After "significant peace" talks during Friday and Saturday, Hong Kong racing "will continue to be shown via the Racing.com platform in Australia until the end of the current season, but under unspecified revised terms," according to Alan Aitken of the SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST. Saturday's decision to continue the relationship was followed by a brief statement from Jockey Club Exec Dir of Marketing & Customer Management Richard Cheung Che-kit "containing no detail about what concessions may have been made on either side to constitute the revised terms of the agreement." The deal to show Hong Kong through the 24-hour digital joint venture between racing authorities in the Australian state of Victoria and major broadcaster, Seven West Media "was on the rocks after the first airing on Wednesday night saw extensive promotion of the channel's bookmaking partner, CrownBet." Like many other overseas bookmakers, CrownBet "offers fixed odds betting on Hong Kong racing" without the permission of the Jockey Club but Cheung said last week that the club had been promised a "clean feed" without promotion of fixed odds operators. Sky Channel "blocked Hong Kong from being shown on one Racing.com platform on Wednesday night and Hong Kong Jockey Club officials were upset at the heavy promotion of CrownBet's fixed odds on the remaining viewing platforms," at the expense of promoting commingling, saying that it was "a violation of our interests and a violation of the spirit of this agreement" (SCMP, 6/5). In Sydney, Patrick Bartley wrote there "will be pressure" on Racing.com GM Scott Perrin, whose contract is up for renewal in coming weeks, and pressure is already mounting on Racing.com Head of Content Shane Anderson "with some board members believing that he, too, will struggle to hold his position." Some leading members of the Hong Kong Jockey Club described Perrin and Anderson "as unprofessional" in their dealings over the blunder (SMH, 6/3).
