ITV has signed a three-year extension to its horse racing broadcast deal, guaranteeing audiences will continue to enjoy exclusive coverage of key fixtures such as the Grand National, the Cheltenham Festival, Royal Ascot and the Derby, until at least 2026.
Under the extended deal the broadcaster will bring ITV and ITV4 audiences “well over 100 days” of live coverage each year, plus morning racing programme The Opening Show. All coverage will also be simulcast on ITVX, the broadcaster’s streaming service which launched last December.
Niall Sloane, ITV Director of Sport, said: “This deal will take us to a decade of racing on ITV and we’re delighted to be able to continue to bring to viewers well over 100 days of live coverage of this wonderful sport, including some of the most enjoyable, storied and thrilling events of each year.
“We look forward to continuing to work with Racecourse Media Group and our other partners within racing to bring audiences the very best racing has to offer in the coming years.”
Martin Stevenson, CEO of Racecourse Media Group, added: “On behalf of our racecourses, we are delighted to have cemented our relationship with ITV for a further three years.
“ITV have been an excellent partner for the sport, providing more terrestrial coverage here in the UK than in any other racing jurisdiction in the world, illustrating both the commitment of the broadcaster and the enduring popularity of the sport.”
Julie Harrington, Chief Executive of the British Horseracing Authority, said: “ITV’s coverage and promotion of British racing is exceptional, bringing our sport’s many wonderful stories to life with passion and pride.
“At the BHA we are keen to work closely with our broadcast partners in order to help them further improve the viewer experience for both new and existing fans alike, with innovation as to how the sport is packaged and presented being a core element of the industry’s strategy.”