Published:  13.6.2018

Hippos together with its collaboration partners will be showing daily trotting races on the Estradi channel on terrestrial TV network as an experiment in July. The broadcast on Estradi is the same one that Veikkaus broadcasts on TotoTV. Studio broadcasts will be on the air on Wednesdays and Saturdays – on other days the races will be broadcast live from the track. The broadcasts will start on 30 June with the Saturday races of the Suur-Hollola weekend. Ponsse Oyj, LocalTapiola, and Hevosurheilu magazine are sponsoring the broadcasts.

Trotting races are returning to television
for July on the Estradi channel, located on channel 28 on terrestrial TV
network. Races will be broadcast on average two hours each day, with an
extended broadcasting time whenever a major trotting event is taking place. For
example, the Kuninkuusravit races in Rovaniemi will be broadcast in their
entirety from 12 pm to 6 pm. A test screening will be shown on TotoTV on
Wednesday 13 June 2018 starting 1:30 pm. Programme schedules are available on
the television’s electronic programme guide, on the Hippos website, and in the
Hevosurheilu magazine.

 

“The campaign in July is an experiment and
serves viewers on the terrestrial TV network, which reaches about half of the
Finnish population. The experiment provides data on the reached audience to
support decisions and, of course, brings the best trotting events of the summer
on a free TV channel.  No decisions have
been made yet on the future of trotting races on Estradi TV, but if viewers
find their way to Estradi, it could be one option for broadcasting Saturday’s recap show, TotoTV’s studio broadcast or other shows,” says Vesa Mäkinen, Managing Director of
Suomen Hippos.

 

The coverage area of the free Estradi
channel encompasses 97% of the population. You can check the coverage area of
Estradi in Digita’s map service at www.digita.fi/en/consumers/tv_and_radio_coverage_map. “About half of the Finnish population watches Digita’s terrestrial TV
network. In the summer holiday season, television is watched through Digita’s
network also in summer cottages, of which there are over 500,000 in Finland,”
says Teppo Ahonen, Business Director
at Digita.

 

Enhancements to trotting broadcasts with Hybrid TV services

 

The trotting shows of the summer will be
enhanced with interactive services through votes and other applications.
Viewers will get to vote for the winner of the St Michel race and their
personal favourite for the Trotting King or Trotting Queen. Hybrid TV also
allows signing up for a trial subscription of the Hevosurheilu magazine for a
couple of weeks.

 

“The Hybrid TV, which combines traditional
television with the internet, is currently available on Digita’s terrestrial TV
network. At the moment, there are over 350,000 Hybrid TV users,” says Teppo
Ahonen. Using Hybrid TV services requires a fairly new smart TV with a
broadband connection. The service is available for almost all smart televisions
sold in Finland and specific television models sold in 2013 and 2014. A list of compatible receivers is available at
www.hybriditv.fi.

 

Get help from Digita Info

Most receivers search for new TV channels
automatically. Some receivers may require retuning channels or restoring
factory settings. For instructions on how to search for channels, please see
Digita’s website at www.digita.fi/kanavahaku or the device’s
user manual.

Technical experts from Digita’s consumer
service, Digita Info, will answer queries on the reception of terrestrial
television. Digita Info is open from 8 am to 8 pm on Monday to Friday. Call
+358 20 411 7676 or contact info@digita.fi.

 

Further information:

 

Suomen Hippos, Managing Director Vesa Mäkinen, tel. +358 40 532 8923, vesa.makinen(at)hippos.fi

Digita Oy, Director, Video Delivery Services, Teppo Ahonen, tel.

+358
40 5630 299, teppo.ahonen(at)digita.fi