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NBC adds Breeders Cup as ESPN exits TV horse racing

By Michael Hiestand, USA TODAY
Updated

NBC has added horse racing's Breeders Cup, as ESPN gives up those TV rights, and will this year air the first-ever running of the $5 million Cup Classic in primetime.

For ESPN, which has been airing fewer horse races in the seven years that it's had Cup TV rights, the move represents an exit from covering horse racing, which now joins hockey and golf as sports that ESPN has largely walked away from. The Cup will be held Nov. 2-3, when ESPN/ABC already has lots of college football and NASCAR action.

For NBC, which already has racing's Triple Crown, the Cup provides more complementary big-event programming to fill hours on its recently rebranded cable channel, the NBC Sports Network. In 2010, NBC had 5.5 hours of total horse racing -- NBC hadn't yet peaked up Belmont Stakes -- but in 2012 NBC/NBCSN will have more than 56 total hours devoted to the sport.

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