The Breeders’ Cup World Championships, one of the flagship events in the US horse racing calendar, has secured wide international media visibility for its 2024 fixture.
HBA Media, the race’s international distribution agency, has named 30 broadcaster networks for the event, with six of these being new partners. The primary US-based partner will continue to be NBC, which will also provide other networks coverage via the NBC World Feed.
NBC’s coverage will include all 14 races broadcast across its main channel, whilst the full two-day card will also be made available on the Peacock OTT platform, the USA Network cable channel, and FanDuel TV, the sports streaming proposition of US betting market leader FanDuel.
Justin McDonald, Breeders’ Cup Executive Vice President, added: “The Breeders’ Cup is pleased to see increasing interest in and affinity for the World Championships from fans around the world year after year.
“Not only are more international horses than ever travelling to Del Mar to compete in the world’s best two days of racing, but thanks to HBA and our media distribution partners, fans and bettors around the world will be able to experience it all from their home countries.
“We look forward to continuing to expand our reach and engage new fans around the world in the years to come.”
The nationwide rollout of regulated sports betting in the US since 2018 has proved fruitful for the country’s horse racing sector, which is now benefiting from increased legal betting lines. Meanwhile, US racing has also been targeting a wider international presence, both through working with overseas pool betting and through media exposure.
This year’s Breeders Cup will take place at Del Mar racecourse in California from 1-2 November. The event has been held at various racecourses throughout its history and is one of one of the most significant fixtures in US racing, along with the Kentucky Derby.
Securing wide media coverage of the event will serve the ambitions of US racing officials to showcase the scene internationally, potentially unlocking more commercial and betting interest.
Outside the US, UK coverage will be provided by ITV and Sky Sports Racing, long term media partners of the sport, with Racing TV also involved.
Other global partners include Australia’s Channel Nine, Canada’s Sportsnet, ESPN and Disney in South Africa, Virgin Media in Ireland, Sony Pictures Networks in the Indian Subcontinent and WeDO Sports in Europe’s DACH region.
“Del Mar Racecourse offers the Breeders’ Cup the most scenic backdrop for this prestigious Championship series,” said Frank Sale, Managing Director of HBA Media.
“The expanded worldwide reach of 30 networks broadcasting the live coverage underlines the Breeders’ Cup importance within the sporting landscape, as well as its engaged fanbase internationally.
“HBA is proud to have represented the Breeders’ Cup international rights for well over a decade now and the pick-up this year matches the ambition we have for the sport of horse racing and the opportunity we see with its premium assets.”
