Racing Victoria (RV) has reached an agreement for the industry’s free-to-air channel, Racing.com, to be simultaneously broadcast live on Foxtel from this Saturday, 12 September, to maximise live coverage and accessibility to Victorian racing.
Punters, fans and participants will be able to view Victorian racing daily on Foxtel’s Channel 522 commencing with the feature Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes meeting at Flemington.
The announcement means that the new Racing.com television channel can now be viewed on free-to-air TV, subscription TV and digital devices in every State and Territory of Australia.
RV chief executive Bernard Saundry said the agreement to broadcast Racing.com on Foxtel further expands the broadcast of Victorian thoroughbred racing and affords viewers greater choice.
“The goal throughout our broadcast negotiations has been to ensure that vision of Victorian racing is available to more people, in more places and on more platforms than ever before and today we have fully realised that goal,” Saundry said.
“The broadcasting agreement with Foxtel completes the distribution model we have sought and provides punters, fans and participants with further opportunity to choose whenever, wherever and however they watch and engage with Victorian racing.
“Foxtel viewers across the country now have the flexibility to choose whether they watch the Racing.com showcase coverage of Victorian racing on Channel 522 or Sky Racing’s wall-to-wall coverage on Channels 519 and 520.
“The agreement with Foxtel complements the Racing.com broadcast on free-to-air Channels 68 and 78, which is available to 95% of the Australian population; and the online broadcast, which is available free of charge to all on desktop, tablets and mobiles.”
Foxtel executive director sport and content partnerships Ben Buckley said: “Foxtel is delighted to be bringing Racing.com to our residential subscribers. Racing is loved by many thousands of our customers, so we are keen to bring them the best and most comprehensive coverage. Racing.com completes our racing portfolio.”
Racing.com’s broadcast from Flemington this Saturday will commence at the earlier time of 10.30am (AET) with live coverage of Victoria’s public memorial service for Bart Cummings, before Jason Richardson, Shane Anderson, David Gately, Sam Hyland, Brad Bishop and Sarah Peatling lead the race day broadcast from 11.30am.
Source: Racing Victoria