SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
Racecourse Media Group (RMG) and Arena Racing Company (ARC) have announced that both racecourse groups intend to create a single production centre to benefit the horseracing and betting industries.The new joint venture will provide pictures and data for organisations, who wish to broadcast coverage of British racing.
The joint venture will ensure costs of production can be shared and efficiencies found and allow British racing to significantly invest in keeping up with technological advances in broadcasting.
The aim is for pictures and data from British racecourses to be delivered into the production facilities, which are intended to be co-owned by RMG and ARC and based in Ealing Studios, West London.
This will provide one seamless and standardised feed for those wishing to develop programmes around racing, while maximising efficiencies for the benefit of racecourses and the customers for their pictures.
RMG, the company responsible for the media and data activities of 34 racecourses, and ARC, which operates 15 racecourses, also intend to unify their on-course production, reducing overlap and overheads, such as outside broadcast facilities.
The new entity will provide open access, on reasonable and competitive terms, for any organisation wishing to utilise the content or facilities.
Commenting on the announcement, Richard FitzGerald, Chief Executive of RMG, said: “This shows how far we’ve come in our ability to unify as an industry to ensure we are fit for the future and can give our customers, whether they are racing broadcasters or bookmakers, the pictures and data they need from a single source.
“This announcement is about more than driving down costs; it’s about sharing future investment, facilitating innovation and creating a platform that works for the future commercialisation of our racecourses’ media and data rights.”
Tony Kelly, Managing Director of ARC, added: “Sharing facilities and unifying our operations will create a single, world-class operation for our pictures and data from UK racecourses. This move will also enable us to work more constructively with the bookmaking industry in the promotion of betting on horseracing.
“In addition, it’s about bringing greater control over the sport’s rights which is hugely important as we look to the future.”
