Coverage
TVN
TVN will provide full live coverage of all thoroughbred racing events from Sydney, Melbourne and country Victoria from 4 May 2005. All Sydney, Melbourne and Victorian country racing will be telecast live, accompanied by full race previews, news, reviews and analysis from Australia's top racing experts.
How Do I See TVN?
TVN is available to all Foxtel Digital Subscribers for only $12 per year. Call 1300 780 290 for further details. Austar and Optus subscribers cannot currently access TVN due to those companies' commercial arrangements with SKY. TVN is maintaining a register of Austar and Optus subscribers. Viewers who would like to be included on this so that TVN can inform then of developments in service arrangements should email the TVN customer service centre. TVN is also available to customers in over 2,200 pubs, clubs and licensed venues throughout Australia and selected TAB agencies. Visit the TVN website for a current listing of Australian venues showing TVN.
Can I Watch TVN Online?
Telstra BigPond subscribers can access live racing telecasts and video archives on BigPond Sport. TVN also provides a video on demand service through the TVN website as well as mobile telephone racing updates, photo finish and video content delivery. Racing radio can also be accessed online.
What Will I See on TVN?
TVN provides a wide range of racing dedicated programming including live domestic and international racing telecasts, preview, review, news and views programmes. The on air team comprises racing's most knowledgeable broadcasters. TVN is continuing to develop content and schedule racing, news and entertainment programmes in the near future.
Who Runs TVN?
TVN's shareholders are the Sydney metropolitan racing clubs (STC & AJC), the Melbourne metropolitan racing clubs (MRC, VRC & MVRC) and Country Racing Victoria. All profits are returned to the racing industry.
Why Has TVN Been Created?
TVN's objective is to enhance the presentation of the sport of thoroughbred racing for the enjoyment of race fans and viewers.
Can I Watch interstate races at Sydney Metropolitan Race Meetings?
SKY will provide vision of interstate thoroughbred, harness and greyhound racing so punters at Sydney metropolitan meetings will still see everything.
Can I Watch Races at My Local TAB Outlet?
The TVN service is available in all TAB agencies in Victoria. To date, TABCORP has not agreed to the installation of the TVN service in NSW agencies. UNITAB in QLD, SA and the NT has commenced the rollout of the TVN service into their outlets.
What are the benefits of TVN to the racing industry?
TVN is structured to capture the valuable assets of racing media rights and leverage them to the benefit of racing. The profits that will flow from the sale of those rights will be returned to racing to enhance the Australian racing product, prize money and industry generally.
What will be the short and long term economic impact of TVN's role on the Australian racing industry?
The TVN business model has been developed in conjunction with Merrill Lynch. Under this model TVN is expected to become profitable in its second full year of operation and long term will return many tens of millions of dollars directly to Australian racing through its shareholders.
Who stands to profit from TVN's success?
Through TVN, the racing customer will be provided with unprecedented access to a dedicated thoroughbred racing broadcast information service employing cutting edge technology. As a consequence, the racing industry nationally will benefit via the increased profile and profit delivered by TVN.
Why is it important for the racing industry to control its own media rights?
Control over the presentation of racing is critical to the development and promotion of the sport over the longer term. TVN recognises the importance of maintaining and broadening interest in racing which in turn is critical to increasing future income to the industry.
SKY Channel, which has controlled racing’s media rights for almost 18 years, has exploited this valuable asset to reap an annual forecast earning before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation of $46 million.
The racing industry itself provides SKY Channel with its product: SKY does not provide the original source vision: the racing industry covers all the costs associated with capturing the source vision and making it available to SKY Channel. SKY adds in-studio hosting and graphics and then distributes the picture.
It is not SKY’s prime objective to aid the development of the racing product in Australia. Thoroughbred racing is a rich and colourful sport: but SKY Channel does not have the time or desire in their current programming format to fully project the racing industry’s breadth in a manner which will sustain racing into the future. If the tradition, colour and culture of thoroughbred racing is reduced to merely a series of statistics and numbers it will no longer have a future.
