Broadcaster to air race for second year running

ITV Racing

ITV is among 21 broadcasters to air the Breeders’ Cup on 4 and 5 November.

The horse racing meet takes place in Kentucky, USA, and has run since 1984. Broadcasters will have access to a bespoke ‘Golden Hour’ production centered around the $6 million (£5.36m) Longines Classic.

Sky Sports Racing and Racing TV join the free-to-air broadcaster in the UK as well as in Ireland, along with Viaplay across Scandinavia, ), Virgin Media (Ireland), Polsat (Poland), Setanta (Eurasia and Baltics), Sport TV (Portugal), WeDoTV (Germany, Switzerland and Austria) and Kanal 75 (Sweden). 

Outside of Europe, ESPN/Star+ will show the race in South America, Supersport to 48 territories in Africa, and DMI in MENA. SPOTV (South-East Asia), SPN (India and Indian subcontinent) and Wasu.tv (China) will show it in Asia, while Racing.com and Entain will broadcast the race 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.”