Racing TV

About Racing TV

Racing TV is a British subscription television channel dedicated to live horse racing, owned by the racecourses it covers through the Racecourse Media Group. Launched on 29 May 2004 as Racing UK, it was rebranded as Racing TV in 2018 and now broadcasts live racing from 34 British racecourses every day of the year, including the sport's most prestigious fixtures such as the Cheltenham Festival, the Randox Grand National at Aintree, the Betfred Derby at Epsom and Royal Ascot. Based in London, the channel is distinctive in British broadcasting as a venture owned by its content suppliers, with profits returned to the racecourses as media rights payments. It serves a dedicated audience of racing enthusiasts with wall-to-wall live coverage, expert analysis and betting-focused programming.

Launch as Racing UK

Racing TV began life as Racing UK, launching on 29 May 2004 as a subscription channel owned by 30 racecourses acting as shareholders. The channel was created in the aftermath of the collapse of earlier racing television ventures: The Racing Channel had closed in January 2003 after eight years on air, and At The Races had briefly closed in March 2004 before relaunching. The racecourses established Racing UK to take control of their own media rights and ensure a stable, high-quality broadcast platform for the sport. From the outset the channel offered live coverage every day of the year, a commitment that distinguished it from the limited terrestrial coverage of racing and reflected the daily rhythm of the racing calendar.

Ownership by the racecourses

The defining feature of Racing TV is its ownership structure. The channel is operated by the Racecourse Media Group, the parent company created as the business grew, with the racecourses themselves as shareholders. Media rights income generated by the channel, alongside betting shop, streaming and international rights, is distributed to the 34 shareholder racecourses as licence fees. In 2015, for example, the Racecourse Media Group paid its racecourses £80 million in media rights for the year, an 8 per cent increase on 2014, illustrating the financial importance of the venture to the sport. This model means the channel exists to serve the long-term interests of British racing rather than to maximise profit for an external owner, a structure its leadership has described as a force for good in the sport. In October 2026 the group's racecourses agreed long-term extensions of their media and data rights through to the end of 2033, securing the channel's portfolio for the coming decade.

Rebrand to Racing TV

In 2018 Racing UK was rebranded as Racing TV, a change that coincided with the channel securing the rights to Irish racing and expanding its coverage. The new name reflected the channel's broader ambition and its growing international dimension, while the rebrand brought refreshed on-air presentation and an enhanced digital offering. The Irish rights deal was significant, bringing meetings from Ireland's leading tracks to the channel's subscribers and strengthening its position against its rival, Sky Sports Racing. The rebrand marked the channel's evolution from a domestic subscription service into a multi-platform racing broadcaster with international reach.

Racecourses and flagship fixtures

Racing TV's 34 shareholder racecourses include many of the most famous tracks in the sport: Aintree, home of the Grand National; Cheltenham, host of the Cheltenham Festival and the Gold Cup; Epsom Downs, home of the Derby; Ascot, venue for Royal Ascot; Newmarket, the historic home of racing; Goodwood; York; and Ayr. The channel's coverage of the Cheltenham Festival in March, four days of championship jump racing, is the centrepiece of its year, alongside the Grand National meeting at Aintree in April, Royal Ascot in June and the Derby meeting at Epsom. These fixtures represent the pinnacle of British racing and draw the channel's largest audiences. The portfolio also includes meetings from 16 small independent racecourses, ensuring coverage that spans the sport from its grandest stages to its grassroots.

Daily programming and format

Racing TV broadcasts live racing every day of the year, with a schedule built around the afternoon meetings at its shareholder tracks and evening fixtures under floodlights. Coverage typically begins in the morning with preview programming, including form analysis, betting market updates and interviews with trainers and jockeys, before moving into continuous live coverage of the day's racing. Each race is shown in full with expert commentary, slow-motion replays and sectional analysis. Between races, the channel features paddock reports, market movers, tipping segments and features on the sport's personalities. The channel also broadcasts international racing, including major fixtures from Ireland, France, Dubai, Hong Kong and the United States, giving subscribers a genuinely global racing service.

Presenters and pundits

Racing TV's on-air team is drawn from the ranks of racing's most respected broadcasters and former professionals. Nick Luck, one of the sport's leading presenters, fronts the channel's biggest fixtures, alongside Lydia Hislop, whose analytical approach and interviewing have made her one of the most admired figures in racing media. The presenting roster has included Rishi Persad, Angus McNaughton, Tom Stanley and Jonathan Neesom, supported by a team of course reporters stationed at tracks around the country. Commentary is provided by experienced race-callers, and the channel regularly features contributions from leading trainers, jockeys and bloodstock experts, giving viewers direct access to the sport's key participants.

Betting and interactive services

Betting is integral to Racing TV's proposition, and the channel works closely with the betting industry. Its programming includes live odds, market analysis and tipping, and the channel has historically been available in betting shops alongside its residential service. The Racecourse Media Group's business extends beyond the television channel to include Turf TV, the betting shop service for licensed betting offices, the Watch and Bet streaming service that allows punters to watch races live through bookmakers' platforms, and international picture sales. This integrated model means the channel sits at the heart of a wider media rights business that monetises racing pictures across every platform, from the high street to the smartphone.

Availability and how to watch

Racing TV is available as a subscription channel on the Sky platform and Virgin Media in the UK, and it can also be subscribed to directly as a standalone streaming service through the Racing TV website and apps, offering live and on-demand coverage on computers, mobiles and tablets. An international streaming service provides the channel to subscribers outside the UK, with seven-day catch-up available. The channel broadcasts in high definition, and its streaming platforms use adaptive technology to deliver the best available picture quality. Day passes and monthly subscriptions are offered for the direct streaming service, catering both to committed racing fans and to occasional viewers attracted by the major festivals.

Rivalry and the racing media landscape

Racing TV operates in a competitive racing media landscape alongside Sky Sports Racing, formerly At The Races, which holds the rights to a different set of tracks, and the free-to-air coverage provided by ITV Racing. The division of rights between Racing TV and Sky Sports Racing means that the two subscription channels offer complementary rather than overlapping coverage, and many dedicated racing fans subscribe to both. ITV's free-to-air coverage of around 100 days of racing per year, including the Grand National, Cheltenham Festival and Royal Ascot, provides the sport with a terrestrial shop window. Racing TV's racecourse-owned model gives it a distinctive voice in debates about the sport's future, from levy reform to fixture scheduling, and its leadership regularly advocates for the interests of racecourses and horsemen.

Outlook

With its media rights secured through to 2033 and a portfolio that includes British racing's most valuable fixtures, Racing TV is well placed for the coming decade. The channel faces the same challenges as all specialist broadcasters, from changing viewing habits to competition for subscription spending, but its unique ownership model aligns its interests with those of the sport it covers. Continued investment in production quality, streaming technology and international distribution, alongside the enduring appeal of events like the Grand National and the Cheltenham Festival, underpins its strategy. As the principal pay television home of British racing, Racing TV remains central to the sport's media economy and to the daily lives of racing supporters.