Advanced Television

HBA secures global coverage for Melbourne, Breeders’ Cups

November 3, 2023

On November 3rd and 4th, the two-day Breeders’ Cup World Championship returns to Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif marking the 40th year of the event. This will launch-pad a bumper broadcast window of international racing, with Australia’s biggest horse racing festival – the Melbourne Cup Carnival – beginning at Flemington Racecourse on the same weekend, with four days of action taking place between November 4th – 11th .

Reflecting the international nature of both events, an improved 25 networks will broadcast the race meetings into every major continent for the first time.

BREEDERS’ CUP:

Coverage of all 14 champion races, which collectively boast $31 million in prize money, will be produced by host broadcaster NBC. Five championship races, headlined by the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic and Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf, will be showcased on the main NBC channel, with the full two-day card also available across Peacock, USA Network and FanDuel.

ITV will return stateside for their third consecutive year to provide free-to-air coverage for UK viewers. The UK audience will also be serviced by Sky Sports Racing and Racing TV, who will air every race.

HBA Media, the event’s dedicated global distribution agency, have also secured three renewed partnerships with ESPN who will broadcast both days throughout South America, OTT

network FanCode in India and SuperSport across Africa. Virgin Media in Ireland will give both days extensive airtime as multiple Irish challengers take their chance.

HBA and Breeders’ Cup have continued their Golden Hour production, which focuses on delivering the feature Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic to an international audience. This offering will be broadcast worldwide by WeDo Sports (Germany, Switzerland and Austria), Polsat (Poland), Racing.com (Australia), Sony Pictures Networks (India), Sport 24 (Global Airlines), Setanta (Balkans and Eurasia) amongst others.

LEXUS MELBOURNE CUP:

The Lexus Melbourne Cup, will headline the four-day meeting. Running on November 7th, the $8.4 million feature race takes place at Flemington Racecourse and will be presented by 25 broadcasters in over 209 countries and territories, with Victoria Racing Club (VRC) producing a bespoke world-feed for expectant audiences.

The VRC’s two-hour broadcast will have a distinct international focus, bringing the history of Australia’s greatest race and the stories of the strong international contenders to a global fanbase.

HBA, the Victoria Racing Club’s dedicated global distribution agency, has further improved distribution for the wider Carnival days in 2023, with eight major networks showcasing all the action.

Distribution for the VRC’s international programmes for Penfolds Derby Day, Lexus Melbourne Cup Day, Kennedy Oaks Day and TAB Champions Stakes Day will be headlined by FOX Sports in the USA, bringing the Melbourne Cup Carnival to over 70 million American homes.

Closer to the host nation, new broadcasters TransVision (Indonesia), Premier Sports (South East Asia) and FanCode (India), will air the full Melbourne Cup Carnival for the first time to ensure comprehensive coverage across Asia. Sky Sports Racing (UK and Ireland), ESPN (South and Central America), SportsMax (Caribbean) and SuperSport (Africa) provide supplementary coverage of all four days, with DMI (MENA) continuing to showcase every race in the Middle East.

Frank Sale, Managing Director of HBA Media, said: “With the Breeders’ Cup reaching its 40th year, HBA is proud to have secured strong global distribution for this renowned event. As we move into a second decade of partnership with the Breeders’ Cup, to have more mainstream sports networks than ever before showcasing these prestigious races is very positive as we continue to re-position horse racing as an in-demand product within the sports broadcasting industry.”

Justin McDonald, Senior Vice President of Marketing for the Breeders’ Cup, said: “International distribution remains a key focus of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, Thoroughbred racing’s global year-end showcase. Thanks to our long-term partnership with HBA, fans on every continent can enjoy the action as the world’s best thoroughbreds put on an incredible show.”

Henry Birtles, CEO at HBA Media, added: “We are delighted to have guaranteed the Lexus Melbourne Cup a global footprint that befits its status as one of the greatest occasions in sport, as well as improving the reach of the full Melbourne Cup Carnival. The VRC’s continued investment in live and on-demand international content is an invaluable asset, and we are delighted that a global audience will be able to experience the full Carnival in all its splendour. This year’s event marks a decade of partnership between HBA and the VRC, and we are indebted to them for their committed support. We are enormously proud to work on this incredible event, and to have played a part in ensuring further growth in the Melbourne Cup Carnival’s global distribution.”

FULL COVERAGE DETAILS:

Australia / New Zealand: Channel 10, Racing.com (Australia); Entain (Australia).

Asia: ABC International (Pacific / SE Asia), TransVision (Indonesia), FanCode (India), Premier Sports (SE Asia), Sony Pictures Network (India and Indian Subcontinent), Fiji TV (Fiji), FBC (Fiji), Wasu.tv (China); Green Channel (Japan).

Europe: ITV3, ITV4 (UK), Sky Sports Racing (UK), Racing TV (UK and Ireland), Virgin Media (Ireland), Kanal 75 (Sweden), Setanta (Balkans and Eurasia), Polsat (Poland), Silknet (Georgia); WeDo Sports (Germany, Switzerland, Austria).

USA: NBC (USA), Peacock (USA), USA Networks (USA), FanDuel (USA); FOX Sports (USA).

South America and Caribbean: ESPN /Star+ (Central and South America), TSN (Canada); SportsMax (Caribbean).

MENA and Sub-Saharan Africa: DMI (MENA), SuperSport (Africa, 48 territories).

Global: Reuters (Global News Outlet), TransWorld Sports (Global Magazine Show), Sport24 (Airlines); Anuvu (Cruise Ships).

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