1/ST CONTENT – the pre-eminent provider of premium content for North American horse racing and a key division of 1/ST RACING, the biggest racing company in the Americas – has broadened its growing international footprint with the announcement of a progressive partnership with American Racing Channel, a leading LatAm distributor which holds the rights to the two foremost racetracks in Uruguay at Hipódromo Nacional de Maroñas and the Las Piedras Racetrack.

Grupo Codere, the powerhouse international operator for Hispanic markets, has already agreed to integrate exclusive fixed-odds content, data and signals (broadcast and video streaming) from both Las Piedras and Maroñas. The latter track’s national flagship, the Group 1 Gran Premio José Pedro Ramírez, takes place on 6 January 2025, and also boasts a stellar racecard which features a host of other top-class action, like the Group 1 Ciudad de Montevideo, the Maroñas and the Piñeyrua (both Group 3s).

By leveraging 1/ST CONTENT’s unparalleled expertise in capturing and broadcasting live racing events, coupled to a truly international distribution network and worldwide reach, global fans can now enjoy a best-in-breed racing experience from the comfort of their homes, or on the move.

Simon Fraser, Senior Vice President of International at 1/ST CONTENT, said: “1/ST CONTENT is delighted to establish this partnership with American Racing Channel to broaden the international appeal of Uruguayan horse racing from these two elite racecourses, especially as the famous Ramírez festival hoves into view in early January in the capital of Montevideo.

“Horse racing already benefits from a strong history and robust following across Uruguay and proximate countries like Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Peru, which have produced some high-quality thoroughbreds, trainers and, above all, jockeys who have regularly showcased their skills in the States as well.

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“Thanks to this breakout relationship with our friends at American Racing Channel and Codere, we can also provide a more educational service and supporting marketing structure around this content in order to make it easily intelligible to both seasoned fans and unfamiliar audiences.

“Furthermore, working with our alliance partners at Racing1 – the newly founded complete service hub for international racing – we are now able to distribute this content more broadly than ever before. Indeed, racing from the Americas is a great way to help global operators engage new and underserved audiences by delivering 24/7 horse racing, allowing us to return the value to two more stunning racetracks and their hard-working stakeholders.”

Horacio Esposito, Vice President of American Racing Channel (ARC), said: “We are very happy and excited to widen our services for Maroñas and Las Piedras racecourses, now including fixed-odds distribution, thanks to this partnership with our friends at 1/ST CONTENT. Our long-term relationship with the Uruguayan racing industry is a true commitment to collaborate in the growing of the business, and this latest deal demonstrates that progressive intent.”

1/ST CONTENT’s daily timetable of engaging action, whose chronology naturally complements international racing coverage across varied time-zones, provides 1/ST CONTENT’s global partners with a reliable source of fast-settling betting content at peak leisure-time viewing slots throughout diverse territories.

1/ST CONTENT, the leading provider of premium content for North American horse racing, has bolstered its international portfolio with the timely addition of Assiniboia Downs (ASD), the popular Canadian racetrack located in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

ASD’s season commences today (20 May), with live racing typically staged every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 7:30pm local time as part of a competitive 50-fixture schedule that stretches from May to mid-September each year.

Forthcoming highlights include the prestigious Manitoba Derby, the opening leg of the Western Canadian Derby Series, alongside other Listed stakes action. Other classic championship races comprise the Gold Cup, the Manitoba Matron and the Winnipeg Futurity, while there will also be multiple stakes contests for rising-star juveniles, beginning with the Debutante in July.

Accordingly, ASD now sits alongside other Canadian racetracks – such as Woodbine, Fort Erie and Hastings – on 1/ST CONTENT’s flexible program of top-quality action. This weekly timetable of engaging content, whose chronology naturally complements international racing coverage across varied time-zones from Europe to South Africa and Australia, provides 1/ST CONTENT’s global partners with a reliable source of fast-settling betting content at both primetime and off-peak viewing slots.

This progressive deal is emblematic of 1/ST CONTENT’s broader commitment to ensuring that North American racing’s stakeholders, whether they hail from the biggest tracks or overlooked regional diamonds, become the primary beneficiaries of revenues generated through international wagering.

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As a result, 1/ST CONTENT stands alone as the proven pacesetter for live horse racing content, mapping approximately 80% of all North American racing, and providing rights, betting data, live broadcast and video streaming on behalf of its growing global portfolio of partners. Corralling low-latency feeds from thousands of annual meetings (and showcasing tens of thousands of races each year) North American racing is helping worldwide operators to engage untapped audiences by delivering 24/7 horse racing.

Darren Dunn, CEO of Assiniboia Downs, said: “The sheer distributional scope of 1/ST CONTENT’s international operator network is second to none. Therefore, it was a logical step for ASD to partner with them to distribute our upcoming calendar to a new legion of bettors outside Canada, thereby increasing returns to the core stakeholders of our domestic scene here in Winnipeg.”

Simon Fraser, Senior Vice President International at 1/ST CONTENT, added: “1/ST CONTENT is delighted to have added Assiniboia Downs to our all-encompassing North American roster, optimizing our wider Canadian content and introducing a fresh cohort of global racing fans to one of the true hidden gems in North America. ASD’s reliable off times and inimitable content, which sometimes shows events such as team-based bareback Indian Horse Relay racing, offers something different in an often homogenized marketplace.

“Observing other unsupportive models, we are more dedicated than ever to returning the value to racing’s stakeholders, who have historically missed out with grasping suppliers that return funds to non-racing organizations and simply aren’t committed to the sustainability and welfare of the sport.

“We look forward to delivering more coverage of high-class Canadian racing than ever before to fans and bettors around the world.”

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