July 2009
Arena Leisure Plc
On 22 July 2009, Arena Leisure plc ("Arena") secured a significantly improved media rights contract with Satellite Information Services ("SIS") for the provision of coverage of horse racing content from all of its seven racecourses into licensed betting offices in the UK and Ireland. Arena is the UK's leading operator of horseracing fixtures, staging 25% of all racing fixtures held each year. It owns and operates seven racecourses at Doncaster, Royal Windsor, Folkestone, Lingfield Park, Southwell, Wolverhampton and Worcester.
The new 5-year contract will replace Arena's current contract with BAGS when it expires on 31 December 2011. Total revenues receivable by Arena over the life of the new contract are estimated by the Board to total £106mlion, which compares to estimated total revenues of the current 5-year contract of £55mlion. A sizable portion of the estimated total revenues of new deal are to be prepaid with an initial advanced payment of £12.5mlion paid by SIS upon signing the contract and further advanced payments of £12.5mlion, and £7.0mlion delivered in July 2010 and July 2011 respectively.
Upon announcing the signing of the new SIS contract to the market, Arena's share price closed the day up 7p (+30.43%) at 30p.
Canaccord Genuity provided high level strategic and tactical advice as well as a detailed valuation analysis to help Arena consummate the successful private tender process to secure full value for its future broadcast media rights.