Taking over from Channel 4 racing at the beginning of 2017, the terrestrial television coverage of horse racing has been taken over by ITV. There is a mix of horse racing tips, discussion and features which strike a fair balance between those who have been watching racing for a long time and those who are new to the ‘Sport of Kings.’ Fronted by former Sky Sports football presenter Ed Chamberlain, his experience in the way that sport is presented on television has been a hugely important factor in the gravitas of the show. Both Francesca Cumani and Sally Ann Grassick come from famous racing families, growing up around horse racing, they are a huge asset to the coverage. ATR fans will know both Luke Harvey and Jason Weaver as well as the greatest jump jockey of all time, Tony McCoy.
The importance of social media to horse racing goes beyond just the business of betting. While horse racing tips are always going to be a huge draw on both Twitter and Facebook, as we can fully testify with more than a quarter of a million followers who you can join @myracingtips. ITV Racing have brought in the social stable, drawing on the popularity of Emmet Kennedy and Kevin Blake from ATR as well as using Oli Bell’s ideas on how to bring a new audience into horse racing. We will have ITV racing tips for every race shown live in the coverage throughout the year.