BY BREEDERS’ CUP PRESS OFFICE
LEXINGTON, KY—Breeders’ Cup Limited today announced the broadcast schedule and post times for the 43rd running of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, set for Oct. 30-31 at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky. The two-day festival of racing will feature extensive live coverage across NBC Sports platforms, FanDuel TV, and Breeders’ Cup-owned digital and social channels, providing fans with multiple ways to watch the best horses from around the globe compete for top honors.
The return of the World Championships to the East Coast is highlighted by the $7 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic (Grade 1) in the anchor spot on the Saturday card, with the marquee race scheduled for 6:16 p.m. ET. The Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic will conclude the action as a power-packed festival featuring 14 Grade 1 races worth more than $34 million in purses and awards brings together the world’s top racehorses and their connections.
Keeneland will host the Breeders’ Cup for a fourth time, following memorable editions in 2015, 2020, and 2022.
NBC Sports will broadcast 10.5 hours of live coverage featuring all 14 Breeders’ Cup World Championships races beginning Friday, Oct. 30, from 1-6 p.m. ET on USA Network. Coverage continues Saturday, Oct. 31, from 1-3:30 p.m. ET on USA Network before moving to NBC from 3:30-6:30 p.m. ET.
Fans may also watch live continuous coverage on Peacock, FanDuel TV, Breeders’ Cup YouTube, Facebook, and X channels, BreedersCup.com, and the Breeders’ Cup mobile app.
Friday’s program, traditionally known as Future Stars Friday, will feature five Breeders’ Cup races exclusively for 2-year-olds. The first Championship race, the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1), is scheduled for 2:55 p.m. ET. It will be followed by the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) at 3:35 p.m.; the $1 million John Deere Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) at 4:15 p.m.; the $2 million FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) at 4:55 p.m.; and the $1 million Brown Advisory Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) at 5:35 p.m.
Saturday’s Championship action begins at 1:10 p.m. ET on USA Network with the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1), the first of nine Breeders’ Cup races on the card. The $1 million Prevagen Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1) follows at 1:48 p.m., with the $2 million Cygames Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) at 2:26 p.m. and the $2 million Maker’s Mark Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1) at 3:04 p.m.
NBC’s broadcast begins at 3:30 p.m. ET, with five Championship races comprising the final portion of their coverage. The $1 million Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) is scheduled for 3:42 p.m., followed by the $2 million FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) at 4:20 p.m.; the $2 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) at 4:58 p.m.; and the $5 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) at 5:36 p.m. The weekend culminates with the $7 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic with a post time of 6:16 p.m. ET.
“Consumer viewing habits continue to evolve, particularly around live sports, and fans increasingly expect to be able to watch premium content on the platforms and devices they use every day,” Breeders’ Cup Executive Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer Jim McDonald said. “Our expanded distribution strategy reflects that shift by meeting fans where and how they want to consume live content – across traditional broadcast television, streaming, digital and social platforms.
“Together with NBC Sports, FanDuel TV and our Breeders’ Cup-owned channels, we are making the World Championships more accessible than ever and creating more opportunities for both existing fans and new audiences around the world to experience every Breeders’ Cup race live.”
The 2026 World Championships will also be distributed to more than 182 territories worldwide, continuing the Breeders’ Cup’s extensive international reach and providing racing fans around the globe with access to the World Championships. Final international broadcast details will be announced in the coming weeks.
*Race order and post times are subject to change. Final official race order and post times for the 2026 World Championships will be released Oct. 21, 2026.
Return to the September 22 issue of Wire to Wire
