Melbourne Cup-winning trainer Lee Freedman has warned the Victorian racing industry that to accept a bid from the Seven West Media network ahead of Tabcorp for the state's media rights "would be a costly and damaging decision," according to Patrick Bartley of THE AGE. For months Victorian racing, Tabcorp and the Seven Network have "been in negotiations over where the Victorian rights will go." Seven has "proposed showcasing Victorian racing nationally via a new dedicated free-to-air channel, complemented by a suite of streaming and other digital services" at the home of Victorian thoroughbred racing, Racing.com. However, Freedman, a member of racing's Hall of Fame, "reacted savagely to the news" of Seven possibly taking over from Australia's wagering arm, Tabcorp. Freedman said, "Does the racing industry know how much the impending decision to go with Channel Seven for live Victorian coverage is going to cost? If the figures being bandied around about the cost to the industry of choosing Seven over Sky Channel are true, industry participants would faint." It is understood that in a "complex" deal the racing industry would have to "pay an upfront fee" of A$10M ($7.6M). Freedman said that he was "incensed by racing's inability to recognise the proven revenue streams that are in place as a priority." Freedman: "I'd like pictures that aren't going to cost us all a fortune ... yet again" (THE AGE, 6/7).
