Breeders' Cup Expands U.K. Coverage of 2021 World Championships

LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 18, 2021) – Breeders’ Cup today announced expanded plans for broadcast coverage of the 2021 Breeders’ Cup World Championships in the U.K. and Ireland, with ITV, Sky Sports Racing and Racing TV all set to deliver live television and digital broadcast coverage from the event to be held at Del Mar racetrack in Del Mar, Calif. Nov. 5 and 6, 2021.

“The Breeders’ Cup World Championships is a truly international event and fans around the world deserve increased access to and in-depth coverage of the world’s most talented horses, jockeys, and trainers,” said Breeders’ Cup President and CEO Drew Fleming. “ITV, Racing TV and Sky Sports Racing are wonderful partners and we look forward to working with them to expand coverage of this world-class event for racing fans in the U.K and Ireland.”

ITV

Breeders Cup will enjoy unprecedented exposure from ITV, which is the biggest commercial broadcast network in the U.K. and the home of terrestrial horseracing. ITV have held the terrestrial horseracing rights since 2017 and during that time have effectively doubled the racing audience in the U.K., winning a BAFTA in their first year of broadcasting.

ITV will have an on-site presentation and production team at the 2021 Breeders’ Cup and will show all 14 Championship races, with the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf and Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic being showcased on the main channel and every other race on ITV4.

Niall Sloane, Director of Sport, ITV said: “ITV are delighted to be able to bring all the races at the Breeders Cup, a truly global event and the culmination of the 2021 flat racing season, to a big terrestrial audience in the U.K.”

Sky Sports Racing

Sky Sports Racing will continue its long-standing partnership with the Breeders’ Cup with live coverage of the 2021 Breeders’ Cup World Championships using the acclaimed, NBC-produced feed in its broadcast coverage and hosting Sky Sports Racing talent on-site at Del Mar for interviews and reporting. Alongside the live television broadcast, extensive digital coverage and promotion of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships will be available on attheraces.com – the U.K. and Ireland’s largest racing website – and via the skysports.com network.

Matthew Imi, Chief Executive, At The Races said: “We’re delighted to continue our valued relationship with the Breeders’ Cup and it’s great news that Del Mar in November will be able to welcome racegoers with 100% of seated capacity. The Breeders’ Cup goes from strength to strength and continues to be a focal point and culmination for our comprehensive coverage of US racing, as we stream and broadcast events throughout the year for fans in the U.K. and Ireland and via more than 30 bookmaker partners.”

Tickets for the 2021 Breeders’ Cup World Championships in Del Mar, Calif. will go on sale at Noon ET / 9:00 a.m. PT on Friday, July 16. Available seating options and pricing can be viewed now at BreedersCup.com/tickets.

Racing TV

Racing TV has secured the rights to broadcast the 2021 Breeders’ Cup World Championships as well as 11 of the 16 Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re in” Challenge races in the U.K. and Ireland this year. Racing TV has also committed to a full, innovative marketing plan to support its coverage of the event across its broadcast and digital platforms.

Martin Stevenson, CEO of Racecourse Media Group, parent company of Racing TV, said: “We are delighted to team up with Breeders’ Cup. We look forward to building real momentum and excitement across the season in the lead-up to Breeders’ Cup via engaging and compelling content, which will all be underpinned by the highest-quality production and presentation, as befits the World Championships of horse racing.”

ABOUT BREEDERS’ CUP

The Breeders’ Cup administers the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, Thoroughbred horse racing’s year-end Championships, as well as the Breeders’ Cup Challenge qualifying series, which provides automatic starting positions into the Championships races. The Breeders’ Cup is also a founding member of the Thoroughbred Safety Coalition, an organization composed of industry leaders committed to advancing safety measures in Thoroughbred racing and improving the well-being of equine and human athletes.

The 2021 Breeders’ Cup World Championships, consisting of 14 Championship races, is scheduled to be held on November 5-6 at Del Mar racetrack in Del Mar, California. The event will be televised live by the NBC Sports Group. Breeders’ Cup press releases appear on the Breeders’ Cup website, breederscup.com. You can also follow the Breeders’ Cup on social media.