Horse Racing In The UK Needs A Better Future

Horse Racing In The UK Needs A Better Future

If you are a visitor to Royal Ascot or to Aintree for the Grand National, you would be forgiven for thinking that UK horse racing is in rude health. Horse racing tips are everywhere in the daily papers, the track is full of punters and the field is full of runners and riders. But these two premium races hide bigger problems for the future of the sport. While the papers may be publishing daily racing tips, the next generation of punters is turning to football when it is placing bets. This is a vital revenue stream and it is important that racing does not lose this valuable revenue stream to the sport.

So what are the experts saying about how horse racing is losing ground with the next generation? It seems that while the traditional media are still featuring racing and offering racing tips, new channels like Sky are what the punters are watching. For most people in the UK, TV racing coverage is provided by the BBC and Channel 4. Channel 4 pays racing 4 million for coverage of the full racing calendar and then the BBC are allowed to cherry pick key events like Ascot and The Grand National. A much more media savvy approach would be to have a grand prix style calendar of premier racing events and to offer them to a TV company as a single package. The person who bought this full package might also be invited to sponsor some of the events as a media partner, something that is common in other sports.

Some of the races that we have mentioned are covered by the UK Government's proscribed list and therefore must be offered to a terrestrial station. However that does not meant that they should be allowed to cover the entire race meeting, as the list just applies to individual races. The preferred TV partner company could still have unique access to the entire race event, something that would attract viewers.

So what approach could the racing authorities take? Well the first steps would be to assemble the package of premier racing events. Lesser known courses, events and races would have to be upgraded to offer the standard of sport and spectacle that are offered at Ascot or Cheltenham. There is no doubt that this would require an injection of funds from sponsors and from investors, but with a good plan in place, everyone should see a health return on their investments.

Next the authorities would have to have a serious review of what it is prepared to sell rights to show its content for. The current sums are ridiculously small and show the safe and limited vision that the current management of the sport have for it. When you compare that to the returns in football, cricket and formula 1, you must see that something has to change.

With the right leadership and vision, a deal could be crafted that will propel the sport to a new level of excitement. This would rejuvenate existing punters and race-goers and it will put the sport in front of a new generation of potential customers who have not had a chance to see what it has to offer. Horse racing in the UK will never be as big a sport as football, but with the right direction it could have a strong future with a dedicated following of enthusiasts among the next generation.