NBC showing horse racing’s 2012 Breeders’ Cup in prime time
NBC Sports Channel
Looks like NBC is Horse racings new network. Beginning with the 2012 Breeders’ Cup World Championships, November 2-3, from Santa Anita Park, the Breeders’ Cup championships will be returning to their original home, NBC and the NBC Sports Group. This effectively terminates the eight-year contract between Breeders’ Cup and ESPN two years early.
With this move, NBC has the broadcast rights to all of horse racing’s top events, including the 2012 Kentucky Derby, 2012 Preakness, 2012 Belmont Stakes, and 2012 Breeders’ Cup, plus six major prep races in 2012 leading up to the Triple Crown. They will televise the horse races on NBC and NBC Sports Network.
Horse racing and NBC will produce the first-ever primetime broadcast of the Breeders’ Cup Classic on November 3rd from 8-9 p.m. EDT.
NBC and NBC Sports Network will combine to present 9 ½ hours of live coverage of the 2012 Breeders’ Cup from Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif., including live primetime coverage of the Breeders’ Cup Classic on NBC on Saturday, Nov. 3 (8-9 p.m. ET). This marks the first time in its history that the Classic is broadcast live in primetime. Financial terms of the deals were not disclosed.
“Everyone here is delighted that the Breeders’ Cup has returned home,” said Jon Miller, President, Programming, NBC Sports and NBC Sports Network. “Bringing back this prestigious event, combined with our long-term partnerships for the Triple Crown with Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby, in addition to the Preakness and Belmont cements the NBC Sports Group as the home of horse racing.”
The Breeders’ Cup, Thoroughbred racing’s most prestigious global racing event, consists of 15 races held over two-days with over $25 million in purses at stake. The culminating event of the Breeders’ Cup, the Breeders’ Cup Classic, is contested at 1 ¼ miles on the main track, for 3-year-olds and older, and is often the determining race for the coveted Horse of the Year title.
2012 BREEDERS’ CUP TELEVISION SCHEDULE:
All Times Live, ET
Friday, November 2 4-8 p.m. NBC Sports Network
Saturday, November 3 3:30-8 p.m. NBC Sports Network
Saturday, November 3 8-9 p.m. NBC
