Racecourses launch new TV channel

Attheraces, the racing channel which is to end its coverage of UK horseracing from midnight on Monday, could be replaced by another broadcaster which is confident of being up and running "within weeks".

A group of leading independent racecourses, spearheaded by Newbury and Doncaster, confirmed that they have put together contingency plans to ensure continued coverage of the sport.

With pictures supplied by Racetech, the new provider, to be called The Horseracing Channel, will be available to viewers by subscription. Insiders say that most of the 49 racecourses which joined the original Attheraces line-up are part of the new proposals.

Speaking to the Racing Post, Mark Kershaw, Newbury's managing director, said: "If Attheraces does not manage to reach new agreements with the racecourses and the BHB, racing has to be ready for life after Attheraces.

"Our priority is to ensure that racing fans are able to turn on their TV sets and watch a wide selection of racing from courses across Britain. If this cannot be delivered through Attheraces, racing needs a credible alternative broadcast proposition and one that will allow the sport to keep control of its product and its future."

The chief executive of Doncaster, John Sanderson said: "The development of The Horseracing Channel is a sensible and logical step for racecourses to take, following the decision by Attheraces to stop broadcasting on 29 March."

The proposed channel, which would initially go out on Sky, would have interactive betting features only if they are self-funding.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in