Fox Sports continues to invest in horse racing coverage.
The network announced on Wednesday that it has reached an agreement with NYRA to bring live horse racing from the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club to Fox Sports platforms as part of a multiyear deal starting in 2027. Fox Sports will become the exclusive television home for Del Mar horse racing, including the track’s signature summer and fall meets, the network announced.
The deal adds to Fox’s growing stable of horse racing inventory, which includes the Belmont Stakes and races at Saratoga Race Course. America’s Day at the Races, a program produced by NYRA that features live horse racing from Saratoga and other partner tracks, frequently fills programming time on FS2. Fox is a minority owner in the NYRA Bets wagering platform.
While the partnership between Fox and Del Mar begins in earnest next year, FS1 will televise live coverage of the Grade 1 Pacific Classic Stakes next month on Saturday, August 22.
According to a report by Austin Karp in Sports Business Journal, the Del Mar deal could signal Fox’s larger ambitions in horse racing.
“There has also been speculation that NYRA and Fox have considered the creation of a free TV service along in the vein of ‘NFL RedZone,’ and adding tracks like Del Mar could be go toward such an effort if pursued,” Karp writes.
Del Mar racing inventory became available as FanDuel TV began to shutter its live programming this summer.
About Drew Lerner
Drew Lerner is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and an aspiring cable subscriber. He previously covered sports media for Sports Media Watch. Future beat writer for the Oasis reunion tour.