Turf TV funnels £45m of bookmaker money to racing

Live racing and data provider Turf TV recorded a year of strong growth in 2013, having secured record numbers of subscribers and returned £45m to the racing industry.

Turf TV owner Amalgamated Racing Limited (AMRAC) owns live broadcast rights for 34 of Britain’s racecourses, including festivals at Ascot, Cheltenham and Epsom. It also provides TV pictures and data to betting shops in Ireland and the UK, broadcasting in the region of 90% of all British Group and Graded races.

The multi-million payment to racecourses represents more than 65% of all revenue generated by the business. It projects another £76.6m will be contributed by the betting industry to racing via the 52^nd Levy Scheme for 2013/14.

The firm also signed new long-term deals with Coral, William Hill, BetFred and Ladbrokes, as well as an agreement with the Stronach Group to provide US racing, tailored specifically for the UK market.  Simon Ellen, Chairman of Turf TV, believes the security of such deals is important going forward.

“Turf TV has driven significant growth since it entered the market in 2007 and has successfully consolidated its position, helping to ensure that quality horse racing remains at the heart of the British LBO.

“Against a challenging backdrop, Turf TV has developed both a strong product offering and established market share. We have also significantly increased the returns to racing, which the Turf TV Directors expect will increase in 2014. With the security of long-term deals with all our major customers, combined with new and innovative content offerings such as US racing, we are well- positioned going forward.”

Commenting on the ploy to show dedicated coverage of US racing at Santa Anita Park and others, Turf TV Managing Director Adrian Ford said it’s been a worthwhile venture. “This has been another year of significant achievement for Turf TV, reflected in our strong performance. British racing continues to be the most popular over-the-counter product in British LBOs and our high quality content has proved popular with our customers and punters alike. In keeping with this commitment to quality, in June we were delighted to enter an agreement with the Stronach Group to provide US racing coverage from more than 20 of the top US tracks.

“We begin 2014 in an excellent position, broadcasting 90% of all British Group and Graded races and, with the addition of US racing and following our deal with William Hill, broadcasting seven days a week, morning till night.”