SOUTH Africa’s horseracing channel may soon be lost to Dstv subscribers.
In a press release issued today, Tellytrack said that Multichoice was entitled to terminate the broadcast of the channel if it believed that it was not performing to its satisfaction.
Viewers are informed that Multichoice has elected to do so and that, in accordance with the notice received yesterday, the broadcast of Tellytrack on the Multichoice platform will terminate with effect from midnight on 26 March 2014.
Multichoice has indicated that it would be willing to consider entering into a short-term agreement in order to allow Tellytrack to make arrangements for the channel to be delivered on an alternative platform.
Tellytrack wishes to minimise the inconvenience of its viewers and will use all reasonable endeavours to do so.
Tellytrack is considering its options, including the possibility of pursuing a short-term agreement to ensure a smooth transition of the content to another service provider.
Further announcements will be made as soon as is reasonably possible.
10 Comments
What a strange coincidence that this announcement comes at a time when Tellytrack is fighting with bookmakers over racings live feed!
Two things, 1) Pools will take a knock of huge preportions if viewers are unable to see racing. I for one, arrange my weekends around racing, TELEVISED RACING, and if it’s not on, I will lose my interest. I wont go back to the track. I punt between 5 ans 10k per every month, small bettor but there are thousands like me.
2) It seems that we’ll all have to buy decoders in the end and then subscribe to a feed of some kind. Again, I’m convinced between 50-70% of Tellytrack watchers wont get a decoder or subscribe, they’d rather argue and have fist fights and blame the world, in the end most of them lost to racing and with that turnover. This could mean the death of racing and many many families in racing will suffer.
I dont know who to blame, perhaps this is a set-up by the authorities to get bookmakers to pay regardless of any negotiations so far, not an unlikely theory considering what weve seen from the operator. But thats just a thought. I want to say to the simple minded decisionmakers at the DSTV – may your mothers bear crocodiles, to hell with you!
This sounds like the end of racing for me. The only reason i subscribe to DSTV is for sport and racing.
The punter gets screwed as usual. This ideal of thousands of people turning up at the track is rather short sighted. If this happens may i suggest withdrawing support and no bets placed by the public. Horse racing is becomming a pat on the back for one another. Stuff the betting public. Very sad news indeed. Kenneth
Observer I agree, this is a ploy between Tellytrack and dstv to get more punters to watch and subscribe and then of course bet online. the next thing we’ll see is all sorts of packages offered to punters with decoder, online account and live feed in a package. just watch. sick, unacceptable and the death of racing. echoing all your swearwords.
You guys are smoking something. Let me tell you. Multichoice/DSTV have always hated racing, it has never been anywhere on its agenda. The company is run by a billionare called Kosie Bekker who is known to hate horseracing, years ago he stopped racing coverage in all the Nationale Pers newspapers like Burger and Beeld and volksblad because he heads up that firm too. Now he’s doing the same to tellytrack, us punters live for this channel!!. Typical narrow minded dutchman. Hope he croaks with all his money, he cant take it with him/
Koos Bekker is about 20 billion strong and in fact has just retired, see this link for interesting reading. http://www.forbes.com/sites/faraigundan/2014/02/25/south-african-billionaire-and-media-tycoon-koos-bekker-to-step-down-as-ceo-of-naspers/
Mr bekker is doing the right thing to take the tellytrack channel out of the dstv lineup. He has every right to do what he wants because he is the owner. Tellytrack should move to open view Hd . Mr Bekker scrap the channel,. I agree.
If open view hd doesn’t work out then it should become a free to air channel.
So the very real prospect of South African owners not being able to see their runners on TV looms. Do you think that PGE will cease to broadcast our races to their business partners? Lekker man lekker.
What will be will be. Let them sort this out and we’ll all settle into a new arrangement. I am sure the authorities will do everything in their power to keep their viewers happy.
I think that this is just a way to have the public pay extra. Surely there is a broadcaster out there that can take tellytrack. Has any1 ever ask other broadcasters to tender for the broadcaster of tellytrack. Betting is going to take a knock as a whole. What the industry forgets is that we, the public drive this industry, we don’t bet, it all comes down. They think we just mindless zombies, putting our money down and win or lose we do to over and over again. If this shit is not sorted out, dstv and racing industry will take a big hit. Why do you think dstv forced views to got on debt orders, I say cancel those debt order, take the smallist. Package they have to offer and see if the investors like the profit share fall to a record low. Play all your bets with the bookmakers as they are fighting with the public on this matter. Owners won’t get the big pots and the bookie will give you the best odds. The time of the open bet is here, the racing industry better wake up, sort this shit out or go down in flames.