30th Oct 2006 09:35
Arena Leisure PLC30 October 2006 30 October 2006 ARENA LEISURE PLC Notes At The Races' US Agreement Arena Leisure Plc ("Arena") notes that At The Races ("ATR") has issued a pressrelease regarding a landmark deal with US Sports Network, TVG and The RacingNetwork International that will see ATR coverage fed exclusively to nearly 20million homes in the US daily. The full press release from At The Races is attached below. AT THE RACES ("ATR") ATR SIGNS LANDMARK DEAL WITH US SPORTS NETWORK, TVG, AND THE RACING NETWORK INTERNATIONAL ATR COVERAGE TO BE EXCLUSIVE TO NEARLY 20 MILLION US HOMES DAILY AND ATR TO BECOME THE HOME OF US RACING IN THE UK At The Races ("ATR"), the UK and Ireland's most watched dedicated horseracingchannel, has today signed a long-term reciprocal agreement with TVG, the marketleading broadcaster of live horseracing in the United States and accountwagering operator. The partnership agreement also incorporates The RacingNetwork International ("TRNI"), the US-based company which has promoted USracing for the last six years via its FastBet software and which is now used bythe majority of UK bookmakers for facilitating bets placed by UK punters.FastBet allows bets placed by UK punters on US racing to be commingled back intoUS host tracks' pools. As part of the agreement, ATR will become TVG's exclusive broadcast partner inthe UK and will simulcast TVG's programme output on ATR nightly throughout theyear. TVG content will appear on ATR's main broadcast channel, as well as itsinteractive service, ATR Active, which is accessible to Sky subscribers behindthe red button. This agreement will further improve the quality of ATR's US output, allowing UKand Irish viewers and punters access to TVG's live racing coverage as well as upto the minute news and information live from American tracks and from TVG's LosAngeles-based studios. Viewers will be able to obtain exclusive tips andopinions from TVG's expert on-air team, including three-time Kentucky Derbywinner Gary Stevens and Breeders' Cup Sprint winning trainer Frank Lyons. On a daily basis, ATR audiences will have access to TVG's premium broadcast fromthe best US tracks which currently include Aqueduct, Belmont Park, Del Mar,Hollywood Park, Keeneland and Saratoga, to name but a few. In addition, TRNI, as the exclusive distributor of ATR's media rights for NorthAmerica, will become the exclusive supplier of British and Irish horseracingproduct to TVG. This means that ATR's partner racecourses will enjoyexclusivity within TVG's broadcast and online streaming schedule and willbenefit from the increased exposure this broad distribution base will provide. The TVG Network is deployed in nearly 20 million US households in all 50 statesvia cable and satellite providers. In certain of these states, TVG operates thecountry's leading advanced deposit wagering service in which TVG customers canbet online, by automated telephone, mobile phone or interactive television. In2005, almost $400 million was bet through TVG. ATR's live UK and Irish racingwill be broadcast on TVG on a daily basis all year round. Major beneficiaries of this partnership agreement in the UK will be: the viewersof ATR who will enjoy superior coverage of US racing; ATR's partner racecourses;the UK and Irish Totes who will benefit from commingling; and the numerousbookmakers who accept bets from UK punters and who have agreements in place withTRNI including Ladbrokes, William Hill, Skybet and others. Matthew Imi, Chief Executive, ATR said: "The partnership agreement we have reached with TVG and TRNI is significant fora number of reasons. First, off the back of the recent introduction of 48 hourdeclarations, it allows ATR partner racecourses to unlock some meaningfulrevenue from the potentially lucrative North American market and on an exclusivebasis. Secondly, UK and Irish Tote pools should see improved liquidity over thecoming years. Thirdly, it establishes ATR as the home of US racing in the UK andIreland, not just because of the quality and consistency of US fixtures, butalso because of planned improvements to our broadcast coverage and the criticalmass of UK bookmakers who will be able to take bets from UK punters via TRNI'scommingling solution. Lastly, the partnership we have established with TVG andTRNI will not only extend to cooperative transatlantic initiatives but also hasthe potential to establish itself as a significant player in the internationalaccount wagering and direct-to-home marketplace." David Nathanson, General Manager, TVG said: "This agreement gives us the opportunity to broaden the audience and interest inUS racing worldwide through our partnership with ATR and TRNI. We're equally asexcited to return the favour to our counterparts in the UK and Ireland byexpanding our daily programming hours to broadcast the best racing from Britainand Ireland." Bill Hogwood, Chief Executive, TRNI said: "We are delighted that we can now offer an expanded menu of commingled wageringon U.S. racetracks to the UK and Irish markets via the TRNI wagering network andour bookmaker partners. TVG are the major distributor of live thoroughbredracing in the US with a first class production team that will further improvethe promotion of US racing in this market. In addition, TVG will promote UKracing to a wide audience in the US and offer commingled betting into the UKTote pools via the TRNI Tote Hub." - ENDS - For further information, please contact: Matthew Imi/ James SingerAt The Races Tel: 0207 954 3000 Andrew BenbowBell Pottinger Corporate & Financial Tel: 0207 861 3232 About At The Races • At The Races ("ATR") is the UK and Ireland's most watched dedicated horseracing channel. It launched on June 11th 2004. • At The Races won 'Best Specialist Channel' at the prestigious Broadcast Digital Channel Awards 2006. • Attheraces.com, run in partnership with SkySports.com, is the fastest growing domestic horseracing website, with over 400,000 monthly unique users and over 33 million monthly page impressions. • In 2005 Robert Cooper was awarded Broadcaster of the Year by the Horserace Writers and Photographers Association (with fellow presenter Mike Cattermole also nominated) and Gareth O'Brien was a recent recipient of the Irish Stablestaff's Racing Media Award 2005. • It is a joint venture between BSkyB, Arena Leisure plc, Ascot Racecourse, Northern Racing and several other racecourse partners. It has agreements with 29 UK racecourses and all 27 Irish racecourses. • Broadcasting 24 hours a day in basic subscription packages, At The Races is currently available to over 11 million multi-channel homes across the UK and Ireland through Sky, NTL, Chorus, Telewest and NTL Ireland. • Over 1.4 million individuals tune into the channel every month. An average of 40,000 to 50,000 are watching at any time during live UK and Irish racing with a record 360,000 different individuals tuning into the channel on one day. • Outside the UK and Ireland At The Races distributes its content into over 20 countries by means of its own international channel - "At The Races International"- and through its agreement with SIS. Territories include Holland, Germany, the Caribbean, Sri Lanka, the UAE, Italy, South Africa and Australia. • At The Races broadcasts racing from over 1,000 UK and Irish meetings, holding the rights to broadcast nearly 60% of all UK and 100% of Irish fixtures. It also broadcasts high quality racing from the USA, France, Italy , Spain, Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong, Australia, Dubai and German • In May 2005, in partnership with William Hill, At The Races was the first UK broadcaster to launch a live, daily sports service to 3G mobile users in the UK. About TVG Available in nearly 20 million homes in the United States, TVG Network is theleading sports television network that combines the excitement of livehorseracing from premier racetracks and the convenience of in-home, accountwagering. In addition to live horseracing, TVG Network features commentary,interviews, in-depth race analysis, handicapping and wagering tutorials, andoriginally produced programming for racing's major events. Viewers in certainareas can wager interactively on the races via telephone, the Internet, TVGMobile or Interactive Television by establishing a wagering account online atwww.TVG.com or by telephone at 1-888-PLAY-TVG. TVG is the official TV andInteractive Wagering partner of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association(NTRA). TVG Network, a subsidiary of Gemstar-TV Guide International, Inc., (NASDAQ:GMST) has exclusive agreements for television and interactive wagering with thefollowing racetracks: Aqueduct, Arlington Park, Belmont Park, Calder, ChurchillDowns, Del Mar, Ellis Park, Emerald Downs, Evangeline Downs, Fair Grounds,Fairplex Park, Hollywood Park, Hoosier Park, Japan Racing Association,Keeneland, Kentucky Downs, Los Alamitos, Oak Tree at Santa Anita, PrairieMeadows, Ruidoso Downs, Saratoga Raceway, Saratoga Race Course, Turf Paradise,Turfway Park and Zia Park. About TRNi TRNI, a US company, has provided live broadcasts of North American racing in theUK and Ireland for the past six years. The company has contracts with theleading bookmakers in the UK and Ireland to provide software, systems andnetwork connectivity that allows the commingling of bets into the pools held atthe host race track. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock ExchangeRelated Shares:
ARE.L