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Telstra in talks with Tabcorp and TVN

Australian telecommunications company looks to gain access into online racing and gambling industry

Monday 6th September 2004



Australian telecommunications giant Telstra is in talks discussing gaining involvement into Australia’s racing industry. The phone line and internet company is negotiating with Australian gambling organisation Tabcorp and the racing industry’s own organisation ThoroughVision, to become involved in webcasting of horse racing events. The telecommunications company is looking to gain media rights which will cover internet and mobile phone footage of races.

It is believed that Telstra is also discussing becoming sponsors of thoroughbred racing events in order to secure the position of being supplier of the telecommunications networks required for the advancing racing industry.

TVN is an organisation formed earlier this year, and currently holds the broadcasting rights for Victorian racing clubs, the Australian Jockey Club and the Sydney Turf Club. There was a dispute between TVN and Sky over broadcasting rights, which was resolved when Tabcorp bought Sky’s owner- the NSW based TAB.

Should these current negotiations prove successful for Telstra, they would gain rights to broadcast racing events via internet based video streaming, to its current online customers and owners of 3G mobile phones. It is another step in the increasingly competitive Australian online gambling industry. While PBL negotiates with Betfair, a new alliance between Telstra, Tabcorp and TVN would provide even more formidable competition.




Source: OnlineCasinoNews