JockeyCam and Orbit Fusion join the coverage in Gravity Media’s milestone year, alongside a third year of unilateral services for Nine
Gravity Media, a global leader in live production, content, media services and facilities, is marking its 25th year facilitating the host broadcast for the Melbourne Cup Carnival. Continuing its long-standing relationship with the Victoria Racing Club (VRC), Gravity Media will facilitate more than 30 hours of live coverage across four days of racing at Flemington Racecourse, from Howden Victoria Derby Day on Saturday 31 October to TAB Champions Stakes Day on Saturday 7th November. This also marks Gravity Media’s third year providing unilateral services for Nine, the Carnival’s broadcast partner.
The coverage has come a long way since Media Puzzle won the Cup in 2002, and this year Gravity Media adds two new ways of filming the action. JockeyCam gives viewers a stabilised point-of-view shot from the jockey’s perspective, putting them in the middle of the field at full gallop. Orbit Fusion delivers true super slow-motion from a compact wireless camera that can sit in places around the track where high-frame-rate systems were previously impractical or unsafe. Both are being introduced to the Carnival coverage this year.
As viewing expectations continue to evolve, the broadcast needs to remain fresh and engaging for a new generation of fans. The new perspectives and slow-motion replays bring viewers closer to the action, while giving long-time audiences new ways to experience the racing.
The new systems build on the direct partnership that Gravity Media and the VRC formed in 2024. It enables both teams to continue to develop the coverage together and means that Gravity Media can invest in the production year after year. The VRC maintains creative control and delivery of the broadcast, while Gravity Media takes responsibility for facilitating it end to end.
Last year’s Carnival drew a total TV audience of 5.8m. Channel 9’s Lexus Melbourne Cup coverage drew a total TV audience of 2,079,000, up 8.8% year on year. VRC’s social channels drew 36 million video views, which is up 63%. The Carnival attendance of 286,746 was the biggest since 2018.
It’s one of Gravity Media’s largest productions of the year, with the host broadcast using 48 cameras and two outside broadcast trucks. One serves the host feed and the other handles the VRC’s international output. For Nine, Gravity Media is providing 12 cameras and its newest outside broadcast truck, UHD 11, supporting Nine’s studio in its marquee within the Birdcage, Flemington’s famous hospitality enclosure.
The host feed reaches audiences in Australia on Channel 9, 9Now, Sky Racing, Racing.com and vrc.com.au. Internationally, it’s carried by Sky Sports Racing in the UK, Fox Sports in the US, CBC Gem and CBC Sports YouTube in Canada and TVNZ 1 in New Zealand. The VRC’s International broadcast is distributed to more than 220 territories worldwide.
Marcus Doherty, Account Executive, Media Services & Facilities at Gravity Media in Australia, said: “Marking 25 years delivering the Melbourne Cup Carnival host broadcast is a significant milestone for Gravity Media, and reflects the depth of experience our team has built at Flemington. Since forming our direct partnership with the VRC in 2024, we’ve shared the same ambition to keep evolving the coverage, and JockeyCam and Orbit Fusion are a direct result of that collaboration. Together with VRC and Nine, we’re continuing to find new ways to bring fans closer to the action.”
Kylie Rogers, CEO of the Victoria Racing Club, added:
“The Melbourne Cup Carnival is one of Australia’s most iconic sporting and cultural events, and delivering a broadcast that matches its significance is critical. Gravity Media has been a trusted partner in bringing the Carnival to life for audiences worldwide, and together we have continued to evolve how fans experience our racing, both on course and at home. We are also delighted to continue our partnership with Nine for a third year, and can’t wait for this year’s Carnival to reach more Australians than ever before.”