SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
Racing UK has announced that it is to become the first dedicated horseracing channel to offer high definition coverage to its UK viewers.
The HD service will go live on March 7th on Sky channel 432. Over 600 race meetings per year will be broadcast in all their glory, including all 28 races from the Cheltenham Festival which gets started on March 15th.
Richard FitzGerald, CEO of Racing UK, said: “Racing perhaps more than any other sport lends itself to high definition so we are delighted to offer the service on Sky 432 for our members in the UK and Ireland. It is another significant chapter in the story of Racing UK and we look forward to showcasing the sport in finer detail than ever before.”
Research indicates that over 80% of Sky viewers who watch the channel are able to receive the channel in HD, and they will automatically migrate to the new service on Sky 432, so the vast majority of viewers will see an immediate benefit. Existing SD customers who upgrade their equipment will also switch to high-definition automatically. Otherwise, though they need not worry as Sky 432 will continue as normal in standard-definition for customers with SD-only equipment.
Racing UK’s Cheltenham Festival Preview Part One is set to be the first programme to be broadcast in HD on March 7, with Exeter’s fixture the first live racing to be shown in HD on Racing UK the following day.
