The opening round of the Future Champions Unraced Stake gets underway on Monday night in Enniscorthy Greyhound Track.

Unfortunately since last year, due to Covid restrictions, Enniscorthy Greyhound Track was forced to race behind closed doors.

It is understood that the Government’s ‘behind closed doors’ policy has had a major impact on the track’s finances as gate receipts make up the bulk of its income.

Despite the loss of revenue, Enniscorthy track continues to operate, providing a service to greyhound owners in the South East.

In recent times, ‘Pay Per View’, better known as PPV, has become common place, last Summer’s Wexford GAA Club Championship generated a six figure sum.

Almost two months ago plans were put in place to ‘live stream’ racing from Enniscorthy track on a pay to view basis.

Plans to ‘Live Stream’ this year’s running of the Future Champions Unraced Stake were at a advanced stage when approval was sought from Greyhound Racing Ireland (formerly IGB).

Way back, on the 15^th of September 2011 the first-round heats of The Future Champions Unraced Stake were live-streamed from Enniscorthy Greyhound Track. At that time, the free broadcast, live-streamed races, trackside interviews with punters, owners, trainers, and track staff and proved to be a great success. In fact Richard Pugh, now RTE’s resident horse racing commentator, called home the winners on final night.

Apart from the live racing, replays, pre-race and post-race interviews, video features on several local retired dogs, kennel visits, were all to be included in this year’s live stream. It was also expected that a number of tourism videos promoting Wexford as a holiday destination were also to be included.

The whole package, cameramen, editing, commentators, and presenters, had all agreed to provide their services free of charge to the track, which meant that the track would have made a 90% profit on the money generated from the stream.

Unfortunately as a result of consultations with the GRI, Enniscorthy Greyhound Track’s plan to stream this year’s event had to be shelved.

Enniscorthy is one of the few remaining “Private Tracks” and as a result they own their own media rights.

Remarkably, two weeks after Enniscorthy’s plans were halted, Greyhound Racing Ireland unveiled plans to broadcast live Greyhound racing, on a pay to view platform, from Shelbourne Park.

Mr. Frank Nyhan, Chairman, of Greyhound Racing Ireland said, 

“We are delighted to announce details for Talking Dogs TV and we look forward to its roll out in the weeks ahead.  For the first time our racing will be available to followers around the globe through the same service and we are enthused at the prospect of making it easier for people to make a connection with top level greyhound racing regardless of where they might be located.” 

This announcement has left Greyhound supporters in the South East confused and frustrated.

Why would the GRI scupper Enniscorthy’s plans to generate revenue from streaming while at the same time finalise plans to do the same at Shelbourne Park?

Live streaming had the potential to generate an estimated €20,000 for the track at a time when every business is struggling.

How can GRI, the semi-state body charged with regulating and promoting Greyhound racing in Ireland, hinder such innovation?

We contacted GRI’s CEO, Gerard Dollard, to try to get the answers.

Talking Dogs TV will broadcast live racing from two tracks on Saturday nights, on a PPV platform. It will begin on March 27^th on a 3-month trial.

According to the CEO, he does not expect the service to show a profit over that time.

Here are the questions we put to Mr Dollard re GRI’s decision not to agree to the Enniscorthy stream.

Enniscorthy track was at an advanced stage to live stream their meetings on a PPV system, but GRI was opposed to the track going down this route, can you tell me why?

 As we all know the track is under financial pressure, and it would have proved a significant money-spinner in these difficult times.

Mr Dollard’s response to our questions re Enniscorthy:

“In relation to Enniscorthy greyhound track, Greyhound Racing Ireland has had extensive engagement with representatives of Enniscorthy track on many issues which engagement has been undertaken in a very positive manner.  I think discussions on a wide variety of matters has been to the benefit of Enniscorthy and greyhound racing generally.  It is Greyhound Racing Ireland’s intention to continue the positive engagement with Enniscorthy track similar to any other greyhound track so that we can, within all the financial parameters applying, support the industry to the maximum possible extent.“

So, in summary, GRI has given the go-ahead to its own streaming service, “Talking Dogs TV”, which it expects to lose money, but has stopped Enniscorthy’s streaming service, which was guaranteed to make a profit for a track under financial pressure.