Far beyond Gulfstream Park in Florida, the racehorse’s triumph was hailed as the magnificent White Abarrio swept over the finish line to win the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational in January. Around the world, sports lovers were watching and possibly even savoring their winnings while the crowded stands, which included Mike Tyson, Paul Pogba, and other Miami-based superstars, roared on. One of the most interesting and varied horse racing competitions in the United States is the Pegasus World Cup, which has a unique spot on the calendar due to its early start time. Additionally, it announces the 2025 Crown Jewels Racing series, which compiles the top races from around the globe after an unprecedented media rights partnership with HBA Media, the horse racing-focused agency, and rights-holders from Miami to Melbourne, and Riyadh to Ascot.
More and more racing fans across the world can watch, enjoy, and wager on these prestigious events thanks to the Crown Jewels Racing (CJR) series. The CJR brand was created by HBA Media to provide a season of elite international racing for fans, broadcasters, sponsors, and brands all year long. Crucially, viewers in 175 regions will be treated to coverage with consistent production and branding qualities, regardless of whether it is the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, the Breeders’ Cup Classic, or the Hong Kong Cup. As an extension of HBA’s primary business, which is to make sure that horse racing is supported and expanded within a competitive media rights sporting scene, CJR is HBA Media’s premium offering to the leading sports networks.
The interests of the federations they represent are given top priority by HBA, which distributes more than 500 hours of horse racing material annually to channels worldwide, including a large portion of its business in the Middle East. Henry Birtles, the founder and chairman of HBA Media, claims that this offering has been developing for years. He points to the combination of rising interest around the world and rights holders realizing the worth of their events when they are bundled into a high-end, year-round product. “In terms of general recognition from the sports media industry, racing has had a long journey,” There is an amazing history to racing. It was immensely popular and appealing to a wide audience because to its storylines and the feelings they evoked, but in the 1990s and early 2000s, it began to decline. We believe it has made huge leaps of late, and the CJR brand can take it right back to the top.”
The revival of racing
HBA Media, which Birtles founded in the 2000s, has established a solid reputation as a reliable advisor and partner. A significant change has resulted from its efforts to broaden racing’s appeal and collaborate with elite networks that have not historically given the sport priority. Ten years ago, horse racing-specific channels accounted for 80% of HBA Media’s distribution. The bulk of its more than 25 broadcast partners in the beginning of 2025 are sports networks and platforms that feature racing in addition to elite football, basketball, and tennis programming. Among the networks that will broadcast the CJR competitions this year are ESPN (Latin America and the Caribbean), Virgin Media (Ireland), FanCode (India), Sportsnet (Canada), and SuperSport (Africa).
The broadcasters are profiting from their wager on racing; over a five-year period, HBA Media’s long-term broadcast partners saw a 20% increase in audience. HBA Media CEO Frank Sale stated, “Over the years, HBA’s USP has been a thorough understanding of the sport of horse racing, the challenges it faces, and where it fits in the wider sports media landscape.” Although demand for racing hasn’t been particularly high, it has been rising. We have revolutionized the way the sport is viewed by major sports networks and gathered the best media rights over the past ten years.
