HRNZ to partner with The Informant

HRNZ partner with The Informant In an exciting development for harness racing news and media in New Zealand, HRNZ are partnering with ‘The Informant’ to once again provide a weekly subscription magazine.

For the last three years ‘Harnessed’ has been the voice of HRNZ with increasing costs and unreliable delivery times forcing a move from the ‘Harness Racing Weekly’ in 2014.

“While exceptionally proud of ‘Harnessed’ and the image it portrayed of our sport to the public, there remains a strong desire amongst subscribers to return to a weekly circulation” said HRNZ Commercial Development Manager, Pete Ydgren.

“Running a print media company and producing magazines isn’t our core business and we have a good understanding of how costly a weekly magazine is to produce. To this end, partnering with ‘The Informant’ is a great option for us.”

While HRNZ’s media focus remains heavily in the digital space, we understand that for a significant number of our current subscribers this isn’t where they operate.

This new partnership will continue to serve our participants while allowing us to focus on the next generation of harness racing fan through our online channels.

Popular features from ‘Harnessed’ including “Flying Under The Radar” and “Owners Corner” will continue through our social media platforms, giving focus to those who aren’t regularly hitting the headlines.

The Informant, who currently provides both print and digital media across the Thoroughbred code, will drastically increase its harness racing coverage in the weekly edition and on its online platform www.theinformant.co.nz.

A news service will also be provided for the HRNZ website and other wider media.

“The Informant is excited to expand coverage of Harness racing in its print and online platforms with the support of HRNZ” said General Manager, Matthew Francis. “In August this year The Informant will celebrate its 10 year anniversary and we can think of no better way than to be able to provide New Zealand’s racing public with extensive news and form coverage for its two biggest racing codes”.

The new publication will utilise a range of New Zealand’s best racing journalists and include a wide range of weekly and seasonal features drastically increasing the amount of punting information available to the industry.

Subscribers to ‘Harnessed’ will begin receiving a complimentary copy of the new Informant from the 28th of June and be provided an offer to subscribe for the 2017/2018 season.

All readers being able to subscribe at www. theinformant.co.nz.

Pete Ydgren

Commercial Development Manager | Harness Racing New Zealand Inc