IRISH racing pictures look set to remain on Racing TV until 2028.

On Tuesday the subscription channel's parent company Racecourse Media Group was named by the Horse Racing Ireland Media Rights Committee as the "preferred bidder" for the direct-to-home rights for Irish racing for the next five years.

The channel will now enter exclusive negotiations with the HRI Media Rights Committee with a deal expected to be finalised before Christmas.

Today's announcement suggests that Sky Sports Racing has failed in its bid to win back live Irish racing pictures which had been held by SSR's predecessor At The Races up to 2017.

A statement released by HRI Media Rights Committee chairman Conor O'Neill said: "Following a tender process for the sale of Irish horse racing’s media rights for the period 2024 to 2028, it [the HRI Media Rights Committee} has selected Sports Information Services (LBOs, Streaming & Digital, International Fixed Odds) and Racecourse Media Group (Direct-To-Home, Free-To-Air UK, International Tote) as its Preferred Bidders, and will now enter into a period of exclusivity during which the Media Rights Committee and the Preferred Bidders will commence negotiations in order to finalise the proposed agreement which, following approval by the racecourses and HRI, shall be entered into between the Preferred Bidders and the Rightsholders. There will be no further comment during this period of exclusive negotiations."

MORE ON THIS STORY IN THE IRISH FIELD NEXT WEEKEND