Flutter Partners with ITV for Six-Part Sports Betting Series on British Horseracing in 2024

Flutter UKI is set to collaborate with ITV, alongside other industry participants, for a six-part docuseries on British horseracing, scheduled for prime-time evening broadcasts on ITV1 and ITVX in 2024.

This docuseries will concentrate on the 2023-24 Jumps season, commencing production this December. It aims to provide insights into the intricacies of horseracing by narrating the experiences and paths of both human and equine participants. Additionally, it will highlight the stringent welfare measures in place for racehorses and jockeys, offering viewers a comprehensive look at the sports betting industry surrounding horseracing. The intent is to present horseracing’s best aspects to a broader audience, granting unparalleled behind-the-scenes access.

The production task has been entrusted to South Shore, an ITV-affiliated independent production company. Both Flutter and the Racecourse Media Group (RMG) have extended their support to the project. Furthermore, this venture is conceived as an extensive racing collaboration, gaining support from numerous stakeholders, notably the Professional Jockeys’ Association and the British Horseracing Authority (BHA).

This partnership aligns with Flutter’s “Do More” objective, a segment of its global Positive Impact Plan. The “Do More” initiative underscores Flutter’s pledge to benefit the communities they operate within, targeting the enhancement of 10 million lives by 2030, harnessing its vast resources and the collective enthusiasm of its team.

South Shore, the chosen production company, boasts a commendable history in producing unscripted content, including sports-centric series like Freddie Flintoff’s Field of Dreams (BBC1), The Man Who Bought Cricket (Sky Docs), and Football Dreams: The Academy (C4). The docuseries’ filming is slated to initiate this December, aiming for a release in the latter half of 2024.

Ian Brown, CEO at Flutter UKI, said: “We are delighted to announce the forthcoming horse racing documentary series in conjunction with ITV and RMG. This is an idea we’ve promoted for some time and we are hugely excited to be bringing the inner story of horse racing, and all the wonderful people who support it to a new and broader audience through a prime time slot on ITV1.

“In line with a key pillar of our Positive Impact Plan, this is also another great example of Flutter supporting the communities we operate within to ‘Do More’. We have long supported the horse racing industry – investing over £140m into UK racing in 2022 alone – and are committed to working together with all racing stakeholders to support and modernise this unique and enthralling sport through initiatives like this brilliant new series.”

Julie Harrington, Chief Executive at BHA Chief Executive, said: “This is an extremely exciting development for the sport. The industry’s strategy is all about reaching new audiences and showing them the brilliance of our sport, while at the same time making racing more interesting and engaging for our current fans. There promises to be a little bit of something for everyone in this new programme. We’re proud of our sport and all it stands for, and anything that brings the passion and excitement of racing and the characters who work in it into people’s homes can only be a good thing.”

Simon Daglish, Deputy Managing Director, Commercial, at ITV said: “Racing drives an enormous amount of passion and excitement among ITV viewers as we know from our unrivalled coverage. This new series is a fantastic chance to build on that excitement and bring this adrenaline-filled sport to a new audience. We are delighted to be working with the racing community to showcase racing in a way that has never been seen before.”

Martin Stevenson, CEO at RMG, said: “We firmly believe that a docuseries like this on a major channel can significantly help grow participation in the sport. We are very grateful to Flutter for its invaluable support in making the series possible and ITV’s wholehearted support. ITV has been a fantastic partner for Racing and this docuseries is further evidence of its commitment to the sport.”

Melanie Leach, Joint CEO of South Shore, said: “The dedication, determination and bravery in British horse racing is the stuff of legend – reputations are won and lost in the blink of an eye. We couldn’t be more excited to tell the story of the fight between the heroes and heroines of this incredible sport as they race their way to the winning line.”

Paul Johnson, CEO at the National Trainers Federation, said: “This is a simply brilliant initiative for the sport and highlights how fortunate we are to work with such a supportive broadcaster in ITV. We have no doubt that getting to know some of Racing’s characters and their day-to-day stories will help showcase our sport in a way that we have not seen before.”