Qipco British Champions Day at Ascot is to be screened live in the United States by the Fox Sports network for the first time on Saturday.
Britain’s richest raceday, which this year features star names like Magical, Stradivarius, Palace Pier and Epsom Derby winner Serpentine, will be available in 125 countries from Racecourse Media Group (RMG), the UK-based media rights organisation that produces and distributes racing around the world.
The Fox Sports network, which is “capable of reaching more than 100 million viewers in a single weekend” will show the fixture for the first time in the U.S., while other major networks include SuperSport in Africa, ESPN in Latin America and the Caribbean, Match in Russia, TV Poland and the Dubai Racing Channel, which serves the Middle East and North Africa.
The raceday will also enjoy a sizeable shop window in the Far East, with the Green Channel making the action available in 40 million homes, while Hong Kong will be well served by TVB, Cable TV, Now TV and the Hong Kong Jockey Club's platforms.
Seb Vance, Director of Communications and International TV Distribution at RMG, said: “We are delighted to make Qipco British Champions Day available in millions of homes across 125 countries, and so reflect the global appeal of British flat racing’s glittering finale on Saturday.”
Rod Street, Chief Executive of British Champions Series said, “Qipco British Champions Day is a world-class raceday with a strong international reach and we are delighted that, through our partnership with RMG, another exceptional day’s racing will be able to be enjoyed by racefans worldwide.”
The list of broadcasters includes:
- North and South America, plus the Caribbean: Fox Sports, TVG (US); CBC, HPI (Canada); ESPN (Latin America, Caribbean) and SportsMax (Caribbean)
- Europe: ITV (UK); Virgin Media (Republic of Ireland); Racing TV, Sky Sports Racing (UK, Republic of Ireland); TV Poland; Match (Russia); SilkNet (Georgia), and Equidia (France)
- Australasia and East Asia: Green Channel (Japan); TVB J2, Cable TV, Now TV and HKJC (Hong Kong); Sky Racing Thoroughbred Central (Australia) and Trackside (New Zealand)
- Africa: SuperSport, Tellytrack (SA only)
- Middle East and North Africa: Dubai Racing Channel; Yas (Abu Dhabi) and Al Kass (Qatar)