Attheraces team buys out Channel Four share

Attheraces stakeholders Arena Leisure and BSkyB have bought out Channel Four’s share of the business as part of a plan to revive the media rights firm which recently signed up 25 British racecourses.

Attheraces, now a joint venture between Arena and BSkyB, hope to reach agreement with the satellite broadcaster to launch a live racing service next month.

Arena group managing director Ian Penrose said: “The new structure for attheraces will provide the business with the commercial structure and financial stability to build on the foundations established over recent years.

“As the operators of 23% of the UK horseracing fixture list, one of Arena’s key strategic objectives is to ensure the widest possible distribution of live racing from our racecourses.

“The availability of attheraces to nine million homes, at no extra cost, is great for raising awareness, viewers, sponsors and the betting public.”

The announcement follows media rights agreements, announced last Friday, between attheraces and 25 racecourses.

The broadcaster agreed terms for the media rights to Ascot, all the Northern Racing tracks, the courses under the GG Media banner and all those owned by Arena Leisure.

That new development put them on collision course with The Horseracing Channel, which has agreed deals with 27 tracks including those owned by the Racecourse Holdings Trust (RHT).

RHT owns Aintree, Cheltenham, Epsom, Haydock, Kempton, Newmarket, Sandown and six other tracks.

A launch date for THRC is expected to be discussed at a meeting tomorrow.

Attheraces, set up in May 2002, stopped broadcasting British racing on March 29 after terminating a £307m (€456.6m) media rights deal with 49 courses.