NBC Sports Group extends Breeders’ Cup rights deal

The NBC Sports Group division of US media company NBCUniversal has extended a rights deal for the Breeders’ Cup horseracing event.

The deal will run for 10 years, from 2016 until 2025.

Under the agreement, the NBC network and pay-television channel NBC Sports Network will show at least eight hours of live coverage per year across the two-day event.

The extension includes live primetime coverage of the Breeders’ Cup Classic race in 2016 from Santa Anita Park near Los Angeles and in 2017 from Del Mar near San Diego.

NBC Sports Group had a four-year rights deal for the Breeders’ Cup that was due to expire with the 2014 edition, which gets underway today (Friday) at Santa Anita in California.