Sky Racing

Sky Racing (previously Sky Channel) is an Australian broadcaster primarily telecasting live thoroughbred, harness and greyhound racing. It is owned by Tabcorp Holdings and operates a number of television channels and a radio service. Sky Racing launched on the Aussat A1 satellite in 1985.[1]

For the British TV channel, see Sky Sports Racing.

Sky Racing
Launched1985
Owned byTabcorp
Picture format576i (SDTV) 16:9
CountryAustralia
LanguageEnglish
Formerly calledSky Channel (1985-1998)
Sister channel(s)Sky Racing 2
Sky Thoroughbred Central
Sky International
Websiteskyracing.com.au
Availability
Satellite
FoxtelSky Racing 1: Channel 526
Sky Racing 2: Channel 527
Sky Thoroughbred Central: Channel 528
Cable
FoxtelSky Racing 1: Channel 526
Sky Racing 2: Channel 527
Sky Thoroughbred Central: Channel 528
Neighbourhood CableChannel 19

The broadcaster generally telecasts all race meetings that are covered by the various Australian TABs. This includes both metropolitan and country meetings from all Australian states, as well as selected international races from New Zealand, England, Ireland, South Africa, Hong Kong, Singapore, France, the United States and Japan.

Channels

Sky Racing currently operates four separate television channels and one radio channel.

Sky Racing 1
Original logo
Original logo

Originally branded Sky Channel, it launched in 1985 as Australia's first nationwide racing channel.[1] It was exclusively available to TAB outlets, sporting venues and clubs until 5 September 1998[2] when it expanded to direct-to-home subscription TV under the brand Sky Racing. Sky Channel operations were renamed Sky Racing in October 2009.[1]

Sky Racing 2

Sky Racing 2 launched on 30 March 2010. It was designed to remove scheduling congestion on Sky Racing and to allow for more local and international race meeting coverage.[3]

Sky Thoroughbred Central

Launched on 4 May 2010 as Sky Racing World, it was a channel featuring mostly international race meetings and magazine programmes. On 21 March 2015, Sky Racing World was replaced by Sky Throughbred Central, a channel which came at the result of acquiring the rights to broadcast race meetings previously held by TVN.[4] On 1 April 2016, Sky Thoroughbred Central launched a HD simulcast.[5]

Sky International

This channel delivers select Australian race meetings to international locations including UK, US, New Zealand, Europe and Asia.[6] Extended coverage can be seen on Sky International due to its unique schedule. Content from Sky International can be seen on other racing channels, such as At the Races. It is not available domestically.

Sky Sports Radio

Sky Racing also operates Sky Sports Radio, which is available in most parts of NSW and the ACT via AM and FM transmission. It is also available on digital radio in Sydney. It predominantly covers horse and greyhound racing, however it also has a number of general sporting talk programs.

Defunct Channels

Sky Racing no longer advertises these channel and are presumed defunct.

Sky Business TV

Sky Racing operated a part-time channel for corporations or businesses wishing to stream live broadcasts, video conferences or meetings via satellite to another location. Sky Racing leased studio space to clients and could use its Sky International bandwidth to deliver content around the world.[7]

Sky Ringside

Sky Racing also aired Sky Ringside, a pay-per-view channel which featured live boxing tournaments from around the world. This channel was only available to Sky Racing venues.[8]

Content

Other than broadcasting live racing 19 hours per day, Sky Racing produces a number of programmes tailored to specific types of racing in Australia. Most programmes feature expert reviews and tips for upcoming events. Some popular programmes include;[9]

  • Formline
  • Thoroughbred Preview
  • Thoroughbred Weekly
  • The Catching Pen
  • In The Gig

Broadcasting

Live content is supplied to Sky Racing via fibre optic, microwave or satellite links from independently owned racing clubs. As of August 2006, most live content and all of Sky's flagship programs are broadcast in 16x9 widescreen digital format to all subscribers.

Mottos
  • "At home on the track"
  • "Power, instinct, heart"
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References
  1. About Sky Racing; Sky Racing
  2. Schulze, Jane (8 September 1998). "Business; Media: Race Channel Puts Pay TV Nose Ahead". The Age. p. 5. Retrieved 30 June 2010.
  3. "Sky Racing announces racing vision revolution" (Press release). Racing and Wagering Western Australia. 6 October 2009. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 4 April 2015.
  4. "Sky Racing turns on thoroughbred TV". The Daily Telegraph. 19 March 2015. Retrieved 4 April 2015.
  5. "Sky delivers Australian racing in HD" (Press release). Sky Racing. 1 April 2016. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  6. Sky Racing Venue Information; Sky Racing
  7. Sky Business TV (archived); Sky Racing
  8. Sky Ringside TV; Go Hospitality
  9. Programs; Sky Channel Pty Ltd.
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