Channel 4 Racing: Jump season 2013/14

13 November 2013

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From November 2013 – April 2014, jump racing takes centre stage live on Channel 4. 

The jump season coverage will incorporate 37 racedays devoted to the gallant sport plus three additional summer racing fixtures from Haydock Park and Market Rasen Racecourses.  

40 days in total, sees racing from 20 racecourses across the regions broadcast live on Channel 4.  These include Ayr and Musselburgh, Chepstow and Ffos Las, the South West of Cheltenham, Warwick and Wincanton, to Ascot and Newbury, the borough of London with Kempton Park and Sandown Park and northern tracks such as Haydock Park, Aintree, Doncaster and Newcastle and more.

Some 128 hours of terrestrial exposure will be pledged to jump racing with the regular Saturday Morning Line also on-air for the Cheltenham and Crabbie’s Grand National Festivals.  Afternoon racing will continue to benefit from a two and a half hour broadcast slot taking in from six to eight high quality and competitive races.

As Channel 4 Racing enters its second year within the media rights agreement, and with the support of the industry, the team will continue to make horseracing more accessible.  Coverage will be complemented with informative features, stable visits, behind the scenes opportunities and the latest betting news.  Innovations such as Horse Tracker and the Helmet Camera will develop and progress throughout the year.

 

The Morning Line

The Morning Line is a Saturday breakfast show broadcast live from the main racecourse site for that day.  Special Morning Lines’ are shown on Boxing Day, Cheltenham Festival and for the Crabbie’s Grand National Festival.

The one-hour show; live from 8am, is presented by Nick Luck and previews the day’s impending action with informative analysis by a pool of specialist pundits and reporters.  Course updates, going conditions and the revised runners and riders form part of the show.

Tanya Stevenson relays the betting market and special guests provide additional insights.

An array of features complements the show.  These include Dark Horse where jockey Sam Thomas rides and passes comment on equine fancies from a wide range of racing stables to Jobs in Racing and Jockey Profiles.

 

Channel 4 Racing

Afternoon racing is delivered within a two and a half hour package that combines competitive races with informative analysis, betting news, interviews, features and general atmospheric raceday reaction.

Traditionally coverage takes in six to eight races from two racecourses with Clare Balding or Nick Luck at the helm, supported by an invaluable team of pundits and reporters.  Tanya Stevenson updates the betting news with the assistance of Tom Lee and Brian Gleeson – the latter for an Irish perspective.

Commentary is supplied by the sublime Simon Holt and Richard Hoiles.

Channel 4 Racing utilises some 20 – 50 cameras for racedays with a dedicated team to create on-the-day video tapes to reflect the excitement of day and race. 

With the support from the racing industry, Channel 4 Racing is able to broadcast every Stewards Inquiry and have access to the Racing Stables ahead of racing and in the Jockeys’ Changing and Weighing Rooms.  These sights will continue to be explored throughout the jump season with innovations to balance.

 

More Channel 4 stats

Viewing figures show that our coverage has attracted more new viewers to Channel 4 Racing:

•           The viewing data suggests that we have continued to broaden the audience watching racing on Channel 4.

•           23.1m people have watched Channel 4 Racing this year - equivalent to almost 40% of the population. This is the highest reach figure at this stage of the year for at least 10 years (as far back as BARB goes) and up 44% on last year.

•           Viewing to our live Channel 4 Racing coverage is up +11% year-on-year, and on the five year average – when all of our new and expanded portfolio is included.

•           If you exclude the new race meetings, viewing is down -6% on a 2012 dominated by very strong race stories – and the gap has closed significantly since a weather disrupted start to the year.

 

Channel 4 strengthens its commitment to horseracing:

•           As the channel enters its second year of a four-year media agreement (2013 – 2016), the 2014 broadcast schedule will increase to 90 days with Future Champions Day moving to Friday, 17th October to support the fourth-year running of QIPCO British Champions Day the following day. 

•           In 2014, British racing alone will secure over 285 hours of terrestrial coverage on Channel 4 with racing from around the UK taking in some 31 racecourses - with a number of courses securing multiple visits.  The annual hours include 63 Morning Line packages for Saturday fixtures and top level-racing such as the Cheltenham Festival, Grand National Festival, Royal Ascot and King George VI Chase.