Under new ownership for the first year since big changes were to be implemented, the 2026 Cheltenham Festival was hoping for a much better showing and a return to form this March.

Early reports indicate that the famed jump racing event achieved this feat, with the action as the four days unfolded only furthering its draw.

The Cheltenham Roar Returns to Full Force

Naturally, the main activity of the Cheltenham Festival is betting, with Cheltenham odds being intrinsic to the festival. The first race saw the odds-off favourite charge to victory, with two more favourites coming in alongside at 18/1, 10/1, and 7/1. Such results earned tremendous roars from the crowds.

Over the next few days, the horse racing betting flowed, with eight favourites across the 28 races winning, marking a 28.6 per cent win rate for the bookies’ favourites. For spectators and those happy to take the even longer shots, this only amped up the entertainment value of the races. Usually, there’s around a 33 per cent favourite win rate.

Day One, Tuesday 10 March, being so heavy on the favourites trotting in was certainly a boon for the spectators at the track and at home. Late runs up the odds boards, like with Etait Temps, Heart Wood, and Meetmebythesea will have also been snapped up by punters and celebrated as they charged across the line.

Do Betting Triumphs and Big Crowds Translate to TV Audiences?

The big issue with the Cheltenham Festival from a television point of view is that it runs from around 13:00 to 17:30, putting it well out of the ideal broadcast spaces. It’s also going on from Tuesday to Friday, making its potential audience rather quaint compared to other sporting occasions.

Shown on ITV 1 throughout the whole schedule, it will have received maximum exposure, and its placement on such a prominent channel will certainly help it to maximise its potential TV audience. At the track, despite reducing capacity to ensure more generous spacing, attendance rose significantly.

Over 8,000 more tickets sold in 2026 compared to 2025, with Ladies’ Day on the Wednesday offering the most significant increase, having threatened to fall below the 40,000 mark in recent editions. All in, the 226,223 attendees marked a strong return to form and a 3.7 per cent increase.

Of course, it’s a famed British sporting event that never fails to catch the headlines. While horse racing is taking place every week, it’s events like the Cheltenham Festival that will guarantee a prominent place on the back pages and be reported on by the primary sports news channels.

In fact, in terms of public opinion, Cheltenham Festival is found to be the 32nd highest in the UK. It’s just behind the French Open and ahead of La Liga, the Epsom Derby, the Super Bowl, the Bundesliga, and the Autumn Internationals in rugby union. That’s quite the group of events to be more popular than in the modern space.

Seemingly, the Cheltenham Festival returned to form as a highlight event on the sporting calendar in 2026. It caught the headlines, commanded a heftier crowd, and most likely garnered even more viewers for ITV.

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Tags: cheltenham, horse racing, itv