Sky Sports Racing has won the rights to show all Ascot fixtures from March 2019.
The new deal, which will see Royal Ascot shown on the channel will run through to at least 2021 and is a major coup for the new racing venture on Sky Sports. Ascot has been a regular fixture on RUK since moving from At The Races in 2014 but the course has made the decision to jump back across the TV divide from next March.
At The Races will re-brand as Sky Sports Racing in January 2019 and the capture of the Ascot rights is a major boost.
Bangor and Chester have already made the switch from RUK to Sky Sports Racing and it will be particularly interesting to see how the new move pans out.
Racing UK will be boosted by the arrival of the exclusive rights to all Irish Racing from next year and there have been major concerns about their ability to cover all their scheduled fixtures in enough detail. The departure of Ascot will ease the congestion on the channel slightly meaning it could be a deal that makes sense for all parties.
The new agreement also includes the UK streaming rights for betting at the Berkshire venue.
The arrival of Sky Sports into racing is expected to shake up the status quo and Ascot Chief Commercial Officer Juliet Slot is no doubt about the advantages of the new channel.
"We're really pleased to be partnering with Sky Sports Racing. We've chosen them because of the significant investment and commitment to the sport they have demonstrated.."
The capture of Royal Ascot is of course the crown in the jewel of the new deal for Sky Sports Racing and the screening of one of the biggest meetings in the world will have been a key factor in the decision of the global sports power to fully enter the muddy water of horse racing TV rights.
Interesting times ahead.
