Racing content distributor HBA Media announced it had signed agreements with high-profile media outlets like Entain and ITV for November’s Melbourne Cup and Breeders’ Cup. The new partnerships will allow viewers worldwide to enjoy some of Australia and North America’s most prestigious horse racing events and lay the groundwork for future cooperation.
The Two Cups Promise a Great Spectacle
The two events can easily be viewed as the highlight of 2022’s racing calendar, explaining the surge in interest among media outlets. The Lexus Melbourne Cup is one of Australia’s flagship racing fixtures, now entering its 162nd year. The event started on 1 November 2022 at Melbourne’s Flemington Racecourse and was attended by more than 73,000 fans.
4 November marks the beginning of the two-day Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Keeneland, Kentucky. The event originated in 1984, featuring some of the top Grade 1 races in the world. Breeders’ Cup senior VP of Marketing Justin McDonald was hopeful that the event’s popularity would spark increased interest.
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.
Justin McDonald, Breeders’ Cup senior VP of Marketing
Twenty-one broadcasters will air the Breeders’ Cup live across all continents. The most anticipated race is, without a doubt, the $6 million Longines Classic on 5 November.
Media Outlets Worldwide Expressed Interest
HBA has been a long-time distribution partner for both events and has onboarded several new broadcasters to ensure that the exciting content reaches as many fans as possible. UK free-to-air channel ITV will broadcast the Breeders Cup for the second year, giving local fans more access to international races.
In mainland Europe, HBA partners with high-profile networks like Scandinavia’s OTT network and Portugal’s Sport TV. Setanta will air HBA’s content in the Baltics, WeDoTV will cover Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, while Swedish viewers will be able to enjoy the events on Kanal 75.
FOX Sports aired the Melbourne Cup in the USA, reaching 70 million households. In Australia, both events piqued the interest of Racing.com and Entain, the latter undoubtedly wishing to bolster its burgeoning media business.
Asia, South America, and Africa also saw great interest, indicating continued worldwide interest in horse racing content.
Racing Content Remains Highly Popular
HBA Media managing director Frank Sale remarked on the popularity of the two events as clear standouts in the yearly calendar and their ability to consistently capture the attention of fans.
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.
Frank Sale, HBA Media managing director
Sale added that the continued collaboration with the two events and HBA’s efforts were vital to their sustained worldwide popularity. The long-year success of the cups indicates that traditional racing content can still draw an audience thanks to innovations like interactivity and on-demand content.