Record distribution with 38 international broadcasters set to showcase the 2025 Saudi Cup, featuring multiple first-time channels
Thursday, 20th February 2025 – A record 38 broadcasters will showcase the world’s richest race, the Saudi Cup, held at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh this Saturday, 22nd February – ensuring an unprecedented reach that targets all corners of the globe for the $20 million contest.
Now in its sixth year, the Group 1 Saudi Cup has cemented its status as one of horse racing’s premier international events. This year’s renewal has once again attracted a stellar lineup, featuring 14 international contenders from Saudi Arabia, Japan, France, Hong Kong, the United States and the United Arab Emirates. Rattle n Roll, the principal contender from the US, will be cheered home by FOX Sports – who return with an on-site production presence to Riyadh once again.
The race’s ever-increasing status in the international racing community is also reflected in the growing number of major linear and OTT broadcasters set to access a diverse range of media packages from distribution agency HBA Media, including seven new broadcasters:
Channel 7 makes its Saudi Cup debut, providing full coverage across both linear and digital platforms on Australia’s leading free-to-air network.
FanCode, India’s premier sports destination with over 150 million users, will introduce the Saudi Cup to a new and expanding audience.
SportsNet will showcase the Saudi Cup in Canada on their pay-TV channels for the first time ever as part of their fresh commitment to domestic and international racing.
Kazakh audiences will experience the Saudi Cup live for the first time thanks to a new partnership with Sport+, which is expanding its Middle Eastern racing coverage.
Longstanding partnership with WeDo Sports will see the Saudi Cup’s reach extended into five Southeast Asian territories for the first time.
Eurovision, a digital platform and brainchild of the EBU, will broadcast the Saudi Cup for the first time into 30 territories, championing the European contenders.
D-Smart has signed on to be the exclusive rights holder of Crown Jewels Racing in Turkey and will mark its Saudi Cup debut this week.
HBA’s principal international broadcast package is CJR90 – a 90-minute live show co-produced by IMG and HBA, presented by Nick Luck, Michelle Yu, Tom Stanley, Oli Bell and Laffit Pincay. This year’s refreshed format will include the Group 2 Longines Red Sea Turf, before shifting focus to the main event - the Group 1 Saudi Cup - which is set to go off at 20:40 local time / 17:40 GMT. The coverage will be enhanced with fan engagement tool and predictor game CJRFantasy, and a variety of lifestyle, cultural and racing-related features.
The full list of Saudi Cup broadcasters include:
North & South America, Caribbean: FOX Sports (US), FanDuel (US), ESPN/Disney+ (LATAM, Caribbean), Sportsnet (Canada).
Europe: Racing TV (UK), Virgin Media (Ireland), Rai (Italy), Polsat (Poland), Equidia (France), Viaplay (Netherlands, Scandinavia), Silknet (Georgia), CYTA (Cyprus), Setanta (Balkans/Eurasia), WeDo Sports (DACH), D-Smart (Turkey), Eurovision (30 European territories), EQUTV (Italy).
Asia Pacific: Channel 7 (Australia), Sky Racing (Australia), FanCode (India), Green Channel and Netkeiba (Japan), WeDo Asia (South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia), Sport+ (Kazakhstan) and HKJC (Hong Kong).
Africa and MENA: DMI (MENA), SSC (KSA), SuperSport (53 African territories)
Global: Sport24 (11 Airlines), Reuters (News), TransWorld Sport (Magazine show)
Chris Bevan, Chief Commercial Officer for the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia, said: “The aim of this event since it began in 2020 was to create a truly international celebration of top-quality racing and we are delighted to see that he Saudi Cup remains an attractive product for global broadcasters.”
Frank Sale, Chief Executive of HBA Media, said: “It’s an honour to collaborate with the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia and witness the remarkable growth and enthusiasm for horse racing in the Kingdom and for their headline race globally.
“Our longstanding partnership with the Saudi Cup, since its inception, enables HBA Media to maximise commercial opportunities for the federation, and we are delighted to report an expansive broadcast reach with 38 international outlets and major sports networks showcasing the highly competitive event across approximately 170 territories.
“As always, HBA will be on-site for the duration of the meeting, and we look forward to continuing our support for this prestigious sporting spectacle.”
CJRFANTASY
Entering its second year, CJRFantasy is proving an engaging tool to help unify the global horse racing calendar, providing broadcasters and their fans around the world with a new platform to challenge their knowledge and prizes.
The 18-game season continues with the Saudi Cup with an impressive global raceday experience prize, alongside a new ‘Out The Money’ booster and an ‘Ice Cold’ bonus. The monthly CJRFantasy game schedule will then take in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, Florida Derby, Grand National, the Preakness Stakes, Epsom Derby, Royal Ascot (Gold Cup), King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes, Sussex Stakes, The Juddmonte International, Irish Champions Stakes, California Crown, Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, British Champions Stakes, Breeders’ Cup, Melbourne Cup and the Hong Kong Cup.
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