rt1.tv appointed technical production partner of German Tote

Copyright: Marc Ruehl

The first gallop race of the new year took place earlier this month (7 January) at Dortmund Racecourse, marking the start of a partnership between German Tote and rt1.tv mobile.production.

German Tote holds the image rights from the German horse racing clubs and has awarded the technical broadcasting services deal for the transmission of German horse races 2024 to 2026 to rt1.tv mobile.production, a subsidiary of rt1.tv production.

rt1.tv will produce all of Germany’s approximately 100 most significant annual horse racing events for the next three years. rt1.tv was already the production service provider for the German horse races from 2017 to 2019 and has continued to be involved in the production services for the races since then.

rt1.tv mobile.production fleet

At the heart of the production contract is a dedicated TV programme with editorial content for various German Tote media partners.

In addition, all social media channels of the German Tote subsidiary Wettstar and the German Gallop Association will be provided with content.

To support this, rt1.tv will manage live streaming from its central master control room in Augsburg where various signals will be received, processed and recorded.

In addition, an international clean broadcast signal is produced for each race and marketed worldwide. More than 20 nations worldwide currently follow the German gallop races. On selected dates, rt1.tv will produce an English-language programme for the world pool. This programme will be broadcast all over the world under the patronage of the Hong Kong Jockey Club.

A signal for the local racetrack image carrier systems and a quadsplit of four defined cameras for the racetrack line will also be provided on site.

For the races, rt1.tv will be on site with up to six cameras. It will provide the signals in HD-MPEG-4 format (1080i including four audio tracks) via satellite uplink.

Holger Haas, managing director of rt1.tv said: “We are pleased to have won our second multi-year major contract for rt1.tv mobile.production shortly after producing the 3rd league (Germany’s third tier football league).

“This strengthens the performance and competitiveness of our company, creating a solid foundation for us to grow organically. We thank German Tote for the trust they have bestowed upon us.”

Sebastian Wutschik, managing director of rt1.tv mobile.production, added: “Our operational preparations for the remaining races of the year are in full swing. With our modern and extensive SNG fleet and our network of partners, we are well positioned to capture the fascination and excitement of horse racing with compelling visuals.”

Riko Luiking, managing director of German Tote said:: “We are delighted about the renewed partnership with rt1.tv and the professional execution of our major events. The national and international demands for the transmission of German thoroughbred horse racing have significantly increased in recent years, and we are confident that rt1.tv mobile.production can meet these requirements.”

Thorsten Castle, head of Wettstar TV, added: “We are experiencing a growing demand from our media partners, who have been enjoying double-digit increases in viewership and engagement for years.

“For this reason, we are continuously working on developing our TV format to present this fascinating sport in a modern, entertaining, and informative manner. Therefore, our new partner inevitably plays a key role in innovation and creativity.”

rt1.tv spun off rt1.tv mobile.production in the summer of 2023 and transferred its mobile production activities to the company.