Horse racing is a niche sport. It isn’t insanely popular, but the people that love it are dedicated to it. That is why the sport’s biggest events, like the Belmont Stakes, are very attractive to TV networks.
Starting in 2023, the Belmont will move from NBC to FOX. This means that NBC will no longer have all three legs of the Triple Crown on its air. With the Belmont being the final leg, even if the same horse wins the first two races on NBC, it will be FOX that sees the ratings boost from people tuning into see if we crown a Triple Crown winner.
“From Secretariat to American Pharoah, the Belmont Stakes has been racing’s greatest test of the champion, and we couldn’t be prouder to bring it to FOX Sports,” Michael Mulvihill, FOX Sports’ Executive Vice President and Head of Strategy and Analytics, said in a press release. “The Belmont enhances FOX’s status as the industry leader in live events and is an important step in our evolution as a media and gaming brand.”
The deal also sees the Belmont get a new naming rights sponsor. The New York Racing Association and its NYRA Bets wagering business get that honor.
FOX has expanded its agreement with the NYRA multiple times. It began in 2016 with the network launching Saratoga Live on FS2. FOX became the official TV partner of the Belmont Race Course in 2019.
