The Victoria Racing Club (VRC), Tabcorp and Nine Entertainment (Nine) have unveiled a landmark broadcast, media and sponsorship deal for the Melbourne Cup Carnival from 2024 to 2029. This agreement will see the VRC and Tabcorp enter a partnership that combines enhanced year-round sponsorship, as well as domestic and international media rights for the Carnival.

The Melbourne Cup Carnival will be broadcast on all SKY platforms and the TAB app, with Tabcorp having the right to on-sell the coverage to wagering providers. Nine will be the free to air partner of the Melbourne Cup Carnival, holding audio-visual rights for broadcast, streaming, mobile, digital and social platforms. Tabcorp will be the exclusive wagering integration partner for Nine’s broadcast of the Melbourne Cup Carnival.

The new rights package means that Nine will be the broadcast home of Penfolds Derby Day, Lexus Melbourne Cup Day, VRC Oaks Day and TAB Champions Stakes Day. The partnership allows the VRC to invest strategically for the long term in key areas of the Melbourne Cup Carnival, member engagement, the year-round racing program, Flemington Racecourse tracks and facilities, and the broader community.

VRC Chairman Neil Wilson said, “The VRC is delighted to extend and enhance its long-term partnership with Tabcorp. As Australia’s first major event, the Melbourne Cup Carnival will sit very appropriately in the calendar of Nine’s Wide World of Sport major event coverage.”

VRC Chief Executive Officer Steve Rosich added, “The partnership with Tabcorp and the arrangements with Nine have been developed by our close strategic alignment and a desire to grow and innovate in our industry.”

Tabcorp CEO, Adam Rytenskild, expressed his excitement about the innovative partnership, stating, “Tabcorp’s partnership with the VRC and Nine is the most innovative in Australian sport and we can’t wait to bring our entire digital, broadcast and retail ecosystem together to grow and promote the Melbourne Cup Carnival together.”

According to Nine CEO, Mike Sneesby, “The Melbourne Cup is an iconic Australian sporting event and has been part of our nation’s cultural fabric for more than 160 years. It has a rich heritage, synonymous with legendary sporting names such as Phar Lap and Makybe Diva, and Nine is honoured to be able to broadcast this world-renowned event across our platforms from 2024.”

Minister for Racing Anthony Carbines also weighed in, stating, “The Government looks forward to the VRC working with Tabcorp and Nine to grow the Victorian racing audience and find new and innovative ways to showcase this iconic sporting and cultural event to the world.”

According to the parties, Melbourne Cup Carnival delivered $422.1 million in economic benefit to Victoria in 2022, making it the largest economic contributor of any major annual sporting event in the state over the past decade. In 2022, one in two adult Australians engaged with Lexus Melbourne Cup Day in some way and in 2023, the race itself was broadcast to 209 countries and territories with a potential global reach of 750 million people.

A key component of the partnership will see the VRC take the reins on managing the production for racing coverage through VRC Media, working closely with Tabcorp and Nine to elevate the way racing is broadcast across the globe.