ITV extends agreement to broadcast free-to-air horse racing in the UK

ITV has extended a deal to continue its free-to-air broadcast Horse racing United Kingdom by 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 takes place this week and will be broadcast on ITV.

ITV began its coverage of British racing in 2017, with races shown on its flagship channels ITV1, ITV4 and ITVX. Since then, the broadcaster has enjoyed a large audience among racing fans and horse betting enthusiasts.

“This deal will take us through a decade of racing on ITV, and we are delighted to be able to continue bringing viewers over 100 days of live coverage of this great sport, including some of the most entertaining, historic and exciting events every year.” ITV Sports Director Niall Sloan said.

“We look forward to continuing to work with Racecourse Media Group and our other racing partners to bring audiences the best that racing has to offer in the years to come,” Sloan added.

Martin Stephenson, CEO of Racecourse Media Group, added: “On behalf of our racecourses, we are delighted to be strengthening our relationship with ITV for a further three years.”

“ITV has been an excellent partner to the sport, providing more terrestrial coverage here in the UK than any other racing area in the world, demonstrating the broadcaster’s commitment and the enduring popularity of the sport,” Stephenson concluded.

In addition to horse racing, ITV's portfolio includes other sporting events

In addition to Horse racingITV's sports portfolio also includes the FA Cup, Rugby Six Nations Championship, Rugby World Cup, Tour de France, British Touring Car Championship and MotoGP motorcycle series.