Sky Channel will end Victorian racing broadcasts from June 16.
The long-running battle over Victoria's racing media and vision rights took another turn on Tuesday when it was announced that Sky Channel would cease to televise Victorian racing from June 16.

For the first time in decades, Victorian racing will not be shown on pay TV or free-to-air after Tabcorp told the stock exchange that the interim broadcasting arrangements with Victorian Thoroughbred Racing would cease next Tuesday.

Racing Victoria has recommended to its stakeholders they sign with Seven West Media, but Fairfax Media understands the network will not be available to broadcast until August.

As part of the long-standing joint venture between Tabcorp and Racing Victoria, Australia's biggest wagering arm will telecast live only into its 100 TAB agencies. Vision of Victorian racing will not be available outside the state.

A Tabcorp statement said: "Tabcorp notes the announcement by Racing Victoria Limited on Saturday, June 6, 2015, that it is recommending to its four member racing clubs that its preferred outcome for the broadcast of Victorian thoroughbred racing is to partner with Seven West Media.

"Tabcorp made a formal offer on June 1, 2015, in accordance with a timetable agreed with RVL.

"At the same time as submitting its formal offer, Tabcorp gave notice that the current interim broadcasting arrangements with Victorian thoroughbred racing will cease on June 15, 2015."

Tabcorp said it had not received a decision from RV or its member clubs regarding their offer.

Racing Victoria is yet to comment on Tabcorp's decision which has the potential to cripple wagering on Victorian racing.

Those at home, in pubs and clubs and any other forum will have to make do with a radio description.

Racing.com is also streaming Victorian racing but for most that has become an extremely expensive pastime due to due to high data requirements.

NSW and the Australian Turf Club signed a deal with Tabcorp in January after NSW and Victoria chose to dissolve their joint ownership of TVN.

It's understood the Seven Network will not be taking on former on-air personalities from the beleaguered network.

With AAP, The Age

The sooner they have a national racing committee/overseer the better.

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You're right, that's a complete joke

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What it amounts too is TABCORP saying, "Marry me or I'll kill us both?".
It gets worse, the newly elected Queensland government have sacked the racing boards over the greyhound controversy. Not just the greyhound board but harness and gallops too. Like, where's the logic there. Now they'll be starting afresh with a whole lotta would be if they could be's

This disarray between states isn't just over media rights, its over racing materials and general racing all together.
Each state is pulling their own way. Each body has its own agenda. In the confusion the whole industry suffers.

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Agreed what a mess and it will massively hurt turnover.

Thee idiots are going to kill the golden goose and don't even know it.

Wagering soft through blackout

|Shane Anderson - @Globalgallop

Racing Victoria is developing a better picture of the impact of the Sky Racing blackout on turnover as wagering operators update on results throughout the week.

Total turnover from Tuesday’s meeting at Geelong Synthetic, the first impacted by the blackout, was down 2.7 per cent against the 2015 Tuesday Geelong Synthetic average across four meetings, which was better than Racing Victoria had forecast.

There were some variances across individual wagering operators, with corporate bookmakers such as Crownbet witnessing an increase while the pari-mutuel and exchange were soft.

Crownbet had a 12 per cent increase on turnover from the previous Geelong Synthetic meeting two weeks prior while Betfair’s customer usage was down 10 per cent and turnover down 15 per cent.

A Racing Victoria spokesperson highlighted that the absence of vision in pubs and clubs impacted Tabcorp’s performance and returns to the Joint Venture wagering agreement that it has with the Victorian industry.

Tabcorp’s retail network, which includes agencies, pubs and clubs, is important to pari-mutuel turnover so Racing Victoria were expecting there to be greater impact compared to the non pari-mutuel operators.

Despite the frustration felt by punters they continue to engage with the numerous digital broadcasts available of Victorian thoroughbred racing.

Racing.com and Sportsbet digital platforms have increased viewership considerably since the Sky Racing blackout commenced, more than doubling figures from the previous Tuesday.

Crownbet began broadcasting Victorian thoroughbred racing on Monday after signing a non-exclusive deal with Racing Victoria on Friday and were satisfied with their viewing figures.

Results for Wednesday’s metropolitan standard meeting are expected to be made public late Friday.

Racing Victoria continues negotiations with Victoria Racing Club with hopes of reaching an agreement to aggregate their media rights, allowing Seven West Media to commence broadcasting Victorian thoroughbred racing using the Racing Live broadcast offered by Racing.com.

The Melbourne Racing Club, Moonee Valley Racing Club and Country Racing Victoria all signed with Racing Victoria on Monday.

Unless a deal is signed off on Friday, Saturday’s Moonee Valley meeting will not be broadcast on television, with further concerns over wagering impact.

There are also hopes that Tabcorp will reconsider their decision to blackout Victoria by signing another interim deal.

Tabcorp will be under enormous pressure to minimalise turnover impact due to the blackout as NSW, which is the centrepiece of their broadcast on Sky Racing, has lost meetings this week and Saturday’s Randwick meeting is under threat due to wet weather.

It will get worse over time.

I only watch sky racing. I am not going to watch on another channel and this would be the same for a lot of people.

I had TVN when it was around. I still hardly ever changed over to watch a race on that station even when it was the only one showing the race.

As more punters bet on mobile devices outside of the TAB shops and pubs then more and more revenue will drop till they are broadcast back on sky.

Once again RV kills the golden goose without realising it.

Channel 68 is now broadcasting Victorian Racing to regional areas.

Did a little test and compared money traded:

Kembla 3 at jump $68,828 plus $6659 in play

Geelong 3 at jump $83740 plus $4833 in play

A fair drop for Geelong in comparison (by no means conclusive).

Is having no actual minimal delayed LIVE vision having an effect on in play betting? Don't know for sure or care, but I do know the in play traders don't like relying on the call, as we've seen the wrong horse called a few times crossing the line.