Extra costs stemming from a proposed betting advertising ban could end daily coverage of Irish horse racing, the sport’s main broadcaster has confirmed.
Racing industry figures warned this week that a proposed blanket pre-watershed ban in the Gambling Regulation Bill threatened coverage of the sport, potentially damaging racetrack revenues and thoroughbred ownership.
Martin Stevenson, chief executive of the group that owns Racing TV which holds media rights to all 26 Irish racetracks, confirmed the ban would “likely mean that it isn’t viable to continue broadcasting in Ireland”.
The proposed law would increase Racing TV’s costs by forcing it to move its Irish operation to a new channel requiring extra services from Sky.
