Sky’s new horse racing channel will broadcast 25 fixtures from Ascot each year from March 2019 until at least 2021.
Due to replace At The Races, Sky Sports Racing will be available to every Sky TV customer in the UK and Ireland at no extra cost, including in HD.
In addition to Ascot, the channel holds the rights to the Boodles Chester May Festival, William Hill St Leger, Coral Welsh Grand National as well as the Breeders’ Cup, US Triple Crown, Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and the Melbourne Cup Carnival.
Juliet Slot, Chief Commercial Officer at Ascot, who led Ascot’s media and data rights review, said: “We’re really pleased to be partnering with Sky Sports Racing.
“We’ve chosen them because of the significant investment and commitment to the sport that they have demonstrated, the brand alignment and cross promotional opportunities that come with the major sports that Sky covers, and the fact that Sky Sports Racing is available in more than 14 million homes.”
Guy Henderson, Chief Executive Officer at Ascot, added: “Ultimately, Ascot, as a statutory racing trust, operates to deliver the best racing we can, the best facilities we can and the best on course and off course customer service we can.
“Our strategy is to develop the right mix of collaborations with organisations in the UK and internationally to deliver this.
“Today we announce two exciting new ventures with At The Races across pay TV and streaming for betting in the UK.
“During Royal Ascot we announced Ascot World Pool in partnership with totepool and the Hong Kong Jockey Club, which sees our media rights arrangements there increased to all five days of the 2019 Royal Meeting.”
Barney Francis, Managing Director at Sky Sports, said: “Horse racing is a hugely important sport for us – one that we’ve been supporting for more than 20 years.
“In Sky Sports Racing, we are creating a new dedicated home for racing fans, and an eleventh Sky Sports channel. We’re thrilled to be able to add Ascot to what is already a stellar line-up.”
Matthew Imi, Chief Executive at At The Races, added: “Sky Sports Racing is an important development for our sport which can benefit the whole industry.
“For the first time, racing will be positioned and heavily cross-promoted shoulder to shoulder with the other key domestic and global sporting events Sky Sports showcases across its ten other channels.
“Ascot and Sky Sports share several characteristics – building a first-class, market leading business with an attention to detail and an absolute commitment to quality; adopting a progressive approach with an emphasis on innovation and creativity; and ensuring that the customer experience is a great one.”
