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Midnight Deadline Leaves Euro Television Deal on a Knife-Edge13 June 2001U.K. – June 13, 2001 – As reported by the Racing Post: ``The future of the multi-million pound media rights deal with the Go Racing consortium was hanging in the balance early today after the broadcasters set a deadline of midnight tonight for an agreement with the BHB on the sale of pre-race data rights. ``The contentious £307 million ($453 million) deal—struck between 49 racecourses and Go Racing—could be left in tatters if negotiations between the BHB and the TV consortium fail to produce an agreement. ``…It is believed the BHB is seeking a number of key concessions on racing's behalf from the TV consortium. ``The BHB issued no statement last night after the board meeting, at which representatives of both the Racehorse Owners' Association—bitterly opposed to the deal in its current form—and the RCA, who have negotiated it, thrashed out areas of difference on the sport's future funding. ``But it is expected that there will be three major issues to be resolved in negotiations with Go Racing today: the price the BHB will charge for use of the pre-race data, the length of the contract, and the scope of the contract. ``...If the BHB and Go Racing cannot reach agreement before midnight tonight, the deal which has taken so long to negotiate may be doomed. ``Go Racing has said it needs a ten-year guarantee on pre-race data—to match the ten-year deal it is doing with the racecourses for their picture and other rights. ``The BHB has set itself against such a long contract period, and is understood to have been examining a one-year licence, renewable at the end of every year. ``The cost of the licence is also regarded as crucial, since this will set a precedent for all other deals in the future, especially those with bookmakers on a commercial replacement for the levy…" |