No Arena Racing Company (ARC) Broadcasts on Betfred since New Year’s Eve

Since New Year’s Eve, no Arena Racing Company (ARC) races have been broadcast in Betfred shops, after the media rights deal between the two parties came to an end.

Media Rights Become Too Costly

The reason for the blackout is that the agreement between Betfred and the UK’s largest racetrack operator expired at the beginning of the year. Following a significant increase in operating costs, Betfred refused to accept a 30% rise in media rights payments.

As things stand, profiting from horse racing betting has become increasingly difficult, as higher gaming duties and the horse racing betting levy continue to put pressure on operators.

ARC owns 16 racetracks across the UK, and relations between the company and several bookmakers have recently deteriorated, possibly over worsening prices. Industry insiders have suggested that, ahead of the Autumn Budget, ARC CEO Martin Cruddace became increasingly aligned with gambling-harm campaigners.

A Significant Increase in Duties

Bookmakers are set to face an increase in General Betting Duty to 25% from April 2027. In addition, Remote Gaming Duty will rise by 40% from April 2026. Both measures were announced in November by Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and are expected to have a substantial impact on operator profitability. Many are opting for various cost-reduction measures already.

Talks Are Still Ongoing

An ARC spokesperson told the Racing Post earlier this week that discussions regarding the renewal of the media and data rights agreement remain ongoing. The spokesperson also noted that the relationship between ARC and Betfred has been long-standing and positive.

Stagnant Revenues amid Plans to Revive Growth

ARC is the majority owner of The Racing Partnership Limited (TRP), and its accounts show that media rights revenues have remained largely stagnant in recent years. In 2023 and 2024, operators paid similar amounts, reflecting limited growth in the sector.

In 2024, a large proportion of these payments filtered back to the racetracks themselves. Several recent developments have impacted ARC’s business and contributed to its decision to increase media rights prices.

Speaking on Channel 4 Racing, Cruddace said that towards the end of last year, the company had been exploring additional revenue streams. These include receiving a gaming vendor licence in the UAE and making use of its partnership with Britbet to take over Tote booths at its racetracks.