Television Games Network will again sponsor the $2 million TVG Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. I), the 6-furlong race that is part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, to be held Nov. 4 at Churchill Downs.The National Thoroughbred Racing Association, Breeders' Cup Ltd., and the television network made the announcement May 2. TVG, the interactive sports television horse racing network and account wagering provider, first sponsored the event in 2005.
TVG has been an exclusive NTRA marketing partner since 1999. As title sponsor of the race, the network has media and marketing rights to the leading sprint events leading up to the Breeders' Cup. As part of its sponsorship, TVG will provide and produce the following television programming for NTRA and Breeders' Cup in 2006:
* Live coverage of all TVG sprint division races airing from mid-June through October;
* The Breeders' Cup simulcast show, a live broadcast of all eight Breeders' Cup races which is distributed to more than 2,000 off-track and simulcast locations worldwide;
* The Breeders' Cup "Works" program, a weeklong series covering the workouts of all Breeders' Cup contenders and key information leading up to the Championships; and
* The Breeders' Cup Preview Show and other Breeders' Cup-related programming. In addition, TVG will collaborate with NTRA and Breeders' Cup on marketing programs aimed at helping achieve the goal of increasing Breeders' Cup pari-mutuel handle. TVG handle on the Breeders' Cup has risen dramatically since it began offering wagers on the championship. In 2000, TVG Breeders' Cup handle was just under $360,000. Last year it topped $4.1 million.