Online rights talks go down to the wire as racecourses pursue new model

Media rights talks between racecourse representatives and some of Britain's biggest bookmakers were going down to the wire on New Year's Eve as the clock ticked on a number of key streaming and data rights deals.

However, Sky Bet are understood to have taken a hard line and broken off talks, meaning their customers will not be able to stream action from Fakenham or Southwell on New Year's Day.

At The Races (ATR) has been negotiating deals with online bookmakers on behalf of its affiliated tracks - which include those in the Arena Racing Company (Arc) group - in recent weeks.