Telstra, the leading Australian mobile operator, announced that as of today (the 1st of August), its subscribers can stream live horse races directly on their Telstra 3G and Next G handsets. This "sports offering" comes after an agreement with ThoroughVisioN (also known as TVN) and is available via Telstra's subsidiary BigPond.

Sports fans will be able to view, on their 3G phone displays, the following events: the Victorian and Sydney racings, the Spring Racing Carnival, the Autumn Racing Carnival, the Melbourne Cup, Caulfield Cup, Cox Plate, Epsom Handicap, Golden Slipper, Doncaster Handicap and others.

Mr. Justin Milne, Group Managing Director at BigPond, stated about Telstra's partnership with TVN, "This deal means even more Australians can now enjoy the thrill of racing. The new BigPond racing channel gives our mobile customers live access to the most popular races, no matter where they are. BigPond is committed to using our technology and networks in innovative ways to provide the best entertainment our customers are after, and this exclusive deal again demonstrates why we are the premier choice when it comes to broadcasting live sport across mobiles and PCs."

"TVN is planning a rollout of initiatives through the new racing year that will see TVN provide a one-stop shop racing service incorporating form, raceday information, live racing and archive. It's an exciting time for racing's thoroughbred channel," added Mr. Peter Sweeney, Chief Executive Officer at ThoroughVisioN.

Among Telstra's Next G phones, Australian users can find the following models: Nokia N95, Nokia E51, Samsung U900T (Samsung Soul), LG KF700, Sony Ericsson W760, Sony Ericsson K850i, HTC Touch Dual, i-mate Ultimate 8502, i-mate Ultimate 9502 and so on.

Users interested in horse racing can subscribe for the Horseracing Action Pack, which costs $9.95 per month or $3.95 (for those who intend to use it rarely).