On-course attendance in decline
It’s hardly earth shattering news that racecourse attendances are in steady decline globally. So with racing administrators working to arrest this, where did it all go wrong, and what can we do to fix it? asks Thoroughmedia’s Simon Burgess.
With modern technologies like pay TV, internet and social media at their disposal, Punters don’t need to leave their lounge room these days to have a bet and catch all the action, so from that perspective, declines in on course attendances are feasible to a degree.
That’s all fine and dandy for the Tote and Bookmakers who still get their slice of the pie through wagering, but what about the people who actually put on the show that allows them both to prosper financially?
Bookmakers – No Brainer
Let’s take that back a step here. So who does put on the show? Is it the Breeders and Owners? Because let’s face it, without them racetracks would be nothing more than an undeveloped piece of land waiting for a block of flats or shopping mall to be built on!
The question then beckons, are these stakeholders getting a fair shake? Granted the owners are the beneficiaries of the prize money, but on the other side of the coin, it’s them who take all the risk to breed, or purchase the horse then invest considerably to get it to the track without any guarantee of a return. All this time though, it’s a no brainer for wagering outlets because they don’t care whether the horse can run or not, as long as they have runners, a product exists that they can frame a market around to win and prosper their respective businesses.
OK getting back on track, pardon the pun. Enter the race goer, aka the punter. The vital link to the chain because really without them, what’s the point of all this? Are we giving them enough reasons to go to the track, probably not.
That winning feeling
Anyone who’s been lucky enough to own a winner whether it be a mid week maiden or a group one champion will tell you there’s nothing quite like the thrill and adrenalin rush of watching your horse run, not to mention the euphoria if it wins!
Ownership isn’t for everyone, but backing a winner is and it’s a similar type of feeling but without the photo for the billiards room or office.
So how do we attract new participants to the sport, grow on track attendances and retain our existing audience, because in theory if we can do that, the rest should take care of itself right?
I think this needs to be addressed as two different demographics – punters / race goers and owners who in turn also fall into the category of punters / race goers. The one common denominator here is that we need to give all demographics “a reason to go to the races”. In theory, owners will probably come to the races because they have a reason – a runner.
Racing needs heroes
Drilling this down even further, one area where I believe the sport has fallen down globally, is promoting racing for what it is, “a sport”. Like any sport it needs its heroes and an identity to resonate with whether they be of the human or equine variety and considering the resources at our disposal, surely it isn’t that hard? The industry as a whole has never done enough to create heroes in the form of horse, jockey or trainer and until we can address this, it’s going to be very hard for fans to make a connection with the sport.
Perhaps we need to take a step back and look at what we perceive to be the values of the industry? At the fear of using another pun, perhaps we’ve put the horse before the cart here? To protect this industry’s future we need the cornerstones and foundations in place and to move with the times. It’s not just about turning up to a track with some horses and riding them around in some races. There has to be services and facilities there to back it up. Some very simple marketing philosophies could be applied here to arrest this alarming decline and expose this great sport to new demographics because any lover of the sport will tell you once you’ve been bitten, you’ve got the bug and that bug never leaves you.
18-20 Demographic
The J & B Met, Vodacom Durban July and L’Omarins Queens Plate have consistently attracted big crowds of a 18-25 demographic who all seem to enjoy themselves, so how do we translate that to week in week out racing? I’m realistic enough to concede that it can’t be done for every single meeting of the year but we can certainly grow it organically because obviously these demographics are making a connection with the sport and we’re not maximizing the opportunities they’re generating. Maybe it’s even something as simple as, where the girls go, the boys will follow?
Newmarket racecourse in the UK is a good example of making it “more than a day of racing” by adding other components of entertainment in the form of quality bands. They have engaged well known acts to perform post the races with great effect increasing attendances significantly. This could also be taken one step further by partnering with an off-site venue for an after party and providing transport there post the races. So secondary or additional entertainment would certainly be worth consideration. This could also be coupled with on course activity that appeals to the target market in various forms.
Market research
A successful concept in Australia has been the “Owner for a Day” initiative whereby new participants get the experience of being an owner for a day with their name in the race book, access all areas to the facilities, and even more attractive, the prize money associated. It’s a more exciting version of Lotto and better odds? Let’s also analyze what the perceived competition is doing to attract audiences.
I certainly don’t profess to have all the answers, but I’d like to be a part of the solution. Maybe it’s time for the industry stakeholders to invest in some market research with a few workshops and public forums? Let’s get a broad cross section of ideas on what the customer wants and act on them so we can at least establish some sort of blue print for the future. Food for thought, and an inexpensive investment in what could prove to be the catalyst in the longevity of this great sport.
