


But with overall betting turnover on racing standing at around £11bn annually – and the online sector accounting for at least two-thirds of the total – the difference between, say, a deal for 1% of turnover and a deal for 2% could run to many tens of millions of pounds each year. The exact terms of these deals are a closely guarded secret. In theory at least, this safeguards tracks against the possibility that their racing will be used as a loss leader, to attract accounts that can then be steered towards other betting and gaming products.

Over the past couple of years, meanwhile, there has been a move towards a turnover-based model to pay for online streaming rights, with betting firms agreeing to pay a fixed percentage of their racing turnover to show live racing on their sites.
#MONEY MOVES HORSE TV#
The only significant difference that most punters are likely to notice once the new contract kicks in will be that Newbury’s racing programme – including the Group One Lockinge Stakes in May and the Ladbrokes Trophy Handicap Chase in November – will switch from the subscription-based Racing TV to Sky Sports Racing from 1 January 2024.īut there is a good deal more to it than that, as the move also includes picture rights for betting purposes, both in retail – ie, betting shops – and the increasingly dominant online sector, which surged further ahead when betting shops were closed during lockdown and now accounts for around 70% of turnover on British racing.

The major tracks owned and operated by the Jockey Club – including Cheltenham, Aintree, Epsom Downs and Newmarket – are the bedrock of the RMG portfolio, while Arena Racing Company (ARC), with 16 courses, is the key player in TRP. The media contract in question is a five-year deal, signed just over a year ago, which will see Newbury’s media rights switch from Racecourse Media Group (RMG), its home since 2004, to its major rival, The Racing Partnership (TRP), which is tied to Sky Sports Racing.
