The UK High Court clears joint and exclusive selling of racecourse TV rights (Bookmakers Afternoon Greyhound Services / Amalgamated Racing)

In one of the most significant private action cases dealt with in a UK civil court in the past few years, the High Court has handed down its judgment in a dispute opposing half of UK racecourses and the main bookmakers. Justice Morgan dismissed betting shops' claim, finding that the collective selling of TV rights by UK racecourses on an exclusive basis did not infringe Article 81.1 EC. The financial stake is paramount with horseracing contributing approx £3 billion in the UK economy making it in the top 10 largest industry in the UK. Facts in a nutshell The dispute arose out of the setting up of Amrac, a joint venture between the software company Alphameric and 31 racecourse operators, and its new racing channel Turf TV. Turf TV/Amrac was set up in 2007 with a mandate to distribute TV