Racing TV reiterates customer focus in its coverage after camera criticism

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A “comprehensive review” of camera positions at racecourses shown on Racing TV (RTV) is taking place, according to the broadcaster, which emphasised that while it was seeking to broaden what it could offer to viewers it faced significant challenges on what it could provide to them.

Last week, Racing Post deputy Ireland editor David Jennings decried the quality of the coverage on RTV, arguing that “huge sums of money” are being exchanged to allow racing to be broadcast live from tracks in Britain and Ireland but that camera positions and in-race use of them was inadequate for all but the biggest fixtures.

Writing in his column on Friday, Jennings said: “This is 2026, for goodness' sake, and I'm not sure we have moved with the times. We should have more cameras, more close-up shots, more angles, more everything.”

• Racing's TV pictures are stuck in the past - and they're leaving punters in the dark 

Racecourse Media Group (RMG), the parent company of RTV, said in a statement that it was “important not to lose sight of how fortunate viewers in Britain and Ireland are when it comes to watching horseracing”, citing the coverage on ITV, RTE and Virgin Media, alongside its own broadcasts and content on social media that “attracted one billion views in 2025”. RMG added: “It’s clear that racing has never been more accessible.”

RMG said racecourses were supplied with five or six cameras by RaceTech in Britain and Racecourse Integrity Services in Ireland, which are operated by the regulatory authorities. The organisation said it “generally” only had control of the close-up finish-line camera shot.

The long-range view as Mighty Park jumped the third-last hurdle at Fairyhouse last Thursday

Contrasting racing with Premier League football, RMG said only a small number of multiple cameras available were “typically” used to cover those games live and that creating new remote camera positions on racecourses would require regulatory approval and “can require laying miles of cabling and fibre at very significant cost”.

Alongside providing pictures from 36 courses in Britain, RTV broadcasts action from all 26 courses in Ireland and will supply pictures from the Dublin Racing Festival on January 31 and February 1, which Jennings said “will be fantastic” based on the offerings from previous years. 

However, while stressing the challenges it has with the cameras and how they impact what can be broadcast, RMG said an assessment of its position was taking place in an effort to improve the offering.

Its statement added: “In recent years, RMG has invested heavily in supplementary cameras to enhance the viewer experience. These include across‑the‑line angles, start‑point and stalls cameras, and live drone coverage, all of which offer punters and racing fans fresh, insightful perspectives. Our aim is always to elevate the coverage. 

“We fully recognise the importance of giving viewers the most comprehensive pictures possible — the benefits are wide‑ranging, from deeper fan engagement to increased betting interest. 

“RMG is already conducting a comprehensive review of live‑racing pictures across our courses to identify where improved camera positions, or additional angles, would deliver the greatest benefit.”

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