By Adrian Dunn From: The Daily Telegraph August 17, 2009 12:00AM Increase Text SizeDecrease Text SizePrintEmail Share
Add to DiggAdd to del.icio.usAdd to FacebookAdd to KwoffAdd to MyspaceAdd to NewsvineWhat are these?RACING'S television wars - simmering for the past nine months - are about to boil over with Sky Channel set to announce its own premium thoroughbred channel.

Sky's thoroughbred station, which will operate 24/7, will cover the best three meetings in Australia as well as New Zealand, Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore during a time slot from either 9am or 10am to 9pm or 10pm.

The coverage would then swing to At The Races for the next 12 hours, including events from UK, Ireland, Europe, United Arab Emirates and the US.

Sky remained coy on a launch date, but The Daily Telegraph understands the premium racing channel, Sky 1, as it will be known, will operate from February or March next year.

The introduction of Sky 1 will ease the logjam of races, dogs and trots on the current schedule.

Sky will cover the minnow racing codes on a channel to be known as Sky 2, which will also increase coverage and the ability to showcase their major meetings. Sky 1 and Sky 2 would be covered on Foxtel and AUSTAR.

Start of sidebar. Skip to end of sidebar.
Related CoverageSky racing towards a new TV era Herald Sun, 8 hours ago
Sour taste over Rawiller tactics Daily Telegraph, 8 hours ago
Oliver outed for 15 meetings Herald Sun, 1 day ago
Oliver voted top jockey Daily Telegraph, 3 days ago
Shellscrape stakes Golden Rose claims Daily Telegraph, 8 days ago
.End of sidebar. Return to start of sidebar.
TVN last month rejected Sky's offer for a 50/50 partnership that embraced Australian and international racing.

While Tabcorp, which owns Sky Channel, says the merger deal is still on the table, its move to launch its own premium channel will pro- gress regardless.

Tabcorp will also make further entry into the media world with a major newspaper poised to become its official form guide from October 1.

Last Thursday's Victorian Supreme Court decision in favour of Tabcorp against Racing Victoria over its racefields legislation is now likely to have ramifications for interstate racing and codes who followed the RVL model.

excellent news

Now I definitely won't get any sleep           

Would there still be the SKY racing channel to watch all codes like we currently have?

sky2,read the  ing thread would you

It says SKY 2 is for the minnow codes, i'm asking if there's still a channel that covers the whole lot without changing channels ya    wit               

of course there is you imbo     

Well where does it sat it?

common  ing sense says it,somethings don't have to be written,like you're an imbo,doesn't have to be written,but i wanted to anyway     

I think you will find there will not be a channel to cover all as is. Sky 1 will cover 3 metro as stated and Internationals plus At the races overnight. Sky 2 will show the other cap city races and provincials plus dogs and trots. So not sure who the imbo is here.

Thanks SW, that's the way I read it   

Wonder what the funding arrangements will be.   Will we pay more as viewers?  Will the industry get more for the product?

no extra charges DD

OK, but for how long?

that i can't answer,but would be surprised if there was a fee,as tvn would also have to charge

Wonder how many would pay more?

I wouldn't as the same ones win on the radio.

I'd just reduce my Platinum package to a basic with the Sports, i'm thinking of doing that anyway.
I pay $126 atm that's with 2 boxes in the house, will be down to $102 when the sheila leaves on Saturday.

Wonder how many would pay more?

I wouldn't as the same ones win on the radio.

That would be a wonderful way of doing the form, listening on the radio

Served us well? I am 59.
Thats why there were 100 bookies at a meeting because of all the mugs there who were guessing and now there are limited numbers because everyone can see everything!