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HBA Media (HBA) has secured sports-network coverage in every major continent for the Breeders’ and Melbourne Cups.
This weekend, the two-day Breeders’ Cup World Championship (3 – 4 November) returns to Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif, marking the 40th year of the event.
Meanwhile, Australia’s greatest horse racing festival – the Melbourne Cup Carnival – also begins at Flemington Racecourse, with four days of action taking place from 4 – 11 November.
Reflecting the international nature of both events, an improved 25 networks will broadcast the race meetings into every major continent for the first time.
Coverage of all 14 champion races, which collectively boast $31min 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 a 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, airing every race.
HBA, the event’s dedicated global distribution agency, has also secured three renewed partnerships with ESPN who will broadcast both days throughout South America, OTT network FanCode in India and SuperSport across Africa.
Moreso, Virgin Media in Ireland will give both days extensive airtime as multiple Irish challengers compete.
HBA and Breeders’ Cup have also continued their bespoke ‘Golden Hour’ production, which focuses on delivering the feature Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic to an international audience.
Frank Sale, Managing Director of HBA Media, commented: “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.”
Furthermore, the Lexus Melbourne Cup, known as ‘The Race that Stops a Nation’, will headline the four-day meeting.
Running on 7 November, the $8.4m 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.
HBA has further improved distribution for the wider Carnival days in 2023, with eight major networks showcasing all the action.
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.”
New broadcasters TransVision (Indonesia), Premier Sports (South East Asia) and FanCode (India), will also 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.
