Spectator sport ?
A popular view that I also support is that racing is not a spectator sport in the true sense of the word. The acid test is whether the average person would pay to merely attend a race meeting for the sole purpose of watching the races on the card, writes Leon Smuts.
The answer to this is fairly obvious, hence the view that racing is not and will probably never be a sport alongside the likes of football, rugby, cricket, athletics, golf and many more that attract people purely for what it offers as a spectacle.
It is however important to note that although it cannot be classified alongside most other spectator sports, racing is not short of incredible spectator value. It has in fact got the ability to generate almost instant and very strong spectator value, as a keen interest in the outcome of any race or series of races is immediately created the moment that an individual places a bet.
A further interesting and useful aspect to consider is that the interest created is actually similar regardless of whether a R5 or a R5000 bet is placed, which creates wonderful opportunities to market the game to a more diverse customer base. It also illustrates the relationship between participation and attendance or viewership, which makes it absolutely vital to market and promote an active stake in the game as opposed to purely creating exposure at the few big race meetings available annually.
This seemingly insignificant fact could however present the most critical objective in a racing turnaround strategy and should be given far more serious attention by betting operators. Broader participation has to be specifically targeted, not purely new exposure, as the relationship between participation and spectator value is clearly extremely significant in racing. Products that incorporate common sense in their design will make the above reality an objective well worth targeting and promises to yield very positive results.
Leon Smuts – Scoreline Wagering Enterprises (Pty) Ltd
