TV Games Network (TVG) "officially pulled out of
negotiations" with racetrack operators in NJ last week,
"abandoning for now an effort" to broadcast races from the
state's tracks and take wagers from NJ residents, according
to Matt Hegarty of the DAILY RACING FORM. Industry execs
said that TVG "offered the tracks a deal as late as"
September 30 in which the network "estimated that the tracks
and horsemen would receive" $660M in fees over the next ten
years. But the tracks wanted TVG "to guarantee their races
a major presence" on the network and "also wanted the right
to broadcast live feeds" from TVG partner tracks on a
planned NJ racing TV channel. TVG "rejected both
conditions, saying that allowing" a NJ track to broadcast
races from its partner tracks would "constitute a breach of
contract" (DAILY RACING FORM, 10/3),
THE DISH ON TRN: The Racing Network (TRN) will launch
four of its channels on EchoStar's Dish Network on October
29. TRN will be offered on the Dish Network as a sports
package for $24.99 a month (TRN). TRN subscribers have
"previously been required to spend" about $370 to purchase a
satellite receiver and set-top box that could receive only
TRN (DAILY RACING FORM, 10/3).
