The Melbourne Cup Carnival, Australia’s greatest horse racing festival, will be showcased by sports networks in every major continent for the first time. 

The Lexus Melbourne Cup, known as ‘The Race that Stops a Nation’™, will headline the four-day meeting. Running on Tuesday 7th 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.

The VRC’s two-hour broadcast will have a distinct international focus, bringing the history of Australia’s greatest race and the stories of the strong international contenders to a global fanbase. 

HBA Media (HBA), the Victoria Racing Club’s (VRC) dedicated global distribution agency, has further improved distribution for the wider Carnival days in 2023, with eight major networks showcasing all the action. 

Distribution for the VRC’s international programmes for Penfolds Derby Day, Lexus Melbourne Cup Day, Kennedy Oaks Day and TAB Champions Stakes Day will be headlined by FOX Sports in the USA, bringing the Melbourne Cup Carnival to over 70 million American homes. 

Closer to the host nation, new broadcasters TransVision (Indonesia), Premier Sports (South East Asia) and FanCode (India), will 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.

Full Coverage Details:

Australia and Asia: Network 10, Racing.com (Australia), ABC International (Pacific / SE Asia), TransVision (Indonesia), FanCode (India), Premier Sports (SE Asia), Sony Pictures Network (India and Indian Subcontinent), Fiji TV (Fiji), FBC (Fiji); Wasu.tv (China).

Europe: Sky Sports Racing (UK), Virgin Media (Ireland), Setanta (Balkans and Eurasia), WeDo Sports (Germany, Switzerland, Austria), Polsat (Poland), Silknet (Georgia); Kanal 75 (Sweden).

Americas: FOX Sports (USA), ESPN (Central and South America), TSN (Canada); SportsMax (Caribbean).

MENA and Sub-Saharan Africa: DMI (MENA), SuperSport (Africa, 48 territories).

Global: Reuters (Global News Outlet), TransWorld Sports (Global Magazine Show), Sport24 (Airlines); Anuvu (Cruise Ships).

David Campbell, Executive General Manager VRC Media at Victoria Racing Club, said: “The Melbourne Cup Carnival is a truly global event highlighted by the jewel in the crown, the Group 1 Lexus Melbourne Cup,”

“Through our partnership with HBA Media it is fantastic to be able to deliver the broadcast into 209 countries and territories with a potential global reach of 750 million people.”

“This year we celebrate 30 years since Vintage Crop became the first internationally trained horse to win the Lexus Melbourne Cup and since that historic moment the VRC has been able to build our global footprint and ensure that the Melbourne Cup Carnival has a strong presence on the world stage.”

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.”

ENDS

Press contact: Hannah Tufnell / hannah@hbamedia.tv / +44 (0) 7971 598 287

About HBA Media:

• HBA Media provide multiple live international horseracing packages to broadcasters as well as umbrella deals which include the co-ordination of programme delivery, daily management and troubleshooting.
• HBA Media’s aim is to reposition horseracing to be competitive with the likes of football, rugby, and cricket in the world of sports broadcasting.
• HBA Media is proud to work with a whole host of prestigious racing federations and major global networks including Ascot Racecourse Limited, the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia, France Galop, Eurosport, Dubai Media Incorporated, Abu Dhabi Media, TVG, The Japan Racing Association, Singapore Turf Club, The German Jockey Club, The German Tote, Italian Racing, Victoria Racing Club, Melbourne Racing Club, The Hong Kong Jockey Club, NYRA, The New Zealand Racing Board, Racecourse Media Group, The Stronach Group, Breeders' Cup, Phumelela Gaming, the Saudi Cup and the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.