has annoyed me is that SSR will not be available on NOW TV (or Sky Go) until January 8th. Perhaps someone knows why? Seems like a dreadful own goal to me. It would have been nice to watch Hereford in-between races at Ayr next Wednesday. Not a good start for SSR.
No offence GoldenMiller but one week is hardly an own goal it’s not as if they have started on Now tv a weeks after Royal Ascot if Now TV people haven’t had ATR up until now I am sure most won’t miss another week plus there are still other ways to watch online until January 8th.
Yes it is! January 1st is the big launch day of a new era for specialist channels and it’s disappointing to miss out. I’ve paid once and don’t want to pay again for one week and cast.
RTV are really putting their Sunday best on for the first day with two presenters at both Tramore and Fairyhouse. I’d be throwing that Tramore card straight onto the internet channel regardless of there being any potential clashes with the other cards or not
Fortunately I am in the position of having both channels but until SSR can start pinching back some of the courses signed up to RTV they are going to be massively on the back foot (which is an unusual position for Sky Sports to be in on the sporting front).
People complain about split screens for races that clash but there was always a case where one or the other stations had that going on anyway, so it doesn’t really bother me that much and as long as they go with the commentary for the most valuable race if there is a clash it will be ok.
That being said I do think that racecourse have room to improve their time management in assuring that races go off closer (if not bang on) their official off time – to me there is no real excuse for horses to be only just getting down to the start a minute or so before start time and tightening up on that would help enormously in avoiding races potentially clashing.
All sides have presenters that I can do without and as such I find myself muting or changing channels when certain people pop up but I guess that is a small price to pay to have access to pretty much all racing throughout the year.
So today is the last day of ATR, will anyone miss it or has it long since gone over it’s sell by date?
For me it should have changed to Sky Sports Racing maybe 2 years ago and then maybe it would have been able to have shown off it’s product to some of those independents like York who may have jumped ship.
Leaving it until 2019 all the rights are settled for a long time to come so I think they missed a trick not rebranding earlier.
The HD is long overdue and it is good the channel is going to still be available to other providers for no extra charge.
The one thing Sky should do now is slap itv in the face in June and announce Royal Ascot will be shown in Ultra HD or 3D that would show they really mean business and take the fight for rights to itv.
As for ATR in 2003 it was unique, the racing channel was OK for what it did but ATR grabbed all the rights and gave racing the platform it needed.
Goodbye ATR you will be remembered but perhaps not really be missed you were too slow in everything you did I hope Sky are more advanced with their way of broadcasting.
There is no doubt ATR production / programming had gone stale and needed a revamp, to wait until 2019 to go to HD is ridiculous in my book, why ATR hasnt gone HD beforehand i dont know and has never been fully explained, was it to do with the irish courses not being HD ready on their side?
To maybe answer SteveH31 i think the reason its not went to Sky Sports Racing just now is maybe due to SIS having the ATR production contract and that tied them into using Milton Keynes… As now Sky have ditched SIS altogether and are producing the channel and Racetech are taking over the on course camera work from SIS as well.
As far as courses moving channels, dont under estimate the politics involved from RMG / Jockey Club who are trying to be the be all and end all as far as UK horse racing is concerned and pressure being put on courses to stay with RMG / RTV.
My hunch is that give it a year or so and courses see how Sky are covering racing and the production values are top notch then they’ll switch. Not the JCR courses that wont happen, but how can the likes of Salisbury, Pontefract, Redcar, Catterick and the 5 scottish tracks think RTV is a better showcase for them than Sky Sports..
I disagree with you, LD73, regarding split screens. I don’t enjoy my view of a race being reduced by 75% whilst simultaneously having a distraction alongside it. That’s not what I purchased a big screen TV for!
I will be looking very closely at RTV on NYD (can’t watch SSR if I wanted to – see my previous posts). It’s an unfortunate day for RTV to start and I notice it is employing a dedicated web stream for the two Irish meetings (with a separate studio host and presenting teams at both tracks) which can of course be cast and, therefore, may satisfy Irish viewers. However, I believe RTV will also endeavour to show as many races as possible on the main channel or at least the finish of them.
We will see what this means. RTV are obliged to show every race from its UK courses but not from Irish tracks. Is it allowed to show merely the finish of UK races? If not, almost the entire afternoon will be split screen which in itself is not good enough – and that’s before considering the detrimental consequent lack of even a moderate amount of pre-race build up and post-race analysis.
People are not going to pay for an unsatisfactory viewing experience, most folk would want to see Cheltenham, Fairyhouse and a bit of Musselburgh – “the best of UK and Irish racing”. As it is I may be forced to switch to ITV for unblemished enjoyment of the actual races from Prestbury Park and East Lothian. Quality not quantity is the key (and tomorrow’s issues will be more prevalent during the Flat season).
It was bad enough when RTV had ‘just’ the four meetings to cram in on NYD. You write about time management, LD73, and I agree with your sentiment. However, horses being horses and racing being racing, it will only take one or two incidents to cause complete chaos to the RTV schedule on a day of six meetings. On top of that terrestrial TV, for valid reasons, will wait for no man, beast or specialist channel.
It is being stated on other internet sites that Rtv will not show the irish tracks tomorrow on the main channel and will show them on digital extra (not available for Virgin tv viewers) they will provide a separate host team and have presenters at the track but this is not much good if you don’t have access to the extra service.
I suspect they may show the first race from Tramore and then state people need to tune to extra.
If this happens it will just prove to people how wrong Rtv were to take on Irish and to lump it on a spare channel on the very first day is a big mistake.
Nobody should be surprised, Sky will take every opportunity to tempt customers to sign up with them instead of a rival provider and you can’t blame them. Agree it’s annoying, but don’t expect HD any time soon based on past experience.
....and you've got to look a long way back for anything else.
Just as we thought,it’s a dogs breakfast on RTV with no reply/reflection on the Cheltenham opener and split screens etc.
Just as well watch ITV the rest of dayNobody should be surprised, Sky will take every opportunity to tempt customers to sign up with them instead of a rival provider and you can’t blame them. Agree it’s annoying, but don’t expect HD any time soon based on past experience.
All the other channels on virgin are HD so why shouldn’t this one be. Virgin have a limited capacity and want rid of all SD channels and they are actively replacing all SD ones.
I don’t think Sky are under any obligation to provide the channel to Virgin in HD and it gives them a competitive advantage. Virgin will have to negotiate with Sky to get it.
Judging by how long it usually takes Virgin to get access to new/HD channels it’s not going to be quick.
How long did it take Virgin to get the other Sky Sports Channels in HD? It must have been at least a year after Sky started.
....and you've got to look a long way back for anything else.
Someone elsewhere is saying HD is starting on January 8th along with Nowtv’s coverage.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.