HONG KONG’s horse-racing is on the home straight to being a prized global sports and entertainment brand thanks to a collaboration with one of the world’s most influential pop impresarios who is bringing one of his super groups to the city .
XIX Entertainment, led by American Idol creator Simon Fuller, has signed a strategic partnership with Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC), which operates the sport in the city.
Music, entertainment and corporate hospitality are already a staple at Wednesday race nights in Happy Valley with Hong Kong Tourism Board positioning the event as an itinerary option for visiting conference and incentive groups.
Horse racing is an institution in Hong Kong and in recent years the HKJC has developed its events to attract a wider audience with food, entertainment and options such as private boxes that appeal to corporate groups.
The strategic partnership with XIX Entertainment places Hong Kong’s sport of kings among the top sports stars and entertainers Fuller has worked with during his career, including soccer legend David Beckham, Formula One star Lewis Hamilton, British tennis ace Andy Murray, and girl pop sensations the Spice Girls among others.
HORSE RACING GOES POP
Now United, a multicultural global pop music and dance group created by XIX Entertainment, will be galloping alongside HKJC as it becomes a global events brand.
As part of this initiative, a Hong Kong member recruitment campaign has been officially launched for Now United. The selected finalist will receive elite training at Simon Fuller’s Academy of Pop, where coaches who have worked with global superstars like Rihanna and Beyoncé will put them through their paces.
Now United is set to perform at HKJC’s racecourses and at the Longines Hong Kong International Races. Music videos and reality content will also be recorded in Hong Kong and shared with over 40 million global followers across social media platforms.
At the helm of this initiative is Simon Fuller, best known for creating the American Idol TV show and named as one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world in 2007.
At the heart of this transformation is a shared vision to position Hong Kong as the world’s premier destination for horse racing and equestrian sports, while also creating a dynamic platform for cultural exchange and entertainment, a spokesperson for HKJC said.
Jockey Club chief executive Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges had met Simon Fuller a few months ago, according to the South China Morning Post, and the idea to collaborate arose from there. Fuller is reported to be familiar with Hong Kong having visited the city 30 times since the 1980s.
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Making Hong Kong’s horse-racing an integral part of the city’s tourism industry was also in Hong Kong Government Chief Executive John Lee’s policy address. The government’s Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau and Hong Kong Tourism Board have been promoting the option for the horse-racing tourism experience globally. The Jockey Club has also recently strengthened its strategic cooperation with China Tourism Group to promote its horse-racing products in mainland China.
As the Chinese zodiac’s Year of the Horse approaches in 2026, HKJC believes the timing couldn’t be better. For event professionals, the HKJC-XIX collaboration offers a compelling new reason to consider Hong Kong – not just as a destination, but as a city offering rich binding experiences beyond the conference hall.
For the city, the heightened profile of Hong Kong horse-racing as a global entertainment brand may prove a favourable bet. In the 2023/24 fiscal year, HKJC contributed a record HK$40.1 billion (about US$513m) to the community through taxes and charitable donations. More than 143,000 visitors have already attended the racecourse this season, underscoring the growing appeal of horse racing tourism, according to HKJC figures.
