As one of the few sports able to continue during the coronavirus pandemic,
horseracing has been a weekend winner for Pay TV provider Foxtel.
Australia's thirst for live sport has led to
horseracing being catapulted to the top of Pay TV ratings during the Sydney autumn carnival race days.
As one of the few sports able to continue across most of Australia during the COVID-19 outbreak,
racing on the Foxtel platform has thrived.
The Sky Raceday channel has been the most popular on the Foxtel network for the past four Saturdays, out rating shows like Selling Houses Australia by 30 per cent.
Average audiences have risen by almost 40 per cent overall since the autumn carnival kicked off eight weeks ago with the Group One Chipping Norton Stakes race day on February 29.
The results come on the back of strong ratings last autumn when champion Winx had her final campaign before retirement.
Digital audiences have also been engaging with
Sky Racing via the Racing NSW website or the TAB App, which had more than one million views on the first day of The Championships at Randwick.
With no crowds permitted on racecourses and venues such as pubs and clubs closed because of the coronavirus, Tabcorp's Darren Pearce says they have worked hard to provide a quality service to punters and viewers at home.
"These are unprecedented times and we are proud of Sky Racing's role in continuing to keep racing fans informed with the best racing vision, talent and tips, as well as reaching new audiences to help racing grow," Pearce said.
Channel 7 whom was able to broadcast live on their main channel, also
had significant rises in their audience numbers year-on-year. That was taking into consideration that 2019 had the Winx Factor inflate their numbers.
Channel 7 achieved an average growth of 25% in audience across the carnival’s six major days racing.
Racing is delivering Sport, Leisure and Entertainment to the community whilst also being a major employer and creating revenue streams for participants and governments.
Also, it gives Owners, Enthusiasts and Participants a focus for themselves, their families and friends.
Our industry has also been a
shining light in how
sport and social distancing requirements can be combined and managed professionally for the benefit of the community.
Even from afar, nothing compares to the Fun, Glamour and Excitement of being involved in the Racing Industry whether as an owner, punter, participant or partygoer.