Racecourses and HRI set for extended talks over proposed new media rights deal

Crunch talks between Irish racecourses and Horse Racing Ireland on the sport's next media rights deal are set to be revisited in the coming weeks after plans for a proposed new arrangement with SIS and Racecourse Media Group were presented on Monday.

A number of racecourse representatives, who attended the meeting but were not willing to speak publicly, described the mood among track officials as largely happy with the initial details outlined about the potential new deal, but another source said some tension remains over the proposal.

Most parties who spoke to the Racing Post were in agreement that there is still a way to go before all tracks are willing to commit fully to the deal. They plan to seek further clarity on just how much the arrangement will be worth to them individually and the manner in which media rights income is divided.