More than one billion TV viewers across 150 territories had access to a broadcast worthy of the world’s richest raceday - the $30million Dubai World Cup fixture from Meydan on Saturday.
With horses from a dozen countries competing in nine world-class races, including six G1s, the day attracted was covered live by a host of leading (non-wagering) broadcasters, including Sport 24, which is available live on nine cruise lines and 11 airlines, including title-race sponsor Emirates.
Other broadcasters signed up by Meydan’s distribution and production company, Racecourse Media Group (RMG), include NBC Sports Network (US), Sina (China), Super Sport (South Africa), ESPN (Latin America, Caribbean), Dsport (India), The Green Channel / Fuji TV (Japan), Racing.com and Sky Thoroughbred Central (Australia), Match (Russia), Arena Sport (Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Macedonia, Slovenia and Kosovo), Racing UK and At The Races (UK and Republic of Ireland), TV3 (Republic of Ireland), and TVP (Poland).
The MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region was served by live coverage from Dubai Racing Channel and Yas TV.
The Dubai World Cup headlined Eurosport’s weekly equestrian magazine programme broadcast in more than 120 territories, while Trans World Sport, the leading global sports magazine programme, offered the fixture added exposure, as did CNN, which covered the World Cup for its World Sport programme.
ITV aired content from the fixture during its live broadcast on Saturday in the UK.
In addition, news outlets across the world received the story of the day via SNTV, the leading sports news video agency, which has a potential household reach of more than one billion.
RMG, with the support of its technical partner, Timeline TV, was aiming to deliver the most innovative Dubai World Cup broadcast yet, with the help of more than 50 production and support staff at Meydan and 20 camera operators. To get a full flavour of the production behind the coverage, see the video below.
Production features included:
- Flyaway production facility producing both track and presentation feeds
- Sony 4300 Super Slow Mo cameras, Augmented Reality Jib and Mini RF Cams in the starting stalls offering super close-ups of jockeys
- Eight times Super Slow mini camera on finish line rail
- HEVC Stalls cameras providing multiple angles
- Remote hot head cameras employed around the track
- HEGO Touchscreen and Augmented Reality graphics bringing the parade ring studio to life
- Virtual Reality graphics, including distance lines, sponsor graphics, virtual finishing line, picture in picture replays and jockey silks
- Steward review system, giving stewards direct control of footage and enabling them to simultaneously view different angles, pause, enlarge footage and compare angles side-by-side
- A site-wide Radio Frequency network to sustain cameras and radio-mics for roving reporters
The international presenting and reporting team consisted of Nick Luck, Rishi Persad, Angus McNae, Britney Eurton, Andrew LeJeune, Tom Stanley and Scott Hazelton.