Sky Sports Racing adds Kentucky Derby, US Triple Crown
July 23, 2018
Following the signing of a new, long-term deal with NBCUniversal, Sky Sports Racing has revealed that it will hold the exclusive broadcast rights to the Kentucky Derby, which will air live in the UK and Ireland.
Sky Sports Racing has also extended its current multi-year agreement for network coverage of the other two legs of the fabled US Triple Crown series, the Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes.
The $2 million Kentucky Derby takes place on the first Saturday in May at historic Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Inaugurated in 1875, the legendary 1 1/4-mile race for three-year-olds is the oldest continuously held major sporting event in North America. The Kentucky Derby is the most attended horserace in the US, frequently attracting over 160,000 racegoers.
Matthew Imi, Chief Executive, At The Races said: “This agreement reinforces our long-term commitment to the biggest racing events on the international stage and we will help raise the profile of these great fixtures even further in the UK and Ireland with coverage and cross promotion across Sky Sports. The Kentucky Derby is an institution in the US, and in recent years, the achievements of American Pharoah and Justify have brought the Triple Crown series to mainstream attention around the world. We also value our partnership with NBCUniversal and there are excellent opportunities for further cooperation in helping promote racing on both sides of the Atlantic.”