This week sees two prestigious international horseracing events – the Lexus Melbourne Cup and the Breeders’ Cup – attract a widespread global audience courtesy of specialist distributors HBA Media.
The Lexus Melbourne Cup, which took place in the early hours this morning (Tuesday, 1st November), entered its 162nd year with 20 broadcasters showcasing the event live in over 190 territories. Multiple networks were serviced with a bespoke two-hour international programme that saw expat David Eustance and joint-trainer Ciaron Maher land Australia’s greatest race for the first time with topweight Gold Trip.
Later in the week, action will move to the USA with the Breeders’ Cup World Championships returning to Keeneland, Kentucky on Friday 4th November and Saturday 5th November. For this event, 21 broadcasters will have access to a bespoke ‘Golden Hour’ production centered around the $6million Longines Classic, which will be accessible in every major continent.
Distribution was managed by HBA Media, who hold long-standing relationships with both events spanning back a decade. For 2022, several new major broadcasters have been brought on to each event to ensure visibility and exposure across the world.
Broadcast highlights include:
- ITV return stateside for their second broadcast of the Breeders’ Cup on free-to-air TV as they continue to deliver their UK fans more international racing.
- FOX Sports showcased the entire Melbourne Cup Carnival, utilizing new two-hour international daily programmes for Penfold Derby Day, Kennedy Oaks Day and TAB Champions Day to take all the action into 70 million American homes.
- Strong European coverage with heavyweight OTT network Viaplay broadcasting both events across Scandinavia, with Sky Sports Racing (UK and Ireland), Racing TV (UK and Ireland), Virgin Media (Ireland), Polsat (Poland), Setanta (Eurasia and Baltics), Sport TV (Portugal), WeDoTV (Germany, Switzerland and Austria) and Kanal 75 (Sweden) championing racing across the continent.
- ESPN/Star+ continue their support of horseracing with a pan-regional deal bringing the Melbourne Cup and the Breeders’ Cup to audiences across South America. SuperSport will broadcast to 48 countries across Africa. DMI will service countries in the MENA region.
- Improved audience across Asia for 2022 through new deals with SPOTV (South-East Asia), SPN (India and Indian subcontinent) and Wasu.tv (China). Racing.com and Entain will show the Breeders’ Cup to fans in Australia.
Frank Sale, Managing Director of HBA Media, said: “The Melbourne and Breeders’ Cups are two of the most anticipated race meetings within our global horseracing portfolio. Our strong working relationships with both federations on content and distribution has resulted in several new broadcasters showcasing the races for the very first time. This collaborative effort with both parties has ensured these fantastic events continue to receive the worldwide recognition they deserve.”
Dave Campbell, Executive General Manager of Victoria Racing Club, added: “The VRC through our expanded VRC Media division have focused on building out a live and on-demand content platform that caters to our international broadcast partners. We are thrilled that this content strategy has ensured both the Lexus Melbourne Cup and the Melbourne Cup Carnival itself have widespread coverage, bringing the unique colour and entertainment on and off the track to millions across the globe.”
Justin McDonald, Senior Vice President of Marketing for the Breeders’ Cup, said: “Breeders’ Cup was founded in 1984 with the goal of bringing high-quality racing to an international audience, and we’re proud that the Breeders’ Cup World Championships continues to be one of the most anticipated events on the thoroughbred racing calendar each year. We are grateful to our broadcasting partners for all they do to ensure that the Breeders’ Cup is accessible to all our amazing fans around the world.”