RMG teams up with HBA Media to market UK horseracing rights

Racecourse Media Group (RMG), which is charged with responsibility for a range of UK racecourses’ media rights businesses, has teamed up with horseracing media rights agency HBA Media to market and distribute British and Irish horseracing to an international audience, as part of a three-year agreement.

The deal will see HBA Media, working closely with RMG, showcase RMG’s British and Irish portfolio, including events such as the Randox Grand National Festival, the Cazoo Derby Festival, the Qatar ‘Glorious Goodwood’ Festival, the Welcome to Yorkshire Ebor Festival, Longines Irish Champions Weekend and QIPCO British Champions Day interntionally.

International showpiece events the Dubai World Cup Carnival and the Bahrain International Trophy are also part of the portfolio.

RMG said that the deal complements HBA Media’s existing commercial agreements with Ascot Racecourse that incorporates the Royal Meeting as well as all their Flat and National Hunt racing, plus overseas contests such as the Lexus Melbourne Cup, the Breeders’ Cup, the Pegasus World Cup and the Saudi Cup.

RMG said that the arrangement would provide a one-stop shop for broadcasters looking for premium horseracing.

Henry Birtles, CEO of HBA Media, said: “Our new alliance with RMG as distribution partner for their premier British, Irish, Dubai and Bahrain racing further bolsters HBA Media’s ability to package the very best events from around the world under one umbrella, to the benefit of all federations we are fortunate to work with and represent. Through this aggregation of global rights, we can look forward to leveraging the unique nature of each individual event, driving a higher commercial outcome for the collective. Our broadcast clients have been eager for one consistent package of racing that covers 12 months of the year. We are delighted to be teaming up with the highly respected RMG and believe that this collaboration not only adds further weight to our offering, but it completes the circle.”

Martin Stevenson, CEO of Racecourse Media Group, said: “HBA Media has consistently delivered significant value from international media rights over a 15-year period and we are delighted that, through the combined packaging of both our content sets, British and Irish racing can reach a greater global audience. The broadcast landscape remains a competitive market and, for horseracing to thrive, the need for a month-to-month compelling sporting calendar is now stronger than ever and something that this collaboration can effectively deliver.”