NBCSN to Cover Royal Ascot

NBC Sports Group reached a multi-year agreement for exclusive United States media rights to the Royal Meeting in Ascot, Berkshire, England beginning in 2017.  

NBCSN will present live coverage of the mid-June Royal Ascot meet for five consecutive days for at least three and a half hours a day (8:30 a.m. - Noon ET).

All coverage will be streamed on NBC Sports Live Extra, NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, tablets, and connected TVs.

Royal Ascot is one of the world’s most prized  racing venues, and offers more than $8 million in prize money.  The event features 30 races, including eight at group I level.

NBC Sports Group’s Royal Ascot coverage will complement its long-term media agreements for all of the Triple Crown races—Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands, Xpressbet.com Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes (all gr. I), as well as the Breeders’ Cup World Championships.

“We are excited to work with Royal Ascot to bring to the U.S. audience live coverage of an event that the millions of Americans who enjoy our Triple Crown and Breeders’ Cup telecasts will be sure to enjoy,” said Jon Miller, president of programming for NBC Sports and NBCSN.

“This agreement with NBCUniversal will allow us to bring Royal Ascot to a mainstream American audience—one that will gravitate to the racing to watch its best horses take on ours, and indeed those more interested in fashions and uniquely British pageantry,” said Juliet Slot, commercial director at Ascot. “We are thrilled to be announcing this today and will be working with NBC on site this year so that they can plan to bring the best of British to America.”

Undrafted, partly-owned by former the NFL's Wes Welker, won the  Diamond Jubilee Stakes (Eng-I) in 2015. California Chrome  , the 2014 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner, was entered in last year’s Prince of Wale's Stakes (Eng-I) at Royal Ascot before he was sidelined with a bruised foot. 

The Royal Meeting is also the center of the British social season and a pivotal week in the calendar of the Royal Family, who arrive every day by the world famous “Royal Procession” with the first carriage carrying The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh.