In what president and CEO Mark Wilson calls "a defining moment in the evolution of racing as mainstream entertainment," Television Games Network today announced completion of a long-term affiliation agreement with Satellite Services, the programming subsidiary of AT&T Broadband & Internet
Services.
Wilson says AT&T, "as one of the leading distributors of cable television and broadband, has the ability to offer our sport to millions of television viewers, facilitating new ways for fans to participate in the
sport and opening it to higher levels of popularity as horse racing fans across the country follow their favorites from home."
"We are pleased that we have completed this long-term affiliation agreement with a world-class company like AT&T BIS," said Peter C. Boylan III, president of TV Guide, parent to TVG. "TV Guide has committed substantial resources to build and launch TVG over the past year and believes it has the potential to become a valuable and very important network for cable and satellite operators."
An official marketing partner of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), TVG features live, hosted Thoroughbred, harness and quarter horse racing from America's premier racetracks. The company has exclusive long-term agreements with the Aqueduct Race Track, Arlington International, Bay Meadows, Belmont Park, Calder Race Course, Churchill Downs, Del Mar, Ellis Park, Emerald Downs, Fairplex Park, Gulfstream Park, Hollywood Park, Hoosier Park, Keeneland Race Course, Laurel Park, Lone Star Park, Los Alamitos, Oak Tree at Santa Anita, Pimlico, Portland Meadows, Ruidoso Downs, Saratoga Raceway, Saratoga Race Course, Suffolk Downs, Turf Paradise and Turfway Park.
Non-exclusive racetrack partners include Fair Grounds, Great Lakes Downs and Northfield Park. Co-produced with FOX productions, TVG's programming also includes expert commentary, tutorials and behind-the-scenes features on the horses and celebrities of racing. The company's interactive wagering interface supports pari-mutuel wagering and provides handicapping data, real-time track odds, weather conditions, equipment/jockey changes and more through television, telephone and PC platforms.