Channel 7 Viewers Miss Melbourne Cup Coverage
Viewers who tuned into Channel 7 on Tuesday missed the Melbourne Cup, which Channel 9 holds broadcast rights to.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Equestrian
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Thousands of viewers missed the Melbourne Cup after tuning into Channel 7 coverage instead of Channel 9. Channel 7's coverage of Royal Randwick races did not mention the Melbourne Cup race at Flemington.
Why it matters
Channel 9 won the rights to the Melbourne Cup Carnival in 2024 and holds them through the end of 2029, after Seven held the rights from 2002 to 2018. The mix-up shows how a broadcast channel switch can cause viewers to miss the Cup entirely.
The coverage drew on Channel 7's broadcast of 30 race meetings on Tuesday, with one viewer watching for 10 minutes without learning the Cup winner. The number of affected viewers and any official response from the network are not yet known.
The players
Channel 9
Channel 9 is an Australian commercial television network that holds the broadcast rights to the Melbourne Cup Carnival through the end of 2029.
Channel 7
Channel 7 is an Australian commercial television network that held Melbourne Cup broadcast rights from 2002 to 2018.
The details
Channel 7 coverage, fronted by Jason Richardson and Lizzie Jelfs, focused on Royal Randwick races before 3pm, and viewers who switched channels had to find Channel 9 to catch the Cup. Channel 7's broadcast did not mention the Melbourne Cup race at Flemington.
Timeline
2002 to 2018: Seven held the Melbourne Cup broadcast rights.
2024: Channel 9 won the Melbourne Cup Carnival rights.
Tuesday, 3 November 2026: The Melbourne Cup was run, and Channel 7 covered 30 race meetings.
End of 2029: Channel 9's Melbourne Cup rights expire.
Season Trajectory
Seven held the Melbourne Cup broadcast rights from 2002 to 2018 before Channel 9 took over. The switch in rights holders has left some viewers still tuning to the former network.
Viewers looking to watch the Melbourne Cup need to tune to Channel 9, which holds the rights through the end of 2029. Checking the channel before 3pm avoids missing the race.
The takeaway
Confirm the broadcaster before a major race starts, since rights can change hands and viewers may tune to the wrong channel.
Further reading
For more on the sport, see the Equestrian section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by News.
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