Insight Communications to Include HRTV

HorseRacing, a subsidiary of Magna Entertainment Corp. announced Tuesday, Oct. 31, that it has entered into an agreement with Insight Communications for carriage of HRTV on Insight systems beginning in time for the Breeders' Cup World Championships this Saturday.

Under the agreement, HRTV will launch November 1 on the InsightDigital 2.0 package throughout Insight's 1.3 million subscriber footprint in Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio, which includes the Kentucky cities of Louisville, Lexington, Bowling Green, and Covington.

"We know that many of our customers are avid horse racing fans, and the addition of HorseRacing TV to our InsightDigital 2.0 lineup will give them access to the biggest events, venues and names in the sport," said Melani Griffith, vice president of programming for Insight Communications. "HRTV fits right into our sports-themed lineup category."

"The Breeders Cup Championships that will take place this coming weekend annually generate tremendous enthusiasm for horse racing," said Jim Bates, executive vice president and general manager of HorseRacing TV. "We're pleased to have reached this agreement with Insight, and look forward to rolling out our coverage of Santa Anita Park, Gulfstream Park, and other major racetracks to their subscribers in the months ahead."

HRTV features television coverage of 11 racetracks owned, operated, or managed by MEC. The network also telecasts live coverage from more than 60 other racetracks in North America. Wagering, where not expressly prohibited by law, may be conducted via the phone or Internet through XpressBet, MEC's national account wagering system.
MEC's racetracks include Santa Anita Park and Golden Gate Fields in California, Gulfstream Park in Florida, Lone Star Park at Grand Prairie in Texas, Pimlico Race Course (home of The Preakness®) and Laurel Park in Maryland, The Meadows in Pennsylvania, Remington Park in Oklahoma, Thistledown in Ohio, Great Lakes Downs in Michigan, and Portland Meadows in Oregon.

Insight Communications is the ninth-largest cable operator in the United States, serving approximately 1.3 million customers in the four contiguous states of Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky. Insight offers bundled, state-of-the-art services in mid-sized communities, delivering analog and digital video, high-speed Internet and, in selected markets, voice telephony to its customers.