Aintree showpiece to remain on ITV until 2030

Contributor: Allstar Picture Library Ltd, Alamy Image ID: 2GFKN8F. Francesca Cumani, ITV Horse Racing presenter (Photo by SCOTT HEPPELL / POOL / AFP)

The Grand National at Aintree – the world’s most recognisable jumps race – will remain on ITV for live terrestrial television coverage in Britain until at least 2030, following a new broadcast rights deal.
ITV Racing will continue to broadcast Britain’s biggest meetings to a terrestrial audience after securing a four-year deal to show exclusive free-to-air coverage until the end of 2030.
The new agreement, which comes into effect in 2027, will extend ITV’s position as racing’s terrestrial broadcasting partner beyond a decade, and guarantees 117 days of live action a year across ITV platforms.

Boost for racing in troubled times

The new ITV deal ensures racing is assured of a place on terrestrial television for the next four years at least, at a time when the sport is coming under pressure with anticipated tax hikes on betting in the upcoming UK budget
At a time when sports are increasingly moving to subscription-based broadcasters, racing retains a key place in the free-to-air market, ensuring a wide and varied audience for the sport.
The new contract covers racing’s flagship events, including the Grand National, Royal Ascot, the Cheltenham Festival and the Derby.
Niall Sloane, ITV’s director of sport, described the new deal as “vital” for the broadcaster and the sport, and said: “This ensures the very best fixtures across the UK are available free-to-air on ITV until 2030. We’re proud to deliver so much live coverage of this incredible sport and would like to thank our partners as we look forward to continuing our relationship.”

Aintree a key part of ITV offering

The Grand National Festival at Aintree is one of the staples in the National Hunt calendar, featuring three days of fantastic racing from the Merseyside layout in early April each year.
The Thursday, Friday and Saturday meeting of course centre around the Grand National itself, one of Britain’s most treasured sporting events and a race that unites the nation.
Viewing figures have remained strong in 2025, with the Grand National attracting a peak audience of 5.2 million across the United Kingdom, well ahead of the likes of the Cheltenham Gold Cup (1.8 million) and the Epsom Derby (1.3 million), illustrating the strong hold the Aintree marathon still holds on the British sporting landscape.

ITV praised for strong work

ITV Racing’s coverage has been recognised for its quality, with BAFTA awards in 2018 and 2024, while presenters Ed Chamberlin and Francesca Cumani won the Broadcast Sports Presenter of the Year prize at the 2019 British Sports Journalism Awards.
The continuation of ITV covering the sport was welcomed by the main racecourse groups in Britain, as the sport pursues audience growth through its nationwide marketing campaign, The Going Is Good, and its consumer research initiative, Project Beacon.
Nick Mills, Racecourse Media Group chief executive, said: “On behalf of our racecourses, we are thrilled to extend our partnership with ITV for a further four years. British racing will again receive extensive mainstream terrestrial television coverage across 117 days – an exceptional level of visibility that allows millions of racing fans to watch the best the sport has to offer.
“I’d like to thank ITV for their award-winning coverage and wholehearted commitment to this wonderful sport.”