Jewel in the Crown

GLOBAL RACING is undoubtedly a current success story. Just a look at returns from bloodstock sales over the last three years shows that horses with global appeal either by pedigree or performance attract a premium price, with global buyers or their agents willing to travel the world to purchase horses who could then take them on racing trips around the world.

Arguably, the huge prize-money pots on offer in certain parts of the racing world have contributed to this demand, but the rise of international racing coverage on the TV channels has certainly helped fuel this desire, too. Global sports viewers become more aware of the sport, and the sporting and lifestyle attractions that it offers to all.

Racecourse Media Group (RMG) with its established domestic and international coverage, and the horseracing media rights company HBA Media (HBA), have individually long been involved in getting global racing onto our TV screens, but in 2024 the two companies came together to form Crown Jewels Racing (CJR), a concept to sell a package of global racing to international television distributors.

Seb Vance, RMG’s director of communications and international TV distribution, explained how the project came to life.

“RMG manages the full media rights for 35 British racecourses, as well as TV distribution rights for Ireland, Dubai and Bahrain,” says Vance. “RMG has a strong portfolio of racing, which we distributed to predominately racing broadcasters around the world, however it was difficult to sell and market to a wider audience, given the one-off nature of many events.

“Sometimes broadcasters could be interested in two or three races in the year, we would get them on board, the race would happen and then that would be the end of our relationship until the next event, which could be months later. There was no real marketing from one event to another, and no narrative as such. It was difficult to retain broadcasters’ interest.”

He adds: “When selling our rights, we were going up against HBA, and as we were the only two real players in town,
it made sense to talk.”

A first move was made by RMG which recruited HBA as its own global distribution agency and then, just over a year ago, the new CJR concept emerged building on that early relationship.

“We have created a portfolio called Crown Jewels Racing. The package includes 20 international races, and as the name might suggest, features the majority of the biggest races from around the world ranging from the Middle East in the spring to the Far East in the late autumn, moving across Europe and through the US and Australia along the way,” outlines Vance.

HBA has a long history of involvement and business with international racing. The company was founded in 2006 by Henry Birtles and in 2010 signed with Victoria Racing Club and the Breeders’ Cup to manage the international non-betting broadcast rights for their blue riband events - the Melbourne Cup Carnival and the Breeders’ Cup World Championships.

The Pegasus World Cup was added to HBA’s portfolio in 2017, the Saudi Cup in 2019 and then a four-year deal with Ascot Racecourse for their entire international rights portfolio, including the Royal Meeting. This was renewed in 2023.

The company now represents the rights of renowned races from the UK, US, Australia, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Japan, France, Italy, Germany, South Africa and Hong Kong - working closely with federations, the racecourses and the world’s major sports broadcasters to grow audiences and commercial returns.

HBA Media’s CEO, Frank Sale, says, “HBA was born out of the UAE and the Dubai Racing Channel and that created a successful bedrock for the business.

“Now Crown Jewels Racing offers a whole package that is of interest to broader outlets, away from dedicated racing channels.”

The goal is to spread the racing word and the project has been hugely successful in that regard, consistently getting 30 broadcasters airing CJR races in 140 countries. The content is emerging from the shadows of the dedicated racing channels into the bigger, wider-ranging and influential sports shows.

As Sale continues, “Six to seven years ago distribution of our key events for both businesses was going to racing channels around the world, with a handful of sports channels. Following the advent of CJR, the best races are now being viewed in the mainstream alongside other tier one sports properties. That had never happened historically.

“Our goal is to expand reach and increase revenues for our racecourses and racing clubs. The package we’ve put together as ‘the best of the best’ has allowed broadcasters to promote one brand and tell one narrative, rather than 20 stand-alone events.”

His one-stop shop has allowed the team to create a strong brand, that can be cross-promoted and pre-sold as one package across the whole year and across the globe. There is also now a consistency of production with bespoke-designed titles and graphics, helping to create a well-regarded and distinctive brand.

That continuity of message that CJR provides is appreciated by broadcasters.

“They are now hearing from us week in week out,” outlines Vance, “whereas in the past they might have contact with us in June, July and then we wouldn’t talk again until the following year.

“So, we’ve got that constant dialogue which really helps and what is really encouraging is that some broadcasters, like ESPN, who have signed up to the CJR’s 20 events, have signalled that they want more races away from the top days, and some who might have been taking only a handful of races are interested in signing for the whole 20.”

“It’s a powerful narrative month-to-month throughout the year. It’s easy for broadcasters to schedule in and the dial is moving commercially, there’s no doubt about that,” says Sale. “We’ve expanded into new streaming platforms and we are seeing strong viewing figures, which are growing alongside rights fees.”

CJR really is something of a success story within both the racing world and the broader sporting landscape.

“Most markers are currently trending downwards in terms of sports rights fees,” adds Sale. “We are bucking that trend, and seeing rights fees grow year-on-year and being able to pass that back to our partners is really positive.”

The similarities of CJR and other major sports are obvious – a global, fast-moving sport spanning the globe with events held at glamorous and wonderful locations with many of the uber-rich and famous involved, correspondingly the production includes lifestyle and entertainment sections allowing viewers a tantalising glance at just what the sport offers.

As Vance says, “You get this amazing splash of colour in Florida for the Pegasus World Cup in January, watching all the celebrities enjoying the racing, drinking cocktails, and then you move to Saudi Cup the following month and you get a peek at what Saudi life is like, and then on to Dubai for the big desert party there.

“We then move to the pageantry of Epsom and Ascot, the garden party atmosphere of Goodwood, and then on to York, which stages the Juddmonte International, the race ranked by Longines’ ratings as the world’s best last year. There’s fashion, there’s food, there’s fun - it portrays what a great spectacle racing can be.”

However, the difference of scale with other sports is also important.

“We can’t be compared to tier one sports, such as Premier League Football,” outlines Vance, adding: “Deals just don’t land in our laps when it comes to horse racing. We do have to go out there and market really hard, something, which collaboratively we’re now good at.”

What has been important to the project was fan engagement and the development of the free-to-enter online Crown Jewels Fantasy game, a straightforward “pick and you win” digital game.

It is not allied to a betting product nor have any links to betting, which is vitally important bearing in mind that many countries receiving the coverage do not allow betting or that betting on horseracing is not an important part of their country’s fabric.

“Crown Jewels Racing Fantasy was built in partnership between HBA and Genius Sports – the leading company for building free-to-play online games,” outlines Sale. “It runs alongside all 20 races and is an engagement tool for the broadcasters and their platforms allowing them to promote to their audiences. It’s easy to play, it’s very simple – players just need to pick three horses, and it is popular.

“Crown Jewels Fantasy is one of the only online racing games without links to betting. And again, that is quite a refreshing offering for broadcasters and global audiences, many who don’t have a great knowledge of betting. The game is certainly something is that more open to the mainstream audience, with it being aesthetically pleasing and simple to play.”

Of course, within usage restrictions, the data that could emanate from the game could prove to be strategic and beneficial to the various commercial parties involved.

World Pool has become such an important part of the international betting and financial backing, and while races featured as part of CJR are obviously shown as part of the World Pool, there are no direct links between CJR and the global betting project.

However, the greater coverage has certainly led to growth in global eyeballs on screens and that can have nothing but a positive effect on the betting world. The unprecedented TV coverage for the Dubai World Cup in March, garnered by RMG and BHA, contributed to record World Pool betting turnover.

The TV exposure didn’t go unnoticed by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed, Ruler of Dubai, who posted on X how the event was, “broadcast live to over 170 countries”

The sport is now being broadcast in countries, which hitherto had no real racing heritage, while there are growing and developing associations with countries who have a longer history with the sport such as India and Japan and are looking for its racing industries and its outlets to grow.

And with the ever-growing development of streaming platforms, and the digital world being a natural platform for live sport, the future is still very much on film – whether that be on a traditional TV set, via a computer or a digital device.

And while CJR is a commercial venture set up between two companies who have taken what they are good at doing, made it bigger with a view to being better; global horseracing is the ultimate beneficiary.

The sport is now successfully marketed to the world, for once horseracing has been able to come together under one brand to reap the rewards of a successful joint venture.

Crown Jewels Racing is shining bright