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There’s more to this than basically jumping ship from one home channel to another. SIS are now so linked to RMG via the betting shop deal and the international deal, now that they split from ATR and GBI Racing. SIS own the irish racing rights for a good number of years now until the early 2020’s. So this was a shoe in when they came back up for negotiation… Now… Are SIS doing, this in the best interests of Irish Racing or the larger commercial interests of SIS.. I would say the former.
Racing UK has been a subscription channel since 2004… So in 14 years they have never gotten above the 50 odd thousand subscriber mark, of that 50,000 how many are within the racing industry etc probably a fair chunk so the actual home viewer subscriber rate i.e your ordinary punter is pitiful… Also add into the fact that RUK is the single most expensive channel on all ok UK satellite and cable. Its not designed to expand the racing audience to the wider public.. If it was then its failed miserably in that… I have previously been a subscriber to RUK but only at a £10 a month offer, personally its not worth £25 a month , especially if you work full time etc to basically watch replay unless its during the summer and evening is included. Not happening.
This of course has to be rubber stamped by AIR who i would assume are already feeling the heat. Apart from 20 odd days on RTE.. ATR is the broadcaster of Irish Racing. This isnt a 2 channel split like here in UK . This is going to be the entire racing output of Ireland going behind an expensive paywall.. If you were a sponsor would you be happy with that? And not forgetting RUK on busy days struggle with split screens, add in the Irish stuff and well your main courses would prob get air time, but if you are the likes of Thurles, Ballinrobe , Tramore, Killarney you are screwed as i cannot see RUK open a 2nd channel.. If they did the subscription would need to increase to cover it and i cant see people paying for it.
As for ATR they are now in a sticky wicket, theres talk of some courses moving back, but wouldnt be enough to sustain a single channel over the course of a year. My hunch now that Sky are majority share holder is that courses contracts would change to be with Sky Sports, and the racing will then merge with the other sky sports channels, if you do that then you dont worry about having blank days.. Although i would imagine all of the current ATR shows would disappear apart from racing news.
Sorry for the long post but felt i could maybe add something to the current thread.
Tony McGlone has been on ATR being interviewed. Its now to be referred to the BHA for 14 days to lodge an objection.
But the result stands…. But they know it was the wrong horse..
Punters of the 2nd horse in the first race have been robbed blind!
I really wish Sky would get a grip of this channel and majorly revamp / upgrade the production. Ditch SIS if need be.
Compared to RUK it really is awful. Plus the fact its not in HD is terrible.
It is part of the ITV contract same as it was for BBC and C4 before them, that they have to show coverage of the fashion. Ascot market this meeting as much a social event as a racing one.
RUK get away with it as they are a specialist racing channel.
The reason RUK have the major tracks is due to Jockey Club Racecourses having a shareholding in RUK/RMG.
But with Sky seeming to take a renewed interest in ATR soon to be Sky Sports Racing could be interesting if Sky make pitches to other tracks.
I cannot understand why a lot of tracks want to be with RUK with a subscriber base of only 50,000. Its paltry in TV terms.
Yeah been on air since 2004 , moved to MK which was supposedly HD ready, and their picture quality from the tracks is still poor.
ITV will broadcast 5 races each day the same as channel 4 did before them.. And before anyone moans and bitches about ITV, this is all they are allowed to show by Cheltenham & Jockey Club Racecourses. As RMG / JCR use Cheltenham as a major selling point for Racing UK subscriptions and the fact that they show all races live..
The camera work is from Racetech in the UK i would imagine and ARC own cameramen and the irish equivalent.
The main thing that bugs me with ATR is the on course audio, when watching a race there is no cheering noise from the crowd towards the end , watch back Leopardstown at the xmas festival or Doncaster on St Leger day it was a full house but would think its empty watching it on ATR. Watch a race on RUK and the audio quality is night and day.
RUK from a production standpoint is miles clear of ATR from on screen graphics to race preview videos etc.
Surely SIS as the production company for ATR can do much better than what is currently being put out and the fact that ATR in 2017 cant broadcast in HD is ridiculous. RUK just seem to beat them to the punch all the time.
RUK has no business being the single most expensive channel on UK Cable or Satellite.
They seem to be content with around the 50,000 subscriber mark and that’s it. They appear not to be in the business of increasing the audience for racing and was initially set up as a “Any channel but a revamped ATR” back in 2004.
The only time it was worth in excess of £20 a month was when it was bundled in with Setanta Sports pack back in the mid 2000’s. They might offer free race days for subscribers but thats only good if you live near a course or are able to take time off work.
It should be no more then £10 / £15 a month max. Or they could do what the old racing channel used to do years ago and that was offer a weekend only service to subscribe to, for around £5 a month.
