Early start on main channel 'a win' for Newcastle as ITV gears up for full month of maximum exposure

There may be a few raised eyebrows at coverage of Saturday's Northumberland Plate meeting at Newcastle and the Criterion Stakes card at Newmarket going on air just before midday. 

The change has been brought about by a combination of England playing their final domestic warm-up ahead of the Women's World Cup, and the opening stage of the Tour de France.

However, both racecourse chiefs and the broadcaster feel the early start is a net win for racing, with the Newcastle-Newmarket double-header the first of five consecutive Saturdays on the main ITV channel stretching through July. 

At 2.05pm the Jenningsbet-sponsored Plate will be the last of four live races from Newcastle, and general manager Paul Elliott says the early start on what is traditionally a huge day for racing in the north-east has not blunted enthusiasm for advanced sales.

"We haven't seen a noticeable effect [on ticket sales] since we announced the changes so we see being on the main ITV channel as a positive," said Elliott. "We're looking forward to a good day. We're hoping to be on a par with last year, or marginally behind, which I think, given everything, is reasonable."

ITV Racing's executive producer Richard Willoughby said: "Sometimes the Plate is the last week of June, but it tends to clash regardless with the Tour de France, which has to be on ITV4. Back in the day we asked the main channel if they would take it and so historically the meeting has always been there.

The Lionesses face Portugal in their final World Cup warm-up matchCredit: Getty Images

"The Women’s World Cup is one of the biggest sporting events of the year for ITV and the Lionesses against Portugal is their final game on home soil before they jet off."

Willougby pointed out the Plate meeting had started early in 2018 to remain on the main channel while accommodating another part of the broadcaster's sports portfolio, adding: "We have precedent for this because when the men’s World Cup was in Russia in 2018, because of the times of the games there, there was a clash with racing.

"We asked Newcastle if they would go early to protect their main channel status and they said yes, while I think Sandown did it as well.

"This year the options open to Newcastle and Newmarket – given the Tour de France is on ITV4 – were for them to go on ITV3 if they wanted to remain in the usual slot starting at 1.30pm, or to see if they could make it work by going earlier. And both courses said they could make it work.

"We were waiting on the FA for a while to confirm the Lionesses' game but we’ve been having discussions with the tracks for a while, and you can understand why they want to stay on the main channel."

In past years, certain key stages of the Tour de France have appeared on the main channel, but the network's preference to give cycling's biggest prize a permanent home on ITV4 now works to racing's advantage, as does the World Cup being played in Australia and New Zealand and thus not encroaching on afternoons. 

The Tour de France will take up residence on ITV4 for three weeksCredit: Tim de Waele

Willoughby said: "There’s another aspect with the Tour de France. When we began [covering racing] in 2017, the first two days of the July meeting were on ITV3, as was Super Sprint day at Newbury. Things have progressed and they’re now all on the main channel. So even though the Tour de France moves racing about a bit, I think it’s to everyone’s benefit because we’ve gained more main channel days as a result."

He added: "The Eclipse has always been on the main channel, as has Super Saturday and the climax of the July meeting. Then we move on to Super Sprint day, which used to be on ITV3 but is now on the main channel, and the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

"When you factor in last week at Ascot, it’s been a great run of racing on ITV’s main channel and fair play to Newcastle and Newmarket, who have worked with us and with the BHA. It’s another example of everyone pulling in the right direction to make it work."

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