Racing’s Big Hurdle Winning Over Gen Z
Horse racing still commands global audiences and substantial betting turnover, but the sport faces growing competition for the attention of younger consumers.
Sam Houlding, Managing Director of B2B at Spotlight Sports Group, believes the answer lies not in protecting tradition but in making racing easier to discover, easier to follow and more relevant to modern sports fans.
Horse racing’s challenge with younger audiences is well documented, but Sam Houlding is keen to reframe the conversation. Rather than focusing solely on declining engagement, he points to a significant untapped opportunity. Spotlight Sports Group’s latest audience research estimates racing’s global fanbase at between 36 million and 48 million people, yet identifies a potential audience of up to 200 million sports and entertainment fans who remain largely outside the sport’s reach.
According to the research, 52 per cent of sports fans aged between 18 and 44 actively follow 11 sports or more. For Houlding, it’s a statistic that illustrates a reality every sport must confront: attention is no longer won by default. Racing is competing not only with football, Formula One and cricket, but with every other entertainment option available on a smartphone screen.
Te horse racing industry’s response, he argues, must begin with a fundamental shift in thinking. While betting remains central to racing’s commercial model, too much emphasis has historically been placed on wagering as the primary route into the sport. Increasingly, racing’s leaders are recognising that sustainable growth comes from building fandom first. Evidence cited from the Hong Kong Jockey Club suggests that audiences introduced through the sport itself often migrate naturally towards betting later, supporting a view that long-term commercial success depends on expanding the fanbase rather than simply driving turnover.
Te sport possesses some of the world’s most recognisable events, from Royal Ascot and the Melbourne Cup to the Breeders’ Cup. Tese occasions continue to generate significant cultural attention and provide valuable entry points for new audiences. Yet Houlding believes the industry has struggled to convert that episodic interest into year- round engagement. Much like casual tennis viewers who tune in for Wimbledon before disappearing for another 11 months, many consumers engage with racing’s flagship events without developing a deeper relationship with the sport.
Part of the problem, he suggests, is structural. Racing operates globally but often thinks locally. While football, Formula One and other major sports connect audiences through season-long narratives, rivalries and championships, racing frequently presents a series of standalone events rather than a coherent story. Te result is a fragmented experience in which major races generate momentary attention but rarely contribute to a larger narrative capable of sustaining fan interest over time.
Houlding believes this represents one of racing’s most significant growth opportunities. Rather than creating entirely new competitions or relying on external investment, the industry could build stronger links between its existing flagship events, creating storylines that carry audiences from one major festival to the next. A more connected international calendar would not only strengthen fan engagement but also provide a framework for the kind of ongoing storytelling that has proved so effective in sports such as Formula One.
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