ITV reveals new three-year racing deal and guarantee of coverage until end of 2026

The future of British racing's mainstream television coverage on ITV has been secured until at least the end of 2026 after the sport's principal broadcaster revealed the completion of a new three-year deal.

Following a lengthy rights negotiation process, ITV on Tuesday announced the extension of a relationship with the sport that has resulted in strong audience figures and a significant increase to the number of racedays aired on free-to-air television.

The terms of the latest arrangement ensure viewers will have access to more than 100 days of British racing each year, while since returning to the sport in 2017 with Ed Chamberlin as lead presenter, ITV has added to its portfolio a large number of major Irish meetings and introduced extensive live coverage of the Breeders' Cup.

The network, which will continue to deliver its morning programme The Opening Show, has also boosted the number of days shown on its main ITV1 channel, with the remainder housed on ITV4. That will continue to be the case from 2024 to 2026, while all output will be simulcast on the ITVX streaming service.

ITV director of sport Niall Sloane has welcomed the signing of the new three-year racing dealCredit: Getty Images

ITV director of sport Niall Sloane said: "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."

Among ITV's contracted broadcast partners is the Jockey Club, whose crown jewels include the Grand National – by far the sport's most watched event – plus the Cheltenham Festival and Derby.

Jockey Club chief executive Nevin Truesdale said: "We at the Jockey Club love working with the ITV Racing team to showcase the sport, our racecourses, the horses and the people who work tirelessly behind the scenes to tell their stories in an entertaining, fun and engaging way. We're really looking forward to continuing to do that and finding new ways to collaborate in the future."

Adding her support for the deal, BHA chief executive Julie Harrington said: "ITV's coverage and promotion of British racing is exceptional, bringing our sport's many wonderful stories to life with passion and pride.

"At the BHA we are keen to work closely with our broadcast partners in order to help them further improve the viewer experience for both new and existing fans alike, with innovation as to how the sport is packaged and presented being a core element of the industry's strategy."

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