Entertainment
The Hong Kong Jockey Club has unveiled a strategic partnership with leading entertainment brand XIX Entertainment. According to the announcement, this agreement will enable the Club’s transformation into a “global sports entertainment brand.”
The Club Seeks to Maintain Its Momentum
The Hong Kong Jockey Club has cemented itself as a world-class racing brand and is currently responsible for many noteworthy races. The Club has nurtured the Hong Kong racing sector, attracting many top jockeys, trainers, and, of course, horses.
As a result, the Club’s racing events are being broadcast to millions of fans across five continents. Its latest financial figures show that 25% of its income is due to foreign fans. In this season alone, it has so far attracted more than 143,000 tourists to its racecourses. The Club is now looking to capitalize on its growing popularity and bolster its momentum.
To that end, the Club continues to pursue key partnerships. Not long after its strategic collaboration with the China Tourism Group, the club has decided to double down on its global expansion too and has formed a partnership with XIX Entertainment.
According to its announcement, the Club aims to become a global sports entertainment brand that promotes racing internationally. The Club is furthermore looking to establish Hong Kong as a premier destination for horse racing and equestrian sports and a hub for international exchanges and cooperation.
The tie-up with XIX is the first in what the Hong Kong Jockey Club hopes to be a series of steps to grow Hong Kong racing. Under this partnership, the Club will invite XIX’s global pop group, Now United, to Hong Kong. This will provide Hong Kong’s jockeys, trainers and horses with a chance to shine on the global racing stage.
Under the agreement, Now United will feature Hong Kong’s talent in a variety of social media and racecourse activations, promoting racing to a younger generation of fans.
The Partnership Comes in Time for the Year of the Horse
Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s chief executive officer, commented on the tie-up and the Club’s plans to go global. He was announced to announce the partnership with XIX, which will reinforce the Hong Kong racing sector and contribute to its growth.
Engelbrecht-Bresges reflected on the nature of racing and his team’s ambition to celebrate the sport and the strong bonds it creates between horses and humans. This ethos matches the Club’s desire to appeal to a global audience, creating bonds between all racing fans.
With 2026 as the Chinese Year of the Horse, Engelbrecht-Bresges believes that now is the perfect moment to leverage entertainment, lifestyle and social content to promote the sport to an international audience.
Simon Fuller, the founder of XIX, was likewise excited about the partnership with The Hong Kong Jockey Club. He said: “I believe there is an important opportunity to bring inspiring and joyful entertainment to Hong Kong and Horse Racing. This is an incredible city full of potential with so many stunning iconic locations to share with the world.”
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Angel Hristov