ITV have announced their free racing UK racing coverage has been extended by another three years.
And that means the Cheltenham Festival will be live on terrestrial TV until 2026 in a huge boost for fans.
ITV SportEd Chamberlain and Francesca Cumani front ITV Racing[/caption]
The flagship programme’s deal has been extended until the end of 2026Getty Images – Getty
In total, there will be more than 100 days of racing per year broadcast on ITV1 and ITV4 – as well as online at ITVX.
Ed Chamberlain and Francesca Cumani front much of the coverage, including this week at Cheltenham.
The deal also covers The Opening Show, the morning racing programme previewing the day’s action.
And it also includes UK racing’s Crown Jewel events – the Grand National, Royal Ascot and the Derby on top of Cheltenham.
ITV’s current racing coverage started in 2017 and has seen steady growth in viewing figures, especially with a 50 per cent rise among a young audience.
Niall Sloane, ITV Director of Sport, 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.”
Nevin Truesdale, The Jockey Club’s Chief Executive, added: “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.
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“We’re really looking forward to continuing to do that and finding new ways to collaborate in the future.”
ITV’s sports coverage also includes Six Nations and the Rugby World Cup, England football, the FA Cup, EFL highlights, the Tour de France, snooker and darts.