Premier Greyhound Racing announces inaugural fixture schedule

Premier Greyhound Racing (PGR), the media rights company set up to supply the very best of greyhound racing to the betting industry and sports fans, is today announcing its schedule of fixtures to be offered to all its digital, retail and international subscribers. The new schedule will see Premier Greyhound Racing stage 59 meetings per week across its portfolio of tracks, providing long-term confidence and security to owners, bookmakers, and racegoers more than six months ahead of the service go-live date of 1^st January 2024.

The Premier Greyhound Racing board is pleased to announce the 2024 schedule, which will deliver a market-leading product to fulfill the demands of all subscribers. It pledges to put fans of the dogs at the heart of the action, with races scheduled throughout the day and night across its portfolio of tracks. Fans at the track can also look forward to further Friday and Saturday evening fixtures across the PGR aligned stadia.

Commenting on the new schedule, Lord Lipsey, Premier Greyhound Racing Chair, said: “This schedule is Premier Greyhound Racing’s plan for the future. For bookmakers, it will offer a race every few minutes for their retail and online customers. For fans it will bring the very best greyhound racing action direct across a range of platforms, not to mention top quality entertainment to their local track. We will be delivering a bigger, bolder and sustainable vision for our sport.”

Mark Kingston, Director of Media & Technology, Arena Racing Company, said:

“We are pleased to announce this schedule which meets the needs of the sport’s stakeholders. This includes retail bookmakers, all of which are contracted to take PGR from 1 January 2024, alongside additional fixtures to support our digital and international partners. We look forward to continue working closely with Entain, given our mutual commitment to maintaining high standards of welfare across our venues.”

Premier Greyhound Racing is a joint venture between Arena Racing Company, which also operates racecourses, and Entain, the global sports betting, gaming and interactive entertainment group. Between them, the two companies own nine of the 20 licensed British greyhound tracks – Crayford, Hove, Monmore, Romford, Central Park, Perry Barr, Newcastle, Sunderland, and Nottingham – and Arena Racing Company manage the media rights for five independent tracks Kinsley, Pelaw Grange, Sheffield, Swindon and Yarmouth.

Premier Greyhound Racing was launched on 1^st December 2021 and is already in action, with its shareholders having already invested in open racing prize money across their nine stadia exceeding a combined £2.5million. This includes sponsorship of a series of current £20,000-to-the-winner Open Races, including the Premier Greyhound Racing Regency, St Leger, Oaks and Eclipse competitions.

Premier Greyhound Racing is committed to delivering industry-leading standards for welfare. It has committed to contribute £100,000 towards research identified in the sport’s governing body, The Greyhound Board of Great Britain’s Welfare Strategy: A Good Life for Every Greyhound. Premier Greyhound Racing supports the GBGB’s welfare strategies to ensure the long-term care of greyhounds both during, and after, their racing careers and has appointed leading animal welfare advocate Clarissa Baldwin CBE to its Board.

Earlier this year, Premier Greyhound Racing announced partnerships to supply the respective retail operations of Entain (Ladbrokes and Coral), William Hill, Paddy Power, Betfred and independent bookmakers with pictures from its British tracks to the operators’ shops from the start of 2024.