Racing World
 | |
| Ownership | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Racing UK, Magna Entertainment and Churchill Downs Incorporated (2006-2008) Setanta Sports (2008-2009) |
| Sister channels | Arsenal TV Celtic TV ESPN America LFC TV Racing UK Rangers TV Setanta Sports 1 Setanta Sports 2 Setanta Ireland Setanta Sports News |
| History | |
| Launched | 8 March 2006 |
| Closed | 24 August 2009 |
Racing World was a spin-off service from Racing UK operated as a joint-venture with Magna Entertainment Corp. and Churchill Downs Incorporated, and broadcast horse racing coverage from the United States including such courses as Arlington Park and Churchill Downs.
The channel ceased broadcasting in May 2008, and was taken over by Setanta Sports until closing down fully on 24 August 2009.
History[edit]
On 3 March 2006, Racing UK announced the launch of a sister service entitled Racing World.[1] The network would be a joint-venture with US horseracing companies Magna Entertainment Corp. and Churchill Downs Incorporated, and would feature Horseracing coverage from the United States. The channel fully launched on 8 March, and was broadcast on Sky Digital channel 433 from 5:30pm-1:00am, Wednesday-Monday. The channel was available to Racing UK customers at no extra cost, and was operated through Irish broadcaster Setanta Sports.
On August 17, Racing World alongside Racing UK became part of a merged subscription package with Setanta Sports' networks, allowing Setanta customers access to the channel and Racing World and Racing UK/Racing World subscribers access to Setanta's networks on all platforms.[2]
On May 2008, it was announced by that Racing UK had axed the channel due to poor viewing figures and a niche market for US Horse Racing in the United Kingdom.[3] [4] The channel's slot on Sky was taken over by Setanta Sports as a filler network, still under the Racing World name, with its broadcast hours being reduced to 12:00am-3:00am, timesharing with the Commercial/Pub version of Setanta Sports 1.[5]
On 23 June 2009, following financial difficulties and collapse into administration in the United Kingdom, Setanta Sports shuttered all their television networks.[6] Despite the closure, Racing World remained broadcasting as a free-to-air service. On 11 July, Racing World broadcast a selection of UFC content and expanded it's hours to 9:00pm-5:00am. The channel broadcast all five episodes of the UFC's Top 100 Fights, then the UFC 100 countdown and then showed UFC 100 live to UK customers.[7]
On 24 August 2009, the channel was removed from the Sky EPG permamently.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20060523035747/http://www.racinguk.tv/news/?SectionId=5&newsid=53
- ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20070529042013/http://www.racinguk.tv/news/?SectionId=5&newsid=90
- ^ https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/154157/cdi-mec-pull-out-of-racing-world-uk
- ^ https://forums.digitalspy.com/discussion/790923/racing-world-scrapped
- ^ https://forums.digitalspy.com/discussion/886257/racing-world-channel
- ^ Setanta goes off air in Great Britain Digital Spy, 23 June 2009
- ^ "UFC® : Ultimate Fighting Championship®". Archived from the original on 12 July 2009. Retrieved 9 July 2009.
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