Fans of British horseracing will be able to take a deep dive into the sport thanks to a new six-part docuseries project delivered by Flutter UKI and ITV.
Production will start in December this year and will put the spotlight on the 2023/24 Jumps season, with the series scheduled to broadcast during primetime TV on ITV1 and ITVX in 2024.
The content will explore the ‘lives, journeys, and adventures’ of both the jockeys and their equine, including the high levels of welfare that is involved in every race.
Ian Brown, CEO at Flutter UKI, said that the idea behind such a series has been in the planning for quite some time now, and shared his excitement to bring “the inner story of horse racing and those who support it to a new and broader audience”.
What’s more, the docuseries is part of Flutter’s ‘Do More’ initiative and an expansion of its ‘Positive Impact Plan’, through which the company looks to increase the ways it gives back to the community.
“In line with a key pillar of our Positive Impact Plan, this is also another great example of Flutter supporting the communities we operate within to ‘Do More’,” Brown added.
“We have long supported the horse racing industry – investing over £140m into UK racing in 2022 alone – and are committed to working together with all racing stakeholders to support and modernise this unique and enthralling sport through initiatives like this brilliant new series.”
In terms of the production behind the scenes, the docuseries will be a product of ITV-backed company South Shore, in collaboration with Racecourse Media Group (RMG) and of course – Flutter.
Support for the project will also come from various racing stakeholders, including the Professional Jockeys Association and the British Horseracing Authority.
Simon Daglish, Deputy Managing Director, Commercial, at ITV, commented: “Racing drives an enormous amount of passion and excitement among ITV viewers as we know from our unrivalled coverage.
“This new series is a fantastic chance to build on that excitement and bring this adrenaline filled sport to a new audience. We are delighted to be working with the racing community to showcase racing in a way that has never been seen before.”
Martin Stevenson, CEO at RMG, also expressed his gratitude for the support his company has received to bring the project into fruition: “We are very grateful to Flutter for its invaluable support in making the series possible and ITV’s wholehearted support.
“ITV has been a fantastic partner for Racing and this docuseries is further evidence of its commitment to the sport.”
