Kordia teams up with Entain for free-to-air horse racing in New Zealand

Kordia has announced its partnership with Entain, operator of Trackside, to broadcast two channels over Kordia’s Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) free-to-air network in New Zealand.

Thanks to this development, New Zealanders can relish the return of live horse racing, betting, odds information, and favourite shows such as The Box Seat and Weigh In to free-to-air TV. These programmes are now accessible via UHF TV, as Trackside 1 and Trackside 2 are set to broadcast in High Definition on Freeview channels 23 and 24, respectively.

Christopher Haigh, Chief Media Officer at Entain, highlighted Trackside's longstanding presence in New Zealand's broadcasting landscape since 1992. He stated, "Alongside a refresh of the channels that Kiwi racing fans love and know, we’re making Trackside 1 and Trackside 2 more accessible via free to air broadcasting."

Kordia's Head of Media, Dean Brain, also expressed his excitement over the venture, stating, "We’re looking forward to supporting Trackside with the expansion of their channels to a wider audience, by taking care of their DTT broadcasting needs."

Brain acknowledged that DTT remains a popular method for New Zealanders to access free television and noted that Kordia's network is designed to ensure that "high quality content is delivered reliably across the country, particularly for rural audiences." Currently, it is estimated that 1.9 million viewers rely on DTT for their television access.

This measure aligns with a broader revamp of the Trackside channels, aiming to offer racing fans an entirely fresh viewing experience and enhanced coverage of all three racing codes.

Expressing his anticipation for these changes, Haigh stated, "These are the first major changes to Trackside’s look and feel since 2014, and we’re putting the racing animal at the front and centre of these changes. Our new look has more space for live racing vision to be displayed, while still providing viewers with the key betting information they need."

In addition to delivering to a wider audience, the agreement will let more New Zealanders tune into digital-quality, free-to-air TV racing, without the necessity for a broadband connection. It's a considerable boon considering that Kordia currently provides a range of broadcasting services to media companies via its DTT network and infrastructure across the country.