Other website sections

»Sports Market Reports

»Sports Jobs

»Tenders

»Directory

»Conferences

Leading horse racing television channel Racing UK today announced it will once again be taking UK subscriptions from Monday, August 10.

Following Setanta’s entry into administration on June 23, Racing UK now operates as a stand-alone channel, and has been broadcasting uninterrupted and free to air to all Setanta UK subscribers on Sky Channel 432.

The free-to-air coverage will continue until August 16 - two days before York’s Ebor Festival starts – before encryption. New subscribers will only be charged from this date and there is no joining fee or minimum contract.

The price point will revert to its 2004 launch price of £20 a month but now includes all Racing UK’s on-line services (normally £9.99 per month), meaning subscribers can watch live racing on their PCs and laptops. New subscribers will also continue to benefit from up to £600 worth of free race day tickets per year and members’ club packs, while multi-boxes are an extra £5 per month.

All current broadband subscriptions and the 2,350 pubs which subscribe to Racing UK continue unaffected. The channel is in advanced talks with Virgin Media to continue supplying cable customers as a premium channel.

As a goodwill gesture, annual subscribers, who lost money when Setanta closed, will get the channel free until their next annual renewal date.

Racing UK will also revert to being a stand-alone channel in the Republic of Ireland.

The move means that Racing UK will no longer be available via a Setanta Ireland Sky subscription.

The new price point is ˆ25 a month (ˆ5 less than the ˆ30 launch price) and this will also include the £9.99 monthly subscription to Racing UK’s online player. Subscribers will also continue to benefit from free race day tickets and members’ club packs. Multi-boxes are an extra ˆ5 per month.

As in the UK, Irish subscriptions to Racing UK will be taken from August 10, before encryption on August 16.