Where to watch Cheltenham Festival after ITV coverage ends?

 (Getty Images)
(Getty Images)

Excitement is brewing for the biggest horse racing event of the year as the Cheltenham Festival fast approaches.

The Festival will take place over four days in March, starting with Champion Day, then Ladies Day (officially called Style Wednesday) on day two, and St Patrick’s Day falling on day three before finishing with Gold Cup Day.

There will be 28 races to enjoy, beginning with the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, the Arkle Challenge Trophy and the Champion Hurdle on the opening Tuesday, and Friday’s finale will feature the prestigious Cheltenham Gold Cup which will celebrate its centenary at this meeting.

Galopin Des Champs will be looking to claim back-to-back wins in the showpiece Gold Cup, while the Champion Hurdle has been thrown wide open following the withdrawal of heavy favourite and defending champion Constitution Hill.

Here’s everything you need to know about watching every race from the Greatest Show on Turf’.

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When is the 2024 Cheltenham Festival?

The Festival begins on Tuesday 12 March and concludes on Friday 15 March.

The first race is scheduled for 1.30pm GMT each day, and the final race of the day is set to begin at 5.30pm. The championship race will be run at 3.30pm.

A full schedule of the action can be found here.

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Where can I watch on TV?

Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the first five races of the day on ITV 1, with coverage on the channel beginning at 1pm GMT every day until 4.30pm GMT. The races can also be streamed online via ITVX.

There is also a preview show each morning from 8.30am GMT to 10am GMT which is shown on ITV4 and ITVX.

If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch major sporting events, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN round-up is here to help and includes deals on VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are, and also with the terms of their service provider.

How can I watch every race once ITV coverage ends?

The final two races of each day will not be shown on ITV but fans wanting to watch can do so via Racing TV. Subscriptions for the channel, which shows every race from the festival, are available through Sky and Virgin Media and online through its website and app. Coverage on Racing TV begins at 12.30pm GMT every day, with coverage ending after the final race.

A number of betting websites and apps also show all the races, provided you have a funded account with them.