ITV unveils ‘incredibly important’ three-year racing broadcast deal

ITV is to now exclusively broadcast free-to-air coverage of UK horse racing until the end of 2026. 

The three-year deal will see over 100 days of live content shown across ITV1 and ITV4 every year – all simulcast on ITVX – along with morning racing programme, The Opening Show. 

Niall Sloane, ITV Director of Sport, commented: “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.” 

The media rights collaboration covers the Grand National, the Cheltenham Festival, Royal Ascot and the Epsom Derby.

Racecourse Media Group, The Jockey Club and the British Horseracing Authority have all lauded ITV as an ‘excellent partner’ for the sport.

Alastair Warwick, Acting Chief Executive, Ascot Racecourse, said: “We are delighted to have agreed this extension to our highly successful partnership with ITV who continue to make the sport more accessible through their coverage. 

“I would particularly like to recognise the dedication to racing the team showed throughout the pandemic period which was fundamental to our sport’s recovery. ITV is an incredibly important partner for us, broadcasting Ascot into millions of homes across the country and we look forward to working with them across the next three years.”

Furthermore, ARC Director of Commercial Strategy, David Leyden Dunbar, regarded the widespread terrestrial television coverage as ‘incredibly important’ to everyone involved in British Racing.

“ITV should be applauded for providing the sport with such a platform,” he said.

Last year, the Arena Racing Company (ARC) announced that ITV Racing would serve as the dual broadcaster of the Racing League, alongside Sky Sports Racing.

Launched in 2021, the Racing League is the £2m team racing competition of ARC that is held over six Thursday evening fixtures across the UK’s leading racetracks.