CSM, the global sports and entertainment agency, has secured a new contract to lead the sale of commercial rights for the Jockey Club, the prominent UK horse racing organization.
Under the partnership, CSM will focus on securing more sponsorship and commercial opportunities for The Jockey Club, whose assets include the Cheltenham Festival, Grand National, and Derby Festival races.
CSM said work is already underway between the company and The Jockey Club’s in-house commercial team to build a market strategy led by its three major events and supported by its 15 racecourses and 332 annual race days.
CSM’s managing director for rights Mike Vandrau said: “Horseracing is amongst the most followed sports in the UK, and we are thrilled to be partnering with The Jockey Club who own the rights to some of our most historic and high-profile events.
“Their offering is totally unique within the sport and entertainment industry, boasting genuine gender equality, more free-to-air broadcast than any other sport, and an audience demographic that is broader than any other sport we currently work in.”
Carey Week, director of partnership at The Jockey Club, added: “The Jockey Club sits at the heart of British horseracing and everything we do aims to deliver on our mission to act for the long-term good of the sport.
“To deliver a sustainable future for racing, its people, and its horses we have to ensure our rights are delivering on their commercial potential so we can continue to reinvest.
“We’re delighted to be working with CSM given their track record in the industry and we look forward to seeing which brands from home and abroad look to seize this unique opportunity.”
The new partnership comes after The Jockey Club announced Anna Chanduvi as its new chief commercial and international officer in July. She joined from technology giant Meta where she worked as lead in sports and entertainment media partnerships.
Before Meta, she worked for prominent pay-television broadcaster BeIN Sports where she managed global content strategy and rights acquisitions.
The contract also comes after Wasserman, the US-based sports marketing and talent representation agency, completed its deal to acquire CSM. CSM is currently operating as a standalone company and will formally become Wasserman next year.
