Racing officials "are becoming deeply concerned at the now floundering negotiations between the Victorian principal clubs and Tabcorp over media rights in the state," according to Patrick Bartley of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. It appears that "both parties continue to struggle to secure a deal that would see vision rights return to Sky Channel." There has been a significant "anti" Tabcorp build-up amongst the principal clubs, "with negotiations struggling despite NSW brokering a deal in January this year." Racing Victoria has little say in these dealings "as the rights are held by the VRC, Melbourne Racing Club, Moonee Valley Racing Club and country racing." Industry sources described a report claiming that Tabcorp "was going to charge a huge penalty fee" if Channel Seven exceeded its number of racing meetings in this state as "nonsense and designed to push the parties further apart." The fee "is tens of millions of dollars less than was reported." Racing Victoria is "the only sporting outfit that has its sole vision rights held by individual race clubs." Racing NSW "struck a deal in late January with Sky Channel to broadcast races via its pay television channel for the next 10 years." NSW "has also kept the option to sell digital vision to corporate bookmakers, with further talks to take place in the coming weeks" (SMH, 4/13).
