Television network

Epiqa is Snaitech’s multimedia company. It currently produces and broadcasts four television channels and three web TV channels entirely dedicated to horse racing, plus three TV channels dedicated to Virtual events, two channels dedicated to Sports in general and one radio channel.

Epiqa Srl is wholly owned by Snaitech SpA, one of Italy’s leading gaming operators, with international B2C operations in Germany and Austria and part of the international group Playtech PLC listed on the London Stock Exchange. Since 2005, the company has been providing services for the collection, processing and broadcasting of television content related to races at Italian and foreign racetracks. In this respect, it is the exclusive supplier licensed by MASAF (Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry), by virtue of its ample and consolidated infrastructure and the production activities undertaken at two control centres. TV signals are distributed through a proprietary infrastructure of 84 terrestrial radio links and with the use of fibre optics and satellite transmissions, both to betting operators throughout Italy, with over 4000 betting points, and to a direct television audience.

Racing is broadcast on channel 151 of the digital terrestrial system, on channel 220 of the Sky satellite platform and on the tivùsat satellite platform at channel 51, with live broadcasting of content and horse racing throughout the year. As part of the Snaitech Group, the company benefits from the availability of Snai web Radio in streaming at www.snai.it and ‘Snai Live’, a streaming sports&racing TV channel, and it provides betting services on retail and online virtual events. Epiqa Srl has three offices (Rome, Porcari (LU) and Milan) and five TV studios, including a virtual studio equipped with four full HD robotic cameras.

As an electronic communications company, under Italian law, it holds the general authorisation for the installation and provision of public electronic communications networks, the assignment of rights of use of radio frequencies to be used in public electronic communications networks and the authorisation for the SNG satellite network. It holds the assignment of rights of use of radio frequencies for the SNG satellite network and communication services, as well as the authorisation for satellite network and communication services through the use of VSAT-type earth stations. Epiqa Srl holds an authorisation for the broadcasting of satellite audio-visual media services and an authorisation at national level for the provider of FSMA audio-visual media services for digital broadcasting on terrestrial frequencies and the relevant LCN numbering.

EQU^tv

Horse racing and the world of horses are narrated in an innovative and engaging way. A container transformed in terms of graphics, direction and content, to amaze old fans and attract a new and transversal audience, approaching this world for the first time. This is EQU^tv, the television station of MASAF (Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry), which, under the guidance of Mariachiara Polselli, Managing Director of Epiqa Srl, and Giovanni Bruno, the channel’s new Editorial Director, has landed on digital terrestrial television at channel 151, on channel 51 tivùsat as well as on the Sky platform at channel 220. The new channel has a more direct language, a modern style and is accessible to all. New formats, connections and updates provide live coverage of the most important horse racing events, but also comparisons and debates with guests in the new studios in Porcari (Lucca), Rome and Milan, enriched by daily press reviews, in-depth analysis and advice to fully experience horse racing and the world of horses. In addition to the centrality of horse racing, which is becoming increasingly spectacular, there are also columns dedicated to other equestrian sports, to elements of cultural richness as well as the various production chains, always with the horse at the centre, the true protagonist. Ample space is given to Live, to transport the public into the sporting experience. All this is marked by a new, elegant and modern style.

Our assets

Epiqa avails itself of proprietary assets for the collection, processing and broadcasting of the television signal originating from the filming of horse races in Italian and foreign racetracks:

• 3 sites: Rome, Porcari (LU) and Milan with more than 100 total resources, including employees and collaborators;
• the coordination of over 30 external services involved in audio/video production throughout Italy and internationally;
• 2 operational direction studios in Rome and Porcari (LU)
• 5 studios, between Milan, Rome and Porcari, a virtual studio in Lucca equipped with four full HD robotic cameras;
• digital connections for a total of 12 studios;
• 1 DTT channel and its automatic LCN numbering (151);
• 1 SAT channel, free to air also visible via Sky decoder on channel 220;
• 1 SAT TV channel numbered 51;
• about 30 external services, involved in audio/video production throughout the country and internationally, including mobile directors, production centres, satellite uplink companies, companies providing assistance and management of contribution networks, software and hardware supply companies, etc.;
• a telecommunications network based on fibre optics, a proprietary network of 84 terrestrial radio links, six satellites on three different frequency bands;
• proprietary transmission systems capable of receiving and sending signals in Europe, North and South America, Asia, Africa and Australia;
• links to all Italian racetracks, as well as reception of all major foreign feeds.

A brief overview of Epiqa’s history:

1990

Establishment of the CRAI Consortium and commencement of live broadcasting of Tris races through terrestrial radio links

1993

Launch of broadcasting via satellite in analog form

1995

Launch of broadcasting via satellite through a digital signal

1996

Construction of the company’s main office in Porcari, in the province of Lucca, which is still used today

2000

CRAI becomes SNAI Way

2003

The digitalization of broadcasting is completed through radio links

2004

Establishment Teleippica, the current Epiqa, who won the Unire tender which remained valid from 2005 until 2012; the digitalization of the television programing is completed

2008

Launch of the service for the realization of SNAI Radio and the SNAI TV channel

2009

Teleippica directly manages the entire network of telecommunications, for which it owns all equipment for both terrestrial and satellite broadcasting

2012

Teleippica wins the Assi tender which is valid from 2013 until 2019

2013

Launch of the service for the realization of TV channels SPORT VIRTUALI 1, 2 and 3

2015

Contract for the realization of TV channels SNAI LIVE 1 and SNAI LIVE

2019

Teleippica becomes Epiqa. The service of collection, processing and broadcasting of the television signal and the support to MASAF for the relaunch of the attractiveness of the Horse Racing Sector and the related chain as well as the activities related to the horse’s world and the culture.

2021

Epiqa has been awarded the next six-year contract tendered by MASAF for the collection, processing and broadcasting service of the TV signal for the filming of horse races in Italian and foreign racetracks and related services.

2022

EQU^tv is born, the MASAF television channel, the TV that tells the story of horse racing and the world of horses with innovation and engagement.