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ITV win horse racing rights from 2017

Ed Chamberlin confirmed as host (January 2016)

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LL
London Lite Founding member
Watching on Zattoo Switzerland recall. Was impressed with the opening titles and the homage to the old ITV coverage.

They have a decent team of credible experts, although is Victoria Pendleton is a permanent member? ITV showed footage of her riding at Cheltenham last year to show her racing credentials.
SW
Steve Williams
Brekkie posted:
He will surely be ITV's lead football presenter by the World Cup.


Not very likely, I'd have thought, given that would mean him missing the Derby and Royal Ascot for a start.
HC
Hatton Cross
Give them 8/10.
At least after 4 years of Nick Luck, at least we now have a host who is quick witted, and not afraid to laugh.
At times between races it was as fast paced as the races.

Matt Chapman immediatly installed as 'John McCririck for the Facebook generation' , is an inspired choice as betting ring presenter - although we saw a minor outbreak of it yesterday - suspect during the warm summer flat season, with couple of drinks inside, the more 'vocal and relaxed' punters may start 'standing behind Chapman and see how loud we can swear' competitions - so his contributions may have to be done in a slight delay to get 'finger on beep machine' ready.

Like the clever opening titles - although we have the old posters theme, last used in the Euro 2016, so guessing the same graphic designer did both.

Hate the graphics though. Apart from the 'fingerpost' graphic used as the horses are lining up to start the race, they are generally too boxy, and too much a slave to the 4:3 format.

The only 'eh - was that all?' moment was the lovely Lucy and her meterological contribution.
So, weather is the most important aspect to Horse Racing - but to send her around the country and seemingly do one 90 sec piece to camera/ad hoc interview near the winning post before the first televised race - does seem a bit of a waste.
Wonder if she'll have slightly more to do, on the ITV4 'Morning Line' show, and then pre-record her bit for playout later in the main races show.

And that's it now for racing on ITV (main) until the middle of March. When you have all sorts of decent Cheltenham Festival trial races on Saturday afternoons around the courses of the country between now and the start of March - it does seem a bit of a waste of the rights, in not providing at least one 'mid-point' Saturday fixture on the main channel between now and then.
Last edited by Hatton Cross on 2 January 2017 3:37pm
:-(
A former member
Into day racing post it was made clear it was more lighter than ch4:



ITV Racing attracts audience of 676,000
Quote:
 By Keith Melrose 12:45pM 2 JAN 2017 
THE much-anticipated debut of ITV's new live racing show on New Year's Day attracted an average audience of 676,000 viewers, an increase on Channel 4's audience for the same fixture in recent years.
Figures obtained from ITV show viewing figures peaked at 831,000 as racing returned to Britain's leading commercial channel on Sunday following a 32-year absence.
The viewing figures compare favourably with the final two years of Channel 4's New Year's Day coverage, when an average audience of 558,000 tuned in 12 months ago and 601,000 in 2015.
ITV's first broadcast, which introduced members of a new team that on day one included new front man Ed Chamberlin, Sir Anthony McCoy and Luke Harvey, along with betting ring reporter Matt Chapman, was met with mixed reaction from the public.
Chapman, whose forays into the betting ring proved particularly divisive, said: "This won't be everyone's cup of tea but it's a brilliant sport and we'll do our best to show that."
From now until the Cheltenham Festival the channel's coverage will be shown on ITV4, starting from Saturday, when the new morning programme will launch at 10am


Opinions will be divided on coverage - ITV team
Quote:
 By Lee Mottershead 8:00PM 1 JAN 2017 

ED CHAMBERLIN and Matt Chapman ended ITV Racing's first programme with an acknowledgement viewers will have been divided over the style of coverage delivered by the sport's new mainstream partner, which launched at Cheltenham on a cold and wet afternoon that left the lead presenter with frozen feet.

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Cheltenham results 
And to back up their feelings, a poll run on Twitter by the Racing Post after the racing on Sunday showed 55 per cent of the 2,200 voters by 8pm preferred the coverage provided by Channel 4, which had broadcast racing until the end of last year.
After a 32-year absence, ITV, Britain's leading commercial channel, returned to being a racing broadcaster at 1pm with an opening montage that featured clips of the network's former output before Chamberlin - who previously hosted football for Sky - introduced members of a new team that on day one included Sir Anthony McCoy, Luke Harvey and betting ring reporter Chapman.
From the opening titles, which starred War Horse puppet Joey, to the use of two drones and an aerial paddock camera, it was clear production values were high.
However, the tone also appeared to be lighter than recent Channel 4 Racing viewers will have been used to, not least due to the contributions of popular At The Races front man Chapman, who encouraged those watching to guess if a hat-wearing bookmaker had hair. Different "It felt different to being in a nice, warm cosy studio at a football ground," said Chamberlin.
"That's proper National Hunt weather. It's cold, wet and miserable. I've lost my feet completely but I absolutely loved it. We promised to bring people to the heart of the action and I think we did that." 
Chapman, who on occasions had to handle a little public interference, evoking memories of a certain predecessor John McCririck, said: "I absolutely appreciate that with me some people will like it and other people will loathe it. Hopefully those who loathe it will, in time, begin to like it. "This won't be everyone's cup of tea but it's a brilliant sport and we'll do our best to show that." Trending ITV Racing trended on social media for much of Sunday afternoon pointing to the amount the programme was being discussed. Trainer Eve Johnson Houghton wrote on Twitter: "Enjoying ITV racing especially feature on Jonjo [O'Neill], but please sort out the graphics. Very hard to read! Horses names okay, rest too small."
SW
Steve Williams
Hatton Cross posted:
And that's it now for racing on ITV (main) until the middle of March. When you have all sorts of decent Cheltenham Festival trial races on Saturday afternoons around the courses of the country between now and the start of March - it does seem a bit of a waste of the rights, in not providing at least one 'mid-point' Saturday fixture on the main channel between now and then.


Maybe, but the vast majority of the coverage will be on ITV4, so it's surely more important to get viewers into the habit of watching it on there. They'll probably regularly watch ITV for other things, maybe not ITV4. Indeed I wonder if they didn't mention ITV4 enough yesterday and some of the audience might think it'll all be on ITV?
BR
Brekkie
I do think though they need to establish ITV Racing a bit more before relying on ITV4 week in week out. Just 2 or 3 more meetings on ITV before Cheltenham would have made sense this year at least - maybe one later in January then another in one of the breaks between the Six Nations.
:-(
A former member
I agree, this Saturday would have been good time to have another race and kept on highlight ITV4 and its NEW morning show which starts at 10am. unless there think those horse idents will make people think oh horse racing on the ITV.
:-(
A former member
In todays racing post. Viewing firgues surpuss ch4, so for all the big event thats a good sign but will itv4 match ch4? There need to get alot of promos out.
Last edited by A former member on 3 January 2017 10:42am
GE
George12345
623058 posted:
In todays racing post. Viewing firgues surpuss ch4, so for all the big event thats a good sign but will itv4 match ch4? There need to get alot of promos out.


Think we can rule out the first live action people obviously curious about the transition from Channel 4. Overall I reckon it is quite poor. Hoping for a big improvement
HC
Hatton Cross
Citation needed...
:-(
A former member
Hatton Cross posted:
Citation needed...

for what?
HC
Hatton Cross
The outstandingly vauge line 'overall I reckon it is quite poor'.

Why? Which aspect of the coverage is 'quite poor', give us clear reasons and show your working out in the margins.

Maybe he was disappointed that the coverage was being presented by Ed Chamberlain, rather than John Oaksey or Brough Scott.

Compared to the dark, bleak humor and personality vacum years of IMG, the first day of ITV Racing, was lively, informative and fast paced (apart from the caption graphic design).

It was anything but 'quite poor'.

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