It was a wonderful Cup! If only viewers could see it.
The VRC and RV put on a magnificent Melbourne Cup. It had every storyline you could ask for – but for those watching at home, much of it was lost. The television coverage simply didn’t do the race justice. At times, it felt like viewers were watching from the moon – without binoculars.
Through the middle stages of the race, Channel 9 stuck with a wide shot from the stewards’ tower, leaving punters squinting to find their horse. Anyone not on tearaway leader Land Legend would’ve needed a telescope to see where their runner was. After the race, social media and punters’ group chats lit up with frustration.
Now that the Melbourne Cup is done and dusted can we take a moment to talk about the awful coverage and camera angles of the race 🤮 pic.twitter.com/nNU6hzyV49
— Just Horse Racing 🏇 (@justhorseracing) November 4, 2025
Good if half the race didn’t look like it was being shot from the moon 🤦 Can we get a camera angle for majority of the race that’s at least in the same postcode as Flemington? Apart from Land Legend, who could tell what the others were doing? Shocking TV coverage. #MelbourneCup
— Brad Henderson (@bradhendosports) November 4, 2025
Betsy understands there were technical challenges with some of the available cameras, so this isn’t a witch hunt.
But, the Melbourne Cup is three minutes and twenty seconds of the most valuable broadcast time racing gets all year. It’s the one race that captures a nation. For many, it’s the only time they watch a horse race – the one day they lean in, get involved, and maybe have a bet. When they can’t make out their horse, that moment of connection disappears and potential fans of the sport are left frustrated with their viewing experience.
Technical issues or not, the pictures that went to air were a disappointing advertisement for the sport.
The Cup should be the gateway – the chance to show how great the sport can be. It’s where the sport should be converting those once-a-year viewers into fans, showing them the speed, the theatre and the athleticism that make racing special.
Channel 9 broadcasts the Cup in conjunction with the VRC. It’s the only four days of the year they cover racing. For the other 360 days, the coverage is done by Racing.com, Sky and Channel 7, and viewers never see shots like that linger for so long. That’s what makes it all the more disappointing: on the one day racing sits at the centre of national attention, it’s presented in a way that distances punters from the product.
Punting isn’t a sideshow; it’s the engine that powers the sport. Every time a viewer can’t follow their horse, the sport loses a customer. It’s not about being flashy – it’s about being clear. People want to see the field, understand the tempo, and feel the tension build. That’s how you turn curiosity into commitment.
Racing’s product is world class. But presentation matters. If the broadcast fails to connect punters to their horse, the sport misses its biggest window to grow. The story was perfect, the result fantastic and there’s no doubt the vet protocols that have seen five safe Melbourne Cups have restored the public’s faith in racing – a perfect broadcast would’ve been the icing on the cake.
