Global interest at record level for 2026 Saudi Cup

Global interest in The Saudi Cup reached record levels this year, as a multi-million-strong international audience tuned in on Saturday, 14th February to watch the Japanese-trained Forever Young triumph in the seventh running of the world’s richest horse race.  HBA Media managed all broadcast elements of The Saudi Cup, delivering an enhanced viewing experience across all markets.

Domestic coverage was handled for the first time by DAZN, the world’s leading sports streaming and entertainment platform, aligning with its strategic expansion across Saudi Arabia and the MENA region.  There were also sublicensing agreements in place with MB’s OTT platform, Shahid, as well as live linear broadcast on Saudi TV. 

The host broadcast and on-course programming were led by Ye-Ha Productions, fronted by BAFTA-winning director Denise Large. 

The principal broadcast package, a 90-minute programme designed for the global audience and mainstream networks, was presented by Nick Luck, Michelle Yu, Tom Stanley, Oli Bell and Laffit Pincay III, with Frankie Foster and Ella McNeill also making their Saudi Cup debuts. The format showcased the G2 Red Sea Turf Handicap before building towards the headline G1 $20 million Saudi Cup and was supported by a powerful technical footprint of more than 50 cameras. Innovations included two WireCams - one on the inside of the track forming the longest wire span ever deployed - an ultra-motion camera on the finish line, multiple radio high-motion systems and the immersive jockey-cam.

International reach surged, with coverage distributed across 35 global media outlets into 200+ territories, notably: 

The full list of Saudi Cup broadcasters include:

THE AMERICAS: FOX Sports (USA), FanDuel (USA), ESPN/Disney+ (LATAM, Caribbean), Sportsnet (Canada).

EUROPE: Racing TV (UK & Ireland), Sky Sports Racing (UK), Virgin Media (Ireland), Rai (Italy), EQUTV (Italy), Polsat (Poland), Equidia (France), Viaplay (Netherlands, Scandinavia), Silknet (Georgia), CYTA (Cyprus), Setanta (Balkans/Eurasia), WeDo Sports (DACH), D-Smart (Turkey) and DAZN (Pan-Regional).

ASIA PACIFIC:  Abema TV (Japan), Netkeiba (Japan), Green Channel (Japan), TVRI (Indonesia), SPOTV (Southeast Asia), WeDo Asia (South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia) and HKJC (Hong Kong).

AFRICA: DAZN (Pan-Regional).

AUSTRALASIA: Sky Thoroughbred (Australia).

MENA: DAZN (MENA), Saudi TV (KSA), Shahid (KSA) and MBC (KSA). 

GLOBAL: SIS (Global), Sport24 (Airlines & Cruise Ships) and Reuters (Global News),

Chris Bevan, Chief Commercial Officer for the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia, said: “The seventh renewal of The Saudi Cup weekend reinforced the meeting’s position as a truly global celebration of top-quality racing with 85 international runners from 13 countries featuring.  We are delighted to see that The Saudi Cup remains an attractive product for global viewers who enjoyed Forever Young’s historic consecutive victory in the feature race.”

Frank Sale, Chief Executive of HBA Media, said: “It’s a privilege to collaborate with the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia and witness the remarkable growth and enthusiasm for horse racing in The Kingdom, as well as the global momentum in the broadcast landscape behind their headline event. 

“HRH Prince Bandar bin Khaled Alfaisal’s vision for the raceday has been inspirational, and the world really was watching with early viewing figures suggesting a significant increase in audience.

“As always, HBA was on on-site for the duration of the meeting, and we look forward to continuing our support for this prestigious sporting spectacle.”

Denise Large, Executive Producer and Director for Ye-Ha Production, said: “The Saudi Cup isn’t just raising the bar for horse racing — it’s redefining it. Being entrusted with expanded global broadcast responsibilities this year was both a tremendous honour and a bold challenge we were proud to embrace. The atmosphere is electric, the racing is world-class, and the scale of production rivals that of our Olympic equestrian coverage.

“Leading such an exceptional team and delivering a powerful, refreshed broadcast experience to millions of viewers worldwide has been truly exhilarating.”