SKY Sports Racing, the new name for At The Races, will be the only racing channel showing the vast majority of France’s big races for the next three years.

The deal, announced this week, further strengthens the channel’s portfolio as it prepares to lose live Irish racing to Racing UK at the end of this year. Free-to-air terrestrial channels such ITV, Virgin Media One (formerly TV3) and RTÉ are not affected.

Sky Sports Racing will also become the online video streaming provider for the French pari-mutuel [Tote] in Britain and Ireland. It plans to offer 10,000 French thoroughbred and trotting races to British and Irish online punters each year.

Matthew Imi, chief executive of At The Races said: “This is a very exciting new partnership for us with France Galop, Le Trot and PMU and one that has immense potential. French racing is already well supported by owners and trainers in the UK and Ireland but we will showcase the strength and quality of French thoroughbred racing throughout the year in a way that has never been done before.”

The PMU also has a deal with Paddy Power Betfair and William Hill that allows those firms’ customers to see more French racing. Results since last February have been described by PMU international director Aymeric Verlet as meeting “the high ends of our expectations”.

Although it won’t have any Irish racing, Sky Sports Racing will broadcast from about 25 British tracks, including Ascot which it successfully acquired ahead of Racing UK. The channel is also expected to show racing from Dubai, North America, Australia and Hong Kong.

The loss of French racing from Racing UK should give more air-time to Irish racing.