Horse racing in the UK is to be broadcast on free-to-air television exclusively by ITV from January 2017.
The broadcaster secured the rights to show nearly 100 days of racing each year as part of the four-year deal. This will include the Crabbie’s Grand National from Aintree, the Ivestec Derby Festival from Epsom, Royal Ascot, the Qatar Goodwood Festival and the Ladbrokes St Leger from Doncaster.
“ITV has made a strong and compelling four-year commitment to British horse racing,” said Richard FitzGerald, chief executive of Racecourse Media Group, who headed up the negotiating team. “ITV places itself at the heart of popular culture and we look forward to working closely with the broadcaster in ensuring racing remains in this fantastic shop window.
“This is a great opportunity for everyone in the industry to support ITV in jointly promoting the sport and telling the stories throughout the year to as wide an audience as possible. The unprecedented level of interest in the tender shows what an attractive proposition the sport is. This is reflected in the new deal, which will generate increased revenue for racing.”
