Restaurant management company Yum Brands has reached an agreement with the operating group of Churchill Downs racecourse to retain its presenting sponsorship of the iconic Kentucky Derby horse race through 2020.
Yum Brands’ current agreement for the Kentucky Derby, signed in 2011, covers the 141st running in 2015. The fresh terms are effective from the race’s 2016 edition.
The Kentucky Derby boasts a $2m (€1.55m) guaranteed prize fund.
Jonathan Blum, senior vice-president of Yum Brands, said: “While millions of people know and love our leading restaurant brands, they may not know Yum Brands. The sponsorship of the Kentucky Derby allows us to build awareness of Yum.”
Yum’s restaurant brands include the KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell chains.