British commercial broadcaster ITV has extended an agreement to continue its open broadcast of UK horse racing until the end of 2026.
The three-year deal covers major events such as the Grand National, Royal Ascot, the Derby and the Cheltenham Festival, the 2023 edition of which is taking place this week and will be broadcast on ITV.
ITV began its British racing coverage in 2017, with races shown on its flagship channels ITV1, ITV4 and ITVX. Since then, the broadcaster has had a large audience among fans of turf and lovers of betting on horses.
“This deal will take us into a decade of racing on ITV and we are delighted to be able to continue to bring viewers over 100 days of live coverage of this wonderful sport, including some of the most enjoyable, historic and exciting events each year.” said ITV sports director Niall Sloane.
“We look forward to continuing to work with Racecourse Media Group and our other partners within racing to bring audiences the very best that racing has to offer for years to come,” added Sloane.
Racecourse Media Group Chief Executive Martin Stevenson added: “On behalf of our racecourses, we are delighted to have cemented our relationship with ITV for a further three years.”
“ITV has been an outstanding partner for the sport, providing more terrestrial coverage here in the UK than any other racing jurisdiction in the world, illustrating both the broadcaster’s commitment and the enduring popularity of the sport,” concluded Stevenson.
In addition to horse racing, ITV’s portfolio includes other sporting events.
In addition to horse racing, ITV’s sports portfolio also includes the English FA Cup, Six Nations rugby, the Rugby World Cup, Tour de France cycling, the British Touring Car Championships and the MotoGP motorcycling series.