NBC to continue broadcasting Breeders' Cup through 2030

Breeders’ Cup Ltd. and NBC Sports have reached an extension of their broadcast agreement that will keep the event on the network’s channels through 2030, the two companies announced on Wednesday.

The existing contract was set to expire at the end of 2025. It was last extended for 10 years in 2014, under a deal that guaranteed at least eight hours of live coverage over the two days of the event.

The new deal guarantees 10 hours of live coverage, including 3.5 hours on NBC. In past years, NBC has split its coverage among networks under its corporate umbrella, most notably on the USA Network. The deal also allows Peacock, NBC’s subscription streaming service, to provide live coverage of the event.

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NBC has had a broadcast deal with Breeders’ Cup since 2012, and the network was the broadcast partner for Breeders’ Cup from its inaugural event until 2005. The deal entails the sharing of broadcast costs and revenues, rather than a straight-up rights buy.

For the past two years, the Breeders’ Cup has shuffled its Saturday lineup to ensure that its most high-profile events, such as the Classic and Turf, are broadcast live on the flagship NBC network. The move came after NBC reached a huge broadcast deal with the Big 10 football conference for prime-time coverage in the fall.

This year’s Breeders’ Cup is scheduled for Oct. 31-Nov. 1 at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club.

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