ITV, the UK commercial broadcaster, has acquired rights to the second season of Racing League, the horse racing teams competition.
The 2022 edition of Racing League, which launched last year, will be shown by ITV Racing, the broadcaster’s horse racing program, on ITV4.
ITV will share rights in the UK with long-term rights-holder Sky Sports Racing, the pay-TV giant’s dedicated horse racing channel.
Racing League will return this year with six Thursday evening fixtures offering over £2 million ($2.7 million) in prize money.
Fixtures in 2022 will start at Doncaster on August 4 and include meetings at Lingfield Park, Newcastle, Royal Windsor, and Southwell racecourses. The competition will conclude on September 15 in Newcastle.
The deal adds to ITV’s portfolio of British horse racing as it is already the exclusive free-to-air home of the sport in the country.
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By GlobalDataIn 2020, the commercial broadcaster concluded a three-year deal with venue owners Racecourse Media Group, Arena Racing Company, the Jockey Club, and Ascot Racecourse to retain rights until 2023.
Under that agreement, ITV broadcasts nearly 100 days of British racing annually, with all major events, including those from Ascot, Cheltenham, and Aintree, shown on the network’s main channel ITV1, with others on ITV4.
Jeremy Wray, Racing League chief executive, said, “We are delighted to confirm this broadcast agreement with ITV Racing to bring the Racing League live to terrestrial television, which we see as an excellent next step for the competition.
“Sky Sports Racing has, of course, been a hugely important partner in establishing the Racing League, and we look forward to also continuing our association with them and their team over the course of this year.”
Niall Sloane, ITV director of sport, added: “ITV Racing are delighted to be able to bring free to air coverage of the Racing League to a terrestrial audience.
“We look forward to working with the team and the participating racecourses across the late summer to help widen the appeal of the competition in its second year.”