Two weeks ago, the BHB gave the green light to supply pre-race data by direct licence rather than through the RCA to Go Racing. What now remains to be resolved is the cost of the licensing arrangement and its length of term. The pre-race data gives vital information to Go Racing on runners, riders and weights and includes the picture rights of the 49 racecourses which have signed up to Go Racing’s £307 million ($423 million) media rights deal.
A sticking point is the ten-year period of the Go Racing contract which the BHB is unlikely to agree as the length of a licence. Another alteration the BHB wants made to the contract is a greater degree of separation between itself and the RCA. Richard Hayler of the BHB previously told sportbusiness.com: “We want the RCA to have less control over the pre-race data and the BHB will then give the RCA more influence over picture rights. It is essential that we define our differences and act as two separate organisations with a mutual involvement in horseracing.”
The Go Racing contract is widely held as less financially advantageous for racecourses. Although it will bring in a guaranteed minimum of £30.7m ($42.3m) a year compared with the current annual terrestrial TV income of £8.4m ($11.6m), many believe that the bigger tracks such as Aintree and Cheltenham would be better off if they went out individually and sold the rights to TV companies to big meetings such as Royal Ascot and the Grand National. But Go Racing, which is run by Channel 4, BSkyB and track owner Arena Leisure, argues that its media deal will help reach a wider audience. In the next nine months Go Racing plans to increase the sport’s audience by launching an interactive website and television channel dedicated just to horseracing.
The British Horseracing Board (BHB) is today meeting with the Racecourse Association (RCA), the owners of the rights to UK horseracing, to decide how much it will charge to supply pre-race data to media consortium Go Racing.
