by Thinus Ferreira
MultiChoice is adding a new 24-hour horse racing TV channel, Racing 240, from 4RacingTV that will go live on Wednesday 19 January on DStv channel 240 at 17:30
MultiChoice already carries TellyTrack on DStv channel 249, with the launch of Racing 240 that is effectively splitting the content of horse racing across two different DStv channels and just weeks before MultiChoice's existing contract with TellyTrack is about to expire.
Racing 240 will be available to DStv Premium, DStv Compact Plus, DStv Compact, DStv Family and DStv Access subscribers and will feature live horseracing from 4Racing venues in the Highveld (Turffontein and the Vaal), Nelson Mandela Bay (Fairview) and Cape Racing (Kenilworth and Durbanville), as well as a host of top international races as its main content offering.
Racing 240 will go live on Wednesday at 17:30 and cross live at 18:00 to the Kenilworth Racecourse in Cape Town for the barrier draw for the Cape Town MET 2022.
Racing 240 will broadcast horse races on race days like the Cape Town MET, the L'Ormarins Queens Plate, Derby Day, Charity Mile and the World Sports Betting Summer Cup.
Racing 240 will also have content from and cover global racing in places like Dubai, the United Kingdom, United States, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Singapore, Turkey, France, Sweden, Kenya and Zimbabwe.
Racing 240 will broadcast global racing events like the Dubai World Cup, Kentucky Derby, The Grand National, Epsom Derby, Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, Melbourne Cup, Hong Kong Vase and Royal Ascot.
The first major feature race to be shown on Racing 240 will be the build-up and live coverage of the Cape Town Met on Saturday 29 January 2022 at the Kenilworth Racecourse in Cape Town.
The live races will be complemented by magazine shows and programming that will showcase the sport’s lifestyle and entertainment elements, as well as profiling the jockeys, trainers, owners, grooms and the punters of the sport.
The statistics, odds, form guides, data and betting information that are part of the sport will also be shown on Racing 240.
"The sport of racing is loved by many South Africans. Now they can watch the best racing and social events live on DStv thanks to the launch of this new racing channel," says Gideon Khobane, MultiChoice group executive of general entertainment, in a prepared statement.
"We pride ourselves on bringing our subscribers the best of local and international content and the addition of a new racing channel will bring glitz, glamour and hours of entertainment for equestrian lovers. It is just another way we are improving our value offering for our subscribers."
Fundi Sithebe, 4Racing CEO, in the statement says "Racing 240 will be our shop window to the world to showcase and profile the exciting sport of horseracing and we are delighted with this landmark partnership with MultiChoice".
"South Africa’s horseracing industry delivers world-class quality entertainment and it is critically important that we enhance the broadcast product to ensure its attractiveness to both local and international audiences. It is also important that we give better insight into the sport to attract a new generation of racegoer and punter, which is crucial to the sport's livelihood."
