One upside – if you can call it that – of the pandemic is that TV audiences have been lapping up live sport, and racing perhaps more than most.
Horseracing has at times this year relished being the only sport in town. It has continued in some countries right through the pandemic, while in others, like in the UK, it was the first to resume once lockdown restrictions lifted. Audience figures have soared and broadcasters have been quick to adapt to demands of racing fans, scheduling extra days and ramping up social media coverage.
But one broadcaster, Racing TV, which shows racing from 35 British and all 26 Irish racecourses, plus every fixture from Meydan, perhaps stole a march on its competitors when racing resumed in the UK and Ireland in June.
Racing TV used the two-and-a-half month lockdown to trial and test its new digital service. And, from June 2, viewers have been able to watch enhanced dedicated racecourse streams from any of Racing TV’s fixtures on its digital platform, Extra. Each stream includes presenters on-course, plus information graphics and punting aids to improve the viewing experience.
“Viewers want the choice on what they watch more than ever before, especially when it comes to sport, and racing needs to satisfy constantly evolving viewing habits,” said Clive Cottrell, Director of Marketing at Racing TV.
“Much like you might choose to watch one particular match at Wimbledon, or choose a certain Premier League game to watch, as we saw on Amazon Prime last season, viewers on Racing TV Extra – our streaming platform – can now just sit on one dedicated stream from a racecourse. The viewer is in control.”
It means that, if you’d rather watch purely Musselburgh and not be interrupted by the action from Epsom on Derby day in June, then that’s your call … Conversely, if you wanted to watch up to four fixtures at the same time, then the multi-screen option gives you the choice of watching all four streams concurrently.
“The service has bedded in really well and comes into its own on the busier days,” said Cottrell. “The way we consume live sport is changing fast, people want to watch on the go, on a second screen, and have the choice of events. Racing needs to stay on level terms with other sports broadcasters and the streaming giants. But, at the same time, if you want to stream the racecourse streams on to your TV, then there are various, simple ways of doing that. It’s pretty seamless.
“We now have a record 61,000 members (subscribers). They have stayed loyal despite there being no live racing to watch for two and a half months, and our digital service on Extra has been a big contributor to that.”
Racing TV is offering a one-month free trial to any TRC readers. It is for new and reinstating customers. Click here for details.