- The New York Racing Association (NYRA) has removed live horse racing content from the Twin Spires ADW platform.
- Twin Spires is owned by Churchill Downs, Incorporated.
- NYRA now wants a share of Twin Spires bets placed by New York residents.
The New York Racing Association (NYRA) has removed its horse racing content from Churchill Downs Incorporated’s (CDI) TwinSpires advance deposit wagering (ADW) platform following a contractual impasse. This development affects pari-mutuel wagering, live video, and race replays from the summer meet at Saratoga Race Course, which have been unavailable to TwinSpires customers since July 31.
NYRA is seeking financial terms from TwinSpires that are consistent with those currently in place with other national ADW platforms that source NYRA content. Previously, ADW operators in New York paid NYRA a host-fee for content. However, this year, NYRA is also seeking a share of bets placed by New Yorkers.
“Following NYRA’s disturbing recent pattern of demanding significant new economics from ADWs for no additional value in return, NYRA has elected to terminate TwinSpires’ access to its Saratoga signal today,” said Bill Carstanjen, CEO of Churchill Downs Inc. “While we hope to resolve this dispute quickly and amicably, make no mistake that we will continue to advocate for and invest in our customers and this industry.”
“NYRA’s reckless pattern reflects an increasingly misguided understanding of how to best serve the racing industry in New York. Their actions are bad for horse racing and negatively impact our fans,” Carstanjen added.
A similar situation occurred last month with Flutter Entertainment’s FanDuel/TVG platform. That dispute was eventually resolved, allowing the continuation of NYRA content on the FanDuel/TVG platform. NYRA hopes to achieve a similar resolution with TwinSpires to ensure continued funding for the sport and its stakeholders in New York.
Despite the current standoff, NYRA has indicated a willingness to continue negotiations with TwinSpires. “We are committed to increasing the funds flowing to the sport and its stakeholders in New York,” a NYRA spokesperson stated.
The 2024 summer meet at Saratoga Race Course began in July and will run until September 2. The resolution of this dispute will be critical for the continuation of content availability for horse racing fans.
The announcement of the content removal impacted CDI’s stock. Shares in Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ: CHDN) closed 2.51% lower at $139.96 per share in New York on Thursday.
The resolution of this contractual dispute will be essential for the continued growth and support of horse racing in New York. Both NYRA and CDI remain hopeful for a quick and amicable resolution that benefits all parties involved, including the fans and stakeholders of the racing industry.
