France Galop

What France Galop does

France Galop is a French non-profit association (governed by the loi du 1er juillet 1901) that holds the government-mandated regulatory monopoly over thoroughbred horse racing in France, overseeing both flat (galop plat) and jump (galop obstacle) disciplines. The organization serves three primary constituencies: racing professionals (owners, trainers, jockeys, breeders) who must obtain France Galop licenses; corporate sponsors and event audiences; and the broader French equestrian industry it finances. It manages 6,859 races per year across ~1,100 race meetings and operates five premier racecourses — Auteuil, Chantilly, Deauville, ParisLongchamp, and Saint-Cloud — plus training centers.

The organization's core technology platform is a multi-domain digital ecosystem anchored by france-galop.com, with francegalop-live.com providing live streaming and replays, billetterie.france-galop.com handling online ticketing, pro.france-galop.com serving as the professional licensing portal, and boutique-francegalop.com operating e-commerce for branded merchandise. Operationally, France Galop runs France's largest equine anti-doping infrastructure — 12,000+ in-race checks plus 900 training-establishment checks annually (~30,000 total), three times higher than the AFLD conducts for all other French sports combined — supported by a €10 million annual FNCH budget. All racehorses are microchipped, racecourses use multi-camera video surveillance for whip-use enforcement, and three courses (Auteuil, Longchamp, Saint-Cloud) hold ISO 14001 environmental certification.

France Galop's revenue is generated through a hybrid model: a share of betting turnover via co-ownership of PMU (Pari Mutuel Urbain), event ticketing and corporate hospitality, title sponsorships (Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at €5M, Qatar Arabian World Cup at €1M, plus Longines, Barrière, Abu Dhabi, Cygames, Aga Khan Studs), licensing and membership fees, broadcast rights (Sky Sports Racing, Racing TV, ARC, Hong Kong Jockey Club), and merchandise. Distribution spans domestic racecourse box offices, PMU's nationwide betting network, and international broadcast partners reaching 40+ countries.

Name

France Galop

Legal name

Société d'Encouragement pour l'Amélioration des Races de Chevaux de Galop en France

Website

https://france-galop.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

France Galop is the French government-mandated non-profit regulatory body for thoroughbred horse racing. It licenses owners, trainers, and jockeys, manages 6,859 annual races across five premier racecourses (Auteuil, Chantilly, Deauville, ParisLongchamp, Saint-Cloud), and co-owns PMU.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Horse Racing Governance

NAICS

Racetracks (711212)

SIC

Services-Racing, Including Track Operation (7948)

akta.pro primary industry

Racetrack & Race Meeting Operations (MPAEADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Racing Associations, Governance & Integrity Services (MPAEADAL), Equine Veterinary, Welfare & Anti-Doping Services (MPAEADAJ), Racing Technology & Timing/Tracking Infrastructure (MPAEADAN), Racecourse Hospitality, Sponsorship & On-Track Experiences (MPAEADAM)

Keywords

• Horse racing governance
• Thoroughbred race management
• Racecourse operations
• Equine regulatory services
• Pari-mutuel betting

Headquarters

HQ city

Boulogne-billancourt

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Others, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Betting (PMU): Horse racing betting through PMU (Pari Mutuel Urbain), of which France Galop is a shareholder. PMU is a major betting operator in France, with large portions of betting turnover returned to local communities and financing anti-addiction programs.
2. Event Ticketing: Online ticket sales for race meetings through dedicated ticketing platform (billetterie.francegalop-live.com)
3. Corporate Events and Hospitality: Enterprise commercial offers for corporate events, partnerships, and hospitality packages at racecourses
4. Merchandise and Products: Official boutique selling France Galop branded merchandise and products
5. Membership and Licensing Fees: Fees from licensing owners, trainers, and jockeys, plus membership programs for racehorse owners and professionals
6. Sponsorship and Naming Rights: Partnerships with major sponsors including Qatar (Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe), Longines (Prix de Diane), and others who sponsor specific races and events

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

France Galop is the official nonprofit regulatory and organizing body for thoroughbred flat and jump horse racing in France. It manages five premier racecourses (Auteuil, Chantilly, Deauville, ParisLongchamp, Saint-Cloud), licenses owners, trainers, and jockeys, enforces anti-doping controls, distributes prize money, and operates the digital ecosystem for race information, live streaming, ticketing, and member services. Its core revenue is generated through racing events, sponsorship of marquee races, PMU pari-mutuel betting proceeds, ticketing, and corporate hospitality.

Product overview

France Galop is the governing body for flat and jump horse racing in France, operating a digital platform centered on its main website. The core offering consists of live race streaming (Direct), video replays, and comprehensive racing information covering horses, owners, trainers, jockeys, and breeders. Additional services include an e-commerce boutique, ticketing platform, personalized user accounts with horse-following features, professional portals for industry members, newsletters, and educational blog content. The platform integrates racecourse-specific sites and event ticketing through subsidiary domains, providing a comprehensive ecosystem for racing enthusiasts and industry professionals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• France Galop Racing Events and Racecourse Management Core service organizing and regulating thoroughbred flat and jump horse racing across France, including race programming, prize money distribution, anti-doping enforcement, and licensing of owners, trainers, and jockeys.
• Direct et Replays (Live Streaming and Replay Service) Digital service providing live streaming of races held at French racecourses and on-demand replay of past races, accessible globally via the web.
• Billetterie (Online Race Ticketing) Online ticketing platform enabling consumers to purchase tickets for race meetings, special events, and corporate hospitality at Auteuil, Chantilly, Deauville, ParisLongchamp, and Saint-Cloud racecourses.
• Boutique Officielle (Official Merchandise Store) Official online store selling France Galop branded merchandise and racing-related products to consumers and racing fans.
• Espace Pro (Professional Portal and Licensing) Professional portal providing licensing, registration, and administrative services for racehorse owners, trainers, jockeys, and breeders operating in French thoroughbred racing.
• Corporate Hospitality and Sponsorship Packages B2B offering of corporate hospitality, event hosting, sponsorship, and naming rights packages at France Galop racecourses for enterprise clients seeking premium client entertainment and brand association.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30,000 tests conducted annually on thoroughbreds
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

25 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Sky Sports RacingcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2018British pay-TV channel broadcasting over 200 French races annually since 2018. Highlights French racing quality to Anglo-Saxon markets. Sponsors Prix Six Perfections and Prix de Psyche at Deauville.
• LonginescoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2014Official timekeeper at Chantilly, Deauville, and Longchamp racecourses. Sponsor of Prix de Diane Longines and Prix de l'Opera. Partner of International Federation of Horse Racing Authorities and International Classifications.
• American Racing Channel (ARC)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2012Official partner of Prix Maurice de Gheest (Gr1) since 2012. Exports racing images and betting licenses for South American institutions (Argentina, Uruguay, Peru) worldwide.
• Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club (QREC)flagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2008Major sponsor of Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and 14 other Group races since 2008. Enables the world's richest turf race worth €5 million. Also supports Qatar Arabian World Cup (€1 million) and Purebred Arabian racing in France.
• CoolmorecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006Partnership since 2006 with Pour Moi Prix Saint-Alary named after Coolmore stallion. Irish breeding operation with farms in US and Australia. Achieved historic 1-2-3 finish in 2016 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
• Barrière GroupcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerHistorical partner of Deauville Summer Meeting since racecourse creation in 1863. Previous sponsor of Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (1999-2007). Current sponsor of Grand Prix de Deauville Lucien Barriere.
• Abu Dhabi Sports CouncilcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerTitle partner of Emirates Poules d'Essai (French Guineas weekend), including Emirates Poules d'Essai des Poulains and Emirates Poule d'Essai des Pouliches. Also supports European Arabian Horse Cup.
• HespérideminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial Furniture of France Galop and Prix de Diane Longines. Leading French brand in outdoor furniture for over 10 years, distributed in over 1,800 outlets in France and Europe.
• Aga Khan StudscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville starting 2025. Family-run operation since 1924 with farms in France and Ireland. Notable 2024 Classic victories with Ezeliya and Rouhiya.
• SumbecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerTitle sponsor of Prix Morny. Owned by Nurlan Bizakov with Hesmonds Stud (England) and Haras de Monfort & Préaux and Mézeray (France). Group 1 victory as owner/breeder with Belbek in Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère.
• Haras d'EtrehamcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial partner of Haras d'Etreham Prix Magalen Bryant (Gr2), hurdle race for 3-year-old fillies at Auteuil. Features stallions including Saint Des Saints (European jumping leader) and Goliath du Berlais.
• Racing TVcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBroadcasting partnership featuring races from approximately 80 English and Irish fixtures in France. International distribution in 40+ countries with France as main market. Sponsors Grande Course de Haies d'Auteuil.
• ArqanaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerArqana Series consisting of five races for 2 and 3-year-olds at Deauville Meeting, open to yearlings and foals from Arqana sales.
• Hong Kong Jockey ClubcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSupports Prix Gontaut-Biron (Gr3) and Grand Handicap des Sprinters during Deauville Barrière Meeting. Four Deauville meetings offered to Hong Kong bettors as World Pool event with PMU.
• Jockey Club de TurquieminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsors Group 3 Prix Thomas Bryon for 2-year-old colts, geldings and fillies at Saint-Cloud meeting preceding Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe weekend.
• CygamesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTitle Partner of Cygames Grand Prix de Paris and Official Partner of Garden Party. Japanese video game company (Granblue Fantasy, Shadowverse, Umamusume) targeting younger audience.
• PMU (Pari Mutuel Urbain)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor betting operator in France, co-owned by France Galop and Le Trot. Finances racing through betting turnover. Committed to responsible gambling since 1983 and combatting addiction in marketing.
• Le TrotcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrotting counterpart organization. Jointly funds Eperon I and II funds (€10.6 million in 2015) and Equidia Life/Live channel. Co-owns PMU.
• FNCH (Fédération Nationale des Courses Hippiques)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Federation of French Racing. Allocates €10 million annual budget to anti-doping measures.
• Au-Delà Des Pistes (ADDP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharity for retraining former racehorses. Partnership with France Galop to promote second careers for retired racehorses in equestrian sports, leisure riding, and other activities.
• Ligue Française de Protection du Cheval (LFPC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench Horse Protection League. Partnership to care for horses leaving training that cannot go to stud or be retrained. Part of Racehorse Retraining Fund established in 2007.
• Réseau d'EpidémioSurveillance des Pathologies Equines (RESPE)coreTechnology or IntegrationFrench Network for the Surveillance of Equine Pathologies. France Galop actively participates in monitoring horse hygiene and infectious disease surveillance across Europe.
• International Collecting Centre (ICC)coreTechnology or IntegrationInternational network for equine health monitoring. France Galop participates in this network for hygiene surveillance across Europe.
• GodolphincoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAnnual co-organizer of Stable Staff and Breeding Awards since summer 2016, recognizing essential work in the racing industry.
• Seconde Chance StableminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRetraining facility supported by France Galop for former racehorses.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Hong Kong Jockey Club: The HKJC is the most direct structural peer: a non-profit Thoroughbred racing authority that simultaneously regulates the sport, operates its own racecourses, and runs a massive pari-mutuel and lottery betting franchise. The combination of regulator + track operator + betting operator under one entity mirrors France Galop's PMU co-ownership model and scope.
• Japan Racing Association: JRA is a quasi-governmental Thoroughbred racing authority that regulates Japanese racing, operates its own racecourses, and returns the bulk of betting turnover to the industry - a directly analogous role to France Galop's public-service regulator and PMU co-shareholder model, with comparable scale and prize-money profiles.
• British Horseracing Authority: The BHA is the regulator of British Thoroughbred racing, licensing participants, setting rules, and integrity-testing horses - a near-direct functional comparator to France Galop's regulatory role, though it does not operate racecourses itself.
• Le Trot: Le Trot is France Galop's domestic counterpart for harness/trotting racing, with whom it jointly owns PMU and co-funds the Eperon fund (€10.6m in 2015) and Equidia channel. It is the closest co-owner peer and shares the same French public-service mandate and gambling-revenue funding model.
• New York Racing Association: NYRA operates premier Thoroughbred racetracks (Belmont, Saratoga, Aqueduct), stages major stakes including the Belmont Stakes, and runs a simulcast/betting platform - directly analogous to France Galop's role as operator of Auteuil, Chantilly, Deauville, ParisLongchamp, and Saint-Cloud, with similar broadcast and corporate-partnership economics.
• The Jockey Club (UK): The Jockey Club is the largest commercial horse-racing operator in Britain, running major venues (Cheltenham, Aintree, Epsom) and commercial-grade fixtures such as the Cheltenham Festival and the Derby. It is a comparable track-operator and brand-led events business to France Galop's five-venue portfolio and premium Group-racing calendar.
• 1/ST RACING (Stronach Group): 1/ST RACING is a major North American Thoroughbred racetrack and pari-mutuel operator (Gulfstream Park, Santa Anita, Pimlico). It is a directly comparable commercial racetrack-and-betting operator with similar stakes structures, broadcast arrangements, and corporate-hospitality economics to France Galop's owned-venue business.
• Arena Racing Company: ARC operates the largest group of racecourses in the UK (16 venues) and is the strategic partner of the British Horseracing Authority. As a multi-venue commercial racecourse operator with corporate hospitality and media rights, it is structurally comparable to France Galop's portfolio of five premier French racecourses.

Broad incumbents

• Breeders' Cup Limited: Breeders' Cup is the premier international Thoroughbred championship organizer, hosted in partnership with North American tracks. It is comparable as a global premium-events anchor and sponsorship/marketing platform intersecting with France Galop's flagship Arc de Triomphe and Breeders' Cup international qualifying structure.

Regional players

• Racing Victoria: Racing Victoria is the principal racing authority and club for Thoroughbred racing in Victoria, Australia, handling regulation, integrity, and major stakes including the Melbourne Cup Carnival. It mirrors France Galop's combined regulator/club function, but operates in the Australian jurisdiction rather than competing directly with it.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/francegalop
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/FranceGalopTV
• Facebookfacebook.com/FranceGalop
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/france-galop
• Instagraminstagram.com/francegalop
• TikToktiktok.com/@francegalop

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about France Galop