The Saudi Cup to air in 170 territories
February 20, 2023
Now entering its fourth year, The Saudi Cup will be distributed around the globe by 35 broadcasters in 170 territories on February 24th and 25th, further extending the reach of the $20 million event.
The Group 1 Saudi Cup continues to rise in reputation as one of horseracing’s premier events. This is reflected by a growing list of linear and OTT broadcasters secured by HBA Media.
Fox Sports will broadcast the Golden Hour, an IMG live production focusing on the cultural and sporting elements of The Saudi Cup, with US trained horses Country Grammer and Taiba expected to be vying for favouritism. The full undercard will be available to American fans on FanDuel TV.
The Saudi Cup will enjoy comprehensive airtime across Latin America courtesy of ESPN, with the broadcast being leveraged on their linear channels across the continent as well as being accessible pan-regionally on digital platform Star+. TSN will broadcast in Canada and SportsMax and ESPN will televise the event in the Caribbean to ensure complete coverage across the Americas.
Following Japan’s recent domination on the racing scene, the Green Channel will cover six Japanese entrants in the Saudi Cup. In Australia, Racing.com and Entain will showcase the event.
The event will benefit from strong European distribution with 10 live broadcasters across the continent. Major free-to-air network RAI will broadcast across Italy, where homegrown racing legend Frankie Dettori will be attempting to win the race for the first time in his final season in the saddle. Other deals have been struck with Racing TV (UK), Virgin Media (Ireland), Polsat (Poland), Viaplay (Netherlands and Scandinavia), Setanta (Balkans and Eurasia), Equidia (France), WeDoTV (Germany, Switzerland and Austria), Silknet (Georgia) and CYTA (Cyprus).
FanCode, the Indian online sports streaming platform, will showcase the Saudi Cup for the very first time, marking their debut into the world of horseracing. Sony Pictures Networks will once again broadcast the Saudi Cup across India and the Indian subcontinent through its linear channels.
Saudi Sports Channels (SSC) will be the host broadcaster of the event for the first time and will televise all the action throughout Saudi Arabia, with Dubai Media Incorporated renewing their deal for the MENA region. The full raceday will be livestreamed on Twitter throughout Saudi Arabia, which pulled in 6.5 million views in 2022.
HBA Media and IMG Productions are also responsible for co-producing the five-hour live raceday coverage, alongside the Golden Hour programme presented by Nick Luck and Michelle Yu, supported by Oli Bell and Laffit Pincay III. ITV Racing commentator, Richard Hoiles, will call home the ontest involving 14 champion contenders – all vying for a slice of the $20 million jackpot.
Full broadcasters taking The Saudi Cup coverage include:
North and South America, plus the Caribbean: Fox Sports (US), FanDuel TV (US), TSN (Canada), SportsMax (Caribbean), ESPN (Caribbean and Latin America) and Star+ (Latin America)
Europe: Racing TV (UK), Virgin Media (Ireland), RAI (Italy), Polsat (Poland), Setanta (Baltics and Eurasia), Equidia (France), Viaplay (Scandinavia), Silknet (Georgia), Turkey Jockey Club (Turkey), CYTA (Cyprus) and WeDoTV (Germany, Austria, Switzerland)
Asia Pacific: Green Channel (Japan), Fancode (India), Sony Pictures Networks (India), Wasu.TV (China), Racing.com (Australia) and Entain (Australia)
Africa and MENA: DMI (Dubai), Saudi Sports Channel (KSA), Twitter (KSA) and SuperSport (South Africa)
Global, News and Highlight outlets: Sport24, SNTV, Reuters and Transworld Sports.
Tom Ryan, Saudi Cup Racing Advisor, said: “The Saudi Cup has developed into a major international race weekend and it is great that our international broadcast presence reflects our rising profile on the world stage. Each year we aim to provide an informative, exciting and entertaining product that will capture the attention of racing and sports fans and continue to drive interest in Saudi Arabian horseracing.”
Henry Birtles, CEO of HBA Media, added: “We are delighted to have secured the Saudi Cup such a strong international presence across a noteworthy 170 territories. Our long-term association with the Saudi Cup (since inception) has seen the event grow into today’s sporting phenomenon – which accurately reflects the significance of the raceday both on and off the course. It is a privilege to work in partnership with the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia and we look forward to a successful meeting.”