VICTORIAN racing has escaped almost unscathed from the seven-week Sky Racing blackout.

ROD NICHOLSON reports in the HERALD SUN that Racing Victoria chief ­Bernard Saundry said the industry had dropped no more than $150,000.

“Any suggestion that the industry has lost millions of dollars in wagering revenue during the broadcast disruption period is rubbish,” he said.

“We estimate that the industry has foregone between $100,000 and $150,000 in total wagering revenue over the period, which we’re comfortable will be quickly recaptured now that more people can view Victorian racing than ever before.”

Total turnover on Victorian racing was down 0.5 per cent, year-on-year, across all operators during the Sky blackout period.

And while national tote turnover was down 2.5 per cent year-on-year, corporate bookmakers and exchange turnover was up 3.2 per cent.

On the first day of regional free-to-air coverage on Channel 68 (Moonee Valley on August 1) — combined with the Channel 78 coverage alongside digital coverage — total year-on-year turnover jumped 8 per cent.

When Sky Racing 1 joined the coverage last Saturday, total turnover on the Flemington meeting was up 6 per cent on the previous year.

Saundry said the broadcast disruption was not the only reason for the loss of wagering dollars — massively shy of what RVL anticipated — citing the absence of racing at Sandown as a contributing factor.

“We had forecast a greater impact, but this did not materialise because of punters changing their viewing behaviours,” he said.

“Punters were proactive in engaging with new digital broadcasts ... before accessing the Channel 78 broadcasts progressively through the Sky blackout period.”