Go Racing rebrands as attheraces

Go Racing, the horseracing media consortium, is rebranding itself as attheraces, ahead of its launch later this year.

The consortium, comprising BSkyB, Arena Leisure and Channel 4, is launching a digital television channel, website, interactive TV (iTV) site, and a WAP service to allow racing fans to watch and place bets. The company is also being renamed attheraces plc.

The rebranding took place because Goracing.com is used by US horse racing company NASCAR and Goracing.co.UK is used by a consortium of Yorkshire racecourses.

The move follows the appointment of Blue Square’s head of marketing Gavin Bisdee as its marketing director. Bisdee is also looking for a direct marketing agency to promote the service

Attheraces.co.UK is to launch in September backed by &£3m, while the TV channel, attheraces, will be launched on Sky next spring with a &£5m advertising budget. Creative will be handled by 4creative, with media buying from OMD UK.

The iTV service should be operating at the end of the year via Channel 4 on Sky. The betting service will be offered by Surrey Sports, BSkyB’s subsidiary, and the Tote. No date has been set for the WAP launch.

Go Racing negotiated a &£387m ten-year media rights deal with the British Horseracing Board and the Racecourse Association in June following dramatic negotiations. It has an &£80m marketing budget for the next ten years.

The rebranding, which took four months, was created by Tornado Productions.