NBC Sports to televise Dubai World Cup, Epsom Derby

The $10 million Dubai World Cup at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai and the Epsom Derby in England will be broadcast live this year on NBC Sports Network, the network announced on Monday.

The Dubai World Cup, which is annually targeted by a number of U.S. horses, will be the anchor event of a three-hour broadcast March 25 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Eastern. Last year, 2016 Horse of the Year California Chrome won the race. It had previously been simulcast at wagering sites and broadcast on Television Games Network and through live-streaming on account-wagering sites.

The Epsom Derby will be broadcast during a two-hour program from 10 a.m. to noon Eastern on June 3. The Epsom Derby is frequently compared to the Kentucky Derby for the prestige it carries for 3-year-olds in the United Kingdom.

NBC, which holds the long-term rights to the three Triple Crown races in the U.S. and to the two-day Breeders’ Cup event, has gradually been adding racing events to the calendar of its sports network. This year, the network will broadest live daily from the Royal Ascot meet in England for the first time.N