Racing · the Festivals and the daily coverage
Cheltenham, the Grand National, the Derby and Royal Ascot free-to-air on ITV, plus every daily card on Racing TV and Sky Sports Racing.
Next up: King George VI Chase 26 December 2026
Horse Racing on IPTV
The British racing year is built around four meetings, and all four stay on free-to-air television. The Cheltenham Festival runs from 16 to 19 March 2027 with the Gold Cup on the Friday, the Grand National Festival is at Aintree from 8 to 10 April with the race itself at around 4pm on the Saturday, the Derby is at Epsom on 5 June, and Royal Ascot follows from 15 to 19 June.
Between the festivals the sport is on every day, and that is what Racing TV and Sky Sports Racing exist for: around 1,400 meetings a year, from the all-weather cards at Wolverhampton and Lingfield on a Tuesday evening to the Boxing Day and New Year fixtures at Kempton, Wetherby and Cheltenham.
ITV1 carries the big meetings free-to-air, which is why the Grand National is still the most-watched horse race in the world. Both ITV and the dedicated racing channels are in the subscription, so a Saturday afternoon at Ascot and a midweek hurdle at Exeter are equally available — with the replay covering the races that clash.
Broadcast by
ITV1, Racing TV
Broadcast by
ITV1, Racing TV
Broadcast by
ITV1
Broadcast by
ITV1, Sky Sports Racing
Updated 5 October 2026
Confirmed dates from the organisers for the big events, and season windows for the competitions whose fixtures are published closer to the start. Every entry shows the UK channels carrying it.
Kempton Park, Surrey
The Christmas highlight of the jumps season, on Boxing Day afternoon.
Where to watch
Cheltenham Racecourse
Four days and 28 races, with the Gold Cup on the Friday and the Champion Hurdle opening the meeting.
Where to watch
Aintree Racecourse, Liverpool
Three days at Aintree, with the Grand National itself on Saturday 10 April at around 4pm — still the most-watched horse race in the world.
Where to watch
Epsom Downs, Surrey
The Oaks on the Friday and the Derby on the Saturday — the oldest Classic in the calendar.
Where to watch
Ascot Racecourse, Berkshire
Five days of flat racing, with the Gold Cup in the middle of the week and the meeting finishing on the Saturday.
Where to watch
Sky Sports Racing Goodwood, West Sussex
Five days on the Sussex downs, one of the oldest and best-attended meetings in the country.
Where to watch
York Racecourse
Four days on the Knavesmire, with the Juddmonte International and the Ebor Handicap.
Where to watch
Broadcasters
UK rights are split event by event, and the split changes more often than people expect — the Champions League moves to Paramount+ from 2027-28, for instance. This is who has what for 2026-27.
Channel ITV1, Racing TV
Channel ITV1, Racing TV
Channel ITV1
Channel ITV1, Sky Sports Racing
Channel ITV1, Racing TV
Channel ITV4, Sky Sports Racing
Channel ITV1
Channel Racing TV, Sky Sports Racing
Channel list
18,500+ channels in total — sport, news, film, documentaries and children’s — including 150+ sports channels and the free-to-air UK stations. New channels are added most weeks.
Sky Sports RacingSky Sports
Eurosport 1The free-to-air channels sit in the same app, which makes switching from a match to the news a single tap.
Sky Sports NewsPricing
There is no separate sports package: the full channel list is in the 1, 3, 6 and 12-month plans. Only the monthly price changes.
£9.99
works out at £9.99 a month
Good for continuing after the 12 free hours.
£26.97
works out at £8.99 a month
10% off — covers a full season of midweek football.
Save £3.00 (−10%)
£47.95
works out at £7.99 a month
20% off — takes you from the Ashes to the Grand National.
Save £11.99 (−20%)
£83.92
works out at £6.99 a month
30% off — the lowest price per month.
Save £35.96 (−30%)
Prices in pounds sterling for the whole of the UK, with no installation or equipment charge. The 12-hour trial is free and needs no card, so the picture can be judged before anything is paid. Multi-screen options can be added through the form.
Getting started
Your name, a mobile number and your device — three fields. The email box is optional and no card is needed at this stage.
A full account is created and the app details for your device are sent across, usually within ten minutes.
Two fields in the app and the channel list loads. The setup guide walks through your specific device in English.
If the picture and the stability are good, choose 1, 3, 6 or 12 months. If not, nothing is charged and nothing is owed.
Compatibility
No aerial, no satellite dish and no rented box: install an app on something you already own and sign in with the details we send you.
FAQ
Channels, kick-off times and the replay: the questions that come up most about horse racing.
Ask a questionThe festival runs from 8 to 10 April 2027 at Aintree, with the Grand National itself on Saturday 10 April at around 4pm. ITV1 shows it free-to-air with Racing TV providing the full card.
All four days, 16 to 19 March 2027, including the Gold Cup on the Friday. ITV1 and Racing TV carry the meeting and both are included.
Yes. Racing TV and Sky Sports Racing cover around 1,400 meetings a year between them, so the midweek cards and all-weather fixtures are available too.
No — Racing TV and Sky Sports Racing are part of the channel list, alongside ITV1 and ITV4 for the free-to-air meetings.
The Grand National is around 4pm, the Derby around 4:30pm and the Gold Cup around 3:30pm, so a whole festival afternoon is easy to plan.
Twelve hours of full access, no card. Take it on the opening day of Cheltenham or on Grand National Saturday and you will see the whole card.
Other sports
Premier League, EFL, FA Cup and the European nights
Next up: Scottish Premiership 2026/27 · 1 August 2026 – 16 May 2027
The Ashes, county cricket and The Hundred
Next up: England tour of Australia — ODIs · 13–18 November 2026
Six Nations, the Premiership and the Champions Cup
Next up: Gallagher Premiership 2026/27 · 25 September 2026 – 19 June 2027
Super League, the World Cup and Wembley
Next up: NIFL Premiership & Irish Cup · August 2026 – May 2027
Formula 1, Silverstone, MotoGP and BTCC
Next up: MotoGP 2026 — season · March – November 2026
Fury v Joshua, DAZN cards and the Belfast nights
Next up: Dubois v Wardley 2 · 17 October 2026
Wimbledon, Queen’s and the grass-court summer
Next up: ATP Finals · 15–22 November 2026
Ally Pally, the Premier League and Blackpool
Next up: Grand Slam of Darts · November 2026
The Crucible, York and the Masters
Next up: Champion of Champions · November 2026
UK coverage
What changes from nation to nation is the calendar — the Scottish Premiership, the Irish League, the GAA and the Welsh-language coverage on S4C. Each page sets out what is on where.
England · Premier League, Wembley and the Ashes
Scotland · the Premiership, Murrayfield and the Calcutta Cup
Wales · the Principality, S4C and the football pyramid
Northern Ireland · the Irish League, Ulster rugby and the GAA
12 hours free
Tell us your mobile number and which device you use — the email is optional — and we activate full access so you can judge the picture during a live event.
We are preparing your 12-hour access and the setup guide for your device. The details will arrive on the mobile number you gave us, usually within ten minutes.