RACING TV chiefs are set to allow sport-starved punters to watch for FREE during the early stages of a resumption.
The sport is on course to return this month following the Covid-19 shutdown, with several top races set to be staged across the final two weekends in May.
Pay-to-view channel Racing TV holds the broadcasting rights to Newmarket, one of the courses likely to be used when racing returns.
But Seb Vance, Director of Communications for Racecourse Media Group (RMG), said racing fans would likely be offered a free trial.
Vance told Sun Racing: “Racing TV has agreements with our broadcast platform, commercial premises and terrestrial partners which restrict Racing TV from going free-to-air beyond promotional windows.
“However, we will certainly consider offering a free trial to British and Irish viewers when racing resumes, which would give them an opportunity to enjoy some live sport and sample the channel.”
But Vance says the option to go free-to-air for a sustained period of time is not financially viable, with the profits generated from membership fees pumped back into the sport.
He continued: “Since the suspension of racing, we have offered our members a number of options, including the ability to pause their membership until British racing resumes.
“We have been very pleased with the response, with many opting to continue their payments in the knowledge that Racing TV’s profits go back to the sport – revenue which is much-needed at this time.”
Like the rest of the racing industry, Vance and his team are looking forward to covering live action for the first time in almost two months.
Though it remains to be seen if Racing TV crews will be allowed to broadcast from the racecourse when the sport resumes, with strict measures likely to be enforced.
Vance said: “Like everyone else in the industry, Racing TV is extremely excited about horseracing restarting but only when it is safe to do so, and we will be led by the Government and BHA on that.
“Similarly, from a broadcasting viewpoint, we will be guided by Government and BHA as to what is permitted, but we are working with our production partners, Racetech and Iris, and the terrestrial broadcasters in terms of what might be achievable.
“The BHA’s provisional plan for the three weekends from 23 May is bursting with quality and hopefully racing can enjoy a prominent position in the sporting schedules and attract new fans to the sport, especially with ITV set to cover those six days.
“Horse racing has a great partner in ITV which normally broadcasts nearly 100 days on terrestrial TV – that’s more free-to-air coverage than any other sport – while Virgin Media and RTE broadcast around 80 days free-to-air in Ireland.
“RMG is supportive of more terrestrial coverage of racing in both the UK and Ireland during the initial resumption period as they provide terrific shop windows for the sport.”
