RMG renews media rights with British racecourses
July 8, 2021
Racecourse Media Group (RMG) has agreed British racecourse licence extensions for audio-visual and data rights for a new five-year term.
The renewals cover 35 racecourses for their LBO rights and 33 racecourses for all other aspects of their media rights including streaming (Watch & Bet), DTH, terrestrial TV and international betting and non-betting until December 31st 2028.
RMG is 100 per cent owned by its racecourse shareholders and pays all of its operating profit back to racecourses, which, in turn, benefits the sport. This collective and collaborative ethos has seen RMG’s businesses become the biggest single funder of British horseracing. It means the likes of the Randox Grand National Festival, Cheltenham Festival, Cazoo Derby Festival, Qatar Sussex Stakes and the Juddmonte International Stakes – which was awarded the Longines World’s Best Race accolade in 2020 – will remain in RMG’s portfolio until at least 2029.
With RMG adding all 26 Irish racecourses to its coverage in 2019, five of the top 11 races run in the world last year were broadcast live on RMG’s channel, Racing TV, which is fronted by the two most recent HWPA broadcasters of the year, Nick Luck and Lydia Hislop.
Roger Lewis, Chairman of RMG, said: “On behalf of the Board of Directors of RMG, I thank our shareholders for the trust and confidence they have once more placed in RMG. This is a pivotal moment for British racing. The RMG Racecourses, with a unity of purpose, have created business clarity and confidence for years to come. The certainty which this landmark, long-term agreement provides is very special for everyone involved in British racing. The RMG Board pays particular tribute to the outstanding leadership of the RMG CEO, Martin Stevenson, who together with his great team of RMG executives navigated this complex and detailed process with rigour, patience and clear focus. RMG now looks forward to serving its shareholder racecourses, which, in turn, benefits the sport of racing for the foreseeable future.”
Martin Stevenson, CEO of RMG, added: “It is a matter of great pride that racecourses have placed their rights in RMG’s hands again. RMG has a superb team, who, from the production to the commercial offices, are committed to ensuring first-class output and long-term sustainable growth for our racecourses. This will be achieved by continuing to create innovative and different ways of bringing the sport to life and showcasing it to our broad range of audiences. This is also made possible by our much-valued media, technical, broadcast, commercial and bookmaking partners, and, of course, the owners, trainers, breeders, jockeys and stable staff. We look forward to continuing to work with Newbury on the remaining period of their term until 2024 and we wish them well thereafter.”