Why did British horse sport fans have to pay to watch the World Championships in Aachen?
The FEI and ClipMyHorse.TV have explained why the action was covered as it was, and their ambition to promote horse sport as much as possible
The FEI and ClipMyHorse.TV have spoken up to explain their ambition to market horse sport to as many fans as possible – and the barriers to achieving it.
For the UK audience, the action from the World Championships in Aachen this year (11–23 August) was shown solely on ClipMyHorse, a paid-for subscription-only service.
There was a 26% discount for new and returning customers who signed up for the worlds, which meant a year’s access to all ClipMyHorse content for about £154, compared to the normal UK price of around £208. In some countries, the action was on free-to-view television, because national broadcasters had bought the rights.
Previously, international action was streamed on FEI TV but this was integrated into ClipMyHorse and the FEI is a shareholder in the company.
“ClipMyHorse.TV operates primarily as a subscription service, which enables us to fund and deliver comprehensive, high-quality coverage,” ClipMyHorse CEO Markus Detering told H&H.
“For the World Championships, the FEI managed to secure free-to-air [FTA] broadcast deals for certain content in a few key territories. Where live coverage sat within our platform, we aimed to keep as many fans connected as possible by providing select free content, such as our daily highlight show, and pointing viewers toward local FTA broadcasts whenever available.”
Many readers contacted H&H to raise the fact the action was not free to watch in Britain.
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Jackie Davies said: “The American news channel CNBC has been showing reasonably full highlights on a Sunday lunchtime. Due to the complete lack of coverage on any UK channel, I am extremely grateful. I do agree with the comment that ClipMyHorse missed out on a revenue stream due to them wanting a full year’s payment and not allowing just for a couple of weeks.”
Others agreed, stating that they would have paid for a shorter subscription just to watch the worlds.
“Your feedback regarding short-term passes and flexible access is very welcome,” Mr Detering told H&H. “As part of our close partnership, ClipMyHorse.TV and the FEI are continuously discussing how we can evolve our broadcasting approach.
“While our foundation remains a subscription-based model, we are already taking steps to increase free accessibility – for example, through our free 24/7 channel on our website, where we plan to feature increasingly exciting content. We are jointly exploring ways to potentially offer more flexible options and broader access.
“Our shared objective with the FEI remains growing the reach and visibility of equestrian sports worldwide. With over 2,000 events broadcast each year, we are fully committed to bringing the sport to as wide an audience as possible.”
Readers told H&H they felt the FEI should have done more to promote horse sport to audiences, and a spokesperson for the federation said the FEI understands this feeling.
“The FEI absolutely shares the ambition to see equestrian sport reach a wider audience, and promoting the sport and making our major events as visible and accessible as possible is a key priority,” she said. “There are, however, a number of challenges in achieving this, particularly for major international events.”
She explained that broadcasting an event of this scale is a “significant undertaking” that comes with extensive production, technical and distribution costs.
Finding the balance
“There is a balance to be found between making content as widely accessible as possible and ensuring there is a sustainable commercial model that can support the level and quality of coverage fans expect,” she said, adding that another challenge is that broadcast rights vary by country, explaining the FTA access in some.
“While the FEI works actively to maximise the visibility of its championships and other events, we operate within a wider media rights landscape in which broadcasters, platforms and rights-holders all have a role to play.”
But, she added, the FEI takes all feedback about accessibility to the sport very seriously.
“The incredible performances at the World Championships are exactly the kind of moments that can introduce new audiences to equestrian sport and inspire existing fans to engage even more closely with it,” she said.
“For us, the challenge is therefore not simply about choosing between ‘free’ and ‘paid’ coverage. It is about finding sustainable ways of bringing the sport to as many people as possible, across different markets and platforms, while continuing to invest in the quality of the coverage itself. This is something we continue to discuss and review with our media partners, including ClipMyHorse.TV.”
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Eleanor is an experienced journalist who spent over eight years working for local and national newspapers before joining H&H as news editor in March 2016. Passionate about equine welfare and exposing the truth, Eleanor has reported on all aspects of the industry, from Brexit to anti-bullying campaigns, and from dressage rules to mules. Her sport of choice is showjumping, in which she competes her own horses, and she also enjoys reporting at local jumping shows through to international championships.