It was announced on Feb. 18 TVG will merge with HRTV. The two former competitors will feature races from The Stronach Group-owned Santa Anita Park, Gulfstream Park, Pimlico, Laurel and Golden Gate Fields over a seven-year period, as well as feature other top domestic and international races.
Dependent on TVG’s future handle, Betfair will make payments totaling nearly $48-million over the next seven years. Betfair will then own 100 percent of the equity of the unified television operation, which will not include The Stronach Group-owned advance wagering company Xpressbet.
It is hoped that the merger will allow 5,000 or more US races to be broadcast. Currently TVG telecasts approximately 27,000 races in year in 36.5-million US homes, while HRTV brings about 16,000 races to 19.5-million US households.There is, of course, a significant overlap with many races on tape delay due to scheduling conflicts.
