(From The USA Today -- By Michael Hiestand)
THE BREEDERS' CUP, after 22 years on NBC, will move to ESPN starting next year in an eight-year deal.
The annual event, with eight horse races and purses totaling about $14 million, set its all-time low rating of 1.4% of U.S. TV households last fall. NBC, which had revenue sharing rather than a rights fee payment for the event, did not try to renew it.
ESPN, which also will use revenue sharing, plans to spread the event across various platforms, such as ESPN cell phones, online broadband service, Spanish-language ESPN DEPORTES.
Among Triple Crown races, ABC picks up the BELMONT STAKES next year.
ESPN programming chief MARK SHAPIRO says ESPN has "no interest" in going after the KENTUCKY DERBY but left open the idea of chasing THE PREAKNESS, which is in the last year of its NBC deal.
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