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Never understood why when ATR had the Ascot contract. Both ATR & RUK showed Champions Day alongside BBC.
When RUK got the Ascot rights it was RUK and C4 / ITV only.
If British Champions Series had any sense they would probably let all 3 show it.
So I take it Royal Ascot won’t be free to air…?
Can’t be good for the sport that surelyCharles Darwin to conquer the World
The deal has nothing to do with itv contract so in fact if you want to be picky Ascot is free on itv and Sky/Virgin so you have a choice.
Never understood why when ATR had the Ascot contract. Both ATR & RUK showed Champions Day alongside BBC.
When RUK got the Ascot rights it was RUK and C4 / ITV only.
If British Champions Series had any sense they would probably let all 3 show it.
One of the reasons Ascot went to RUK was the QIPCO as it is a seperate competition and champions day is a contract in own right which is why Champions Day is not part of the Sky deal, there is a Champions Day Ltd company which involoves The Jockey Club and other courses.
What it does do is give itv a headache for 2020 when the terrestrial rights come up as it is rumoured Sky want them and will itv be prepared to bid for the rights again?
itv are enjoying being in bed with jockey club they don’t want the biggest course going off on its own and selling it’s rights to someone else.
I fear for the future of free-to-air racing as I believe the majority of sport in the UK has sold their souls to Sky.
I think its disingenuous for Ascot to say that its about increasing the number of viewers, in my view its all to do with making as much money as possible and screwing poor people who can’t afford Sky.
I hope ITV doesn’t walk away from racing but fear they might as they can’t match the buying power of Sky.
On a seperate subject is there any news about who the presenters of Sky Sports Racing will be? Please let it not be the same team as ATR, I don’t understand the adulation that Robert Cooper receives, Sean Boyce and Martin Kelly are far too gaffe-prone and wonder if Gary O’Brien will stay with the loss of Irish racing.
Not sure Phil, would imagine Gary O’Brien will be RUK bound once the racing switches there…Kevin Blake doesnt seem to be on ATR as often now? I know he does ITV, i wonder is that him thinking ahead already…
Twitter: Jackh1092
Hindsight is 20/20 so make the most of it!On a seperate subject is there any news about who the presenters of Sky Sports Racing will be? Please let it not be the same team as ATR, I don’t understand the adulation that Robert Cooper receives, Sean Boyce and Martin Kelly are far too gaffe-prone and wonder if Gary O’Brien will stay with the loss of Irish racing.
As Sky Sports Racing will be broadcast from Sky Centre and not SIS in Milton Keynes I would assume the presenters already at Sky will be utislised to save money ie Alex Hammond and some presenters with racing knowledge.I seriously doubt some of the freelance will move with it, plus Sky won’t want to pay for example Martin Kelly’s petrol money to travel from Milton Keynes to London, so I expect any freelancers currently on air may disappear.
Easier to have a sky sports centre presenter sit between links, I think Boycey and Enzo and certainly Chapman will move but with itv getting upset about the Ascot deal will Chapman, Harvey, Weaver & Co be forced to choose which channel they work for if itv say you either work for itv or Sky choose.
Not sure what has upset itv so much about Ascot moving back to ATR/Sky Sports Racing but they are really throwing their toys out of the pram, they are now moving the Shergar Cup back to itv4 after originally moving it to the main itv channel.
itv seem fine to use ATR/Sky Sports presenters on their channel like Chapman and Harvey etc.
itv seems to think it can somehow bully Ascot which is hardly going to be the case with Ascot arguably being the premier course in the UK I don’t see what itv is going to achieve acting they way they are all they will end up looking like is bad partners when the next rights come along.
I do not see what ITV will achieve either, however, it’s understandable that ITV and RUK are royally pissed off by Ascot’s decision. Ascot likes to think it’s the premier UK racecourse but it isn’t, nevertheless from my perspective a lot of the gloss has been taken off of RUK’s acquisition of high-class Irish Jumps action by the loss of very decent Jumping from the Berkshire track.
Personally, I’m prepared to consider an online subscription to SSR (or possibly to a broader package as I currently pay £8 to Now TV every time a live Millwall game is broadcast) whereas I have never been remotely tempted to subscribe to the ATR website.
What interests me is what will become of the mainstream rights when the next package, commencing 1/1/21, is tendered for bids. It seems likely that SSR will throw its hat into the ring but I don’t comprehend how it can be successful unless Sky launch a 100% available channel on the Freeview/DTV platform, especially as some races (e.g. the Grand National) must remain free-to-air by law.
Perhaps this is why the deal Ascot has just signed with SSR expires on 31/12/20. I feel Ascot has prioritised income from its broadcast rights over its relationships with broadcasters who it may very well have again to partner with from 2021. Yes, Ascot will gain more money and an insider’s view of Sky, however, if there is to be a fight to keep racing on terrestrial TV and if winning that fight is essential to the future of horse racing in Britain (which I think it is), Ascot’s recent conduct is the polar opposite to that which would properly befit the type of course/business/institution it thinks it is.
I think the way itv are reacting suggests Sky Sports Racing is not just going to be ATR in another name, they clearly want the terrestrial rights if that means setting up a Freeview channel or rebranding Pick they will do it we could actually see a Sky branded channel on Freeview perhaps using the Challenge space on 46.
The only way Sky can get the big tracks is to do a terrestrial deal with the Jockey Club, so expect Sky to throw some money the way of the channel for the first two years.
ATR was no threat to RUK or itv as they could not get the rights to the big tracks except Ascot now suddenly the two channels have the big money of Sky breathing down their necks such is the reason RUK persuaded York to do a very long contract.
Sky Sports signs long term deal for American Triple Crown.
https://www.sportbusiness.com/sport-news/sky-sports-racing-secures-rights-americas-triple-crown
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