The Aintree Grand National, sponsored again this year by Northern Ireland based Randox Healthcare is all about winners and losers, jumpers and fallers.
This year’s race was won by the Irish sounding but Scottish trained One for Arthur but it was a fall in the viewing figures that will be concerning sports rights holders.
Dips in NFL in the US, in the Premier League in the UK and in the biggest TV sports events across the schedule have been causing a measure of concern within sport, potentially casting a shadow over the massive rights fees that have escalated consistently in recent years and over recent deals.
Saturday’s race had a peak audience of 8.2 million, down 18% on the figure from last year when the race was shown on the more niche, yet still terrestrial Channel 4.
ITV paid €30 million last year for the four year right to exclusive coverage of British racing. That had an impact in Ireland too with coverage switching from RTÉ to TV3 as a result.
The figures though may well have a root cause more in the good weather on Saturday than in declining interest.
The overall audience on Saturday was down by 27% and ITV’s audience share was actually the highest it has had since the Euro’s last year when they had exclusive coverage of England’s defeat to Iceland.
ITV’s viewing figures from Cheltenham last month had shown a significant rise and the reported €14 million paid by bookmakers William Hill to sponsor the station’s coverage will also mean that executives will not be losing sleep over the first big run of coverage under the new deal.
The next major TV test for racing in Ireland is Monday’s Boylesports Irish National. Billed consistently as the highest rating race on Irish television, Fairyhouse management and those mulling over the new Irish TV racing contract to be negotiated later this year will be among those watching the horses, and the numbers.
