HBA Media, the independent rights agency in horse racing, has struck broadcast rights deals in more than 120 global territories for the upcoming Pegasus World Cup Invitational.
The US horse racing event, taking place this Saturday (January 29), will again be shown in its home market by national network NBC.
In addition, HBA has agreed new distribution deals with several major global over-the-top (OTT) and pay-TV broadcasters including Eleven Sports through its LiveNow streaming platform in France, Germany, and Italy, media giant Disney through its Star+ service in Latin America, and Korea-based Eclat Media Group in Southeast Asia.
The agency has also attracted a new Chinese broadcast partner, Wasu.TV, owned by Sky Dreamworks. The digital platform will broadcast the event into China having acquired highlights rights.
Additional broadcast partners for the event include Sky Sports Racing (UK and Ireland), Match TV (Russia), Polsat (Poland), SilkNet (Georgia), NENT (Scandinavia), Turkey Jockey Club (Turkey), Sport TV (Portugal), Setanta Sports (Baltics/Eurasia), Kanel75 (Scandinavia), Equidia (France), SuperSport (Africa), SportsMax (Caribbean), ESPN Latin America (Pan Regional and Caribbean), and Racing.com (Australia).
Meanwhile, Sony Pictures Networks (SPN) will broadcast delayed coverage in the Indian subcontinent, while LCTV, Sports Unlimited, Sports Confidential, and Reuters will provide race content to news outlets across the world.
HBA, which sells international rights under a partnership with race owners and operators 1/ST, said all broadcasters will be supported with an expanded suite of promotional and highlights content.
Henry Birtles, chief executive of HBA Media, said: “We are enormously proud to begin these new, exciting partnerships with three major OTT platforms for the 2022 Pegasus World Cup.
“The Pegasus World Cup continues to go from strength to strength, and the vastly extended global audience reach clearly demonstrates the popularity of this compelling hybrid event that blends the best of sport and lifestyle. We are thrilled with the increased reach and commercial outcomes for 1/ST.”
Gregg Colvin, chief executive 1/ST Content, added: “Since 2017, the Pegasus World Cup has captured the attention of the racing world thanks, in part, to 1/ST’s ongoing partnership with HBA Media. We are thrilled to be working with this new network of OTT partners along with our already expansive group of broadcast distributors to bring the entertainment, lifestyle, and world-class racing program of the 2022 Pegasus World Cup to viewers around the world.”
The sixth edition of the Pegasus World Cup, which has a prize pot of $3 million, will take place at Gulfstream Park in Miami.
The Pegasus World Cup, for thoroughbreds aged four years and up, was launched by The Stronach Group, the owner of the venue, in 2017 as the then world’s richest horse race. It has since been overtaken by the new Saudi Cup event which has a $20 million prize fund.
