The Marketing of Horse Racing: Developing Fans and Fostering Bettors

Years before the first Super Bowl took place, before the first World Series was played, and before the Stanley Cup existed — horse racing was around and thriving in the US. The sport still commands attention today and in many ways is as well-positioned as ever to cater to an increasingly growing populace ready (and legally able) to bet.

The so-called stick-and-ball sports can learn a lot from horse racing marketers, who have been marketing sports betting for years. But the opposite is true, too. Horse racing can learn a lot from the storytelling and content production that the stick-and-ball sports have spent years honing, accelerated even more in the digital and social media age.

So, as sports betting becomes a bigger part of being a sports fan in the US in the months and years to come, there is a lot to learn from the experience of horse racing. Both in how the sport works to create bettors and how their storytelling chops have evolved (and continue to evolve) to engage younger generations of fans that crave that bit of emotional investment and excitement. Even if they're not winning money. But make no mistake, the prospect of cashing in on a winning bet is a big part of stoking those initial flames of fandom. I recently spoke with Emily Miller, Senior Digital Marketing Manager for the New York Racing Association (NYRA), which runs the Belmont Stakes, among much more. And she discussed how they think about storytelling at NYRA.

“What we like to do (on race days) is really focus on betting storylines," said Miller, who also noted NYRA runs a digital and mobile betting platform called NYRA Bets. "What I mean by betting storylines is maybe there’s a really crazy finish. Maybe a super longshot won a race and nobody saw it coming. We focus on our graded stakes, which are our most competitive races. Maybe one of our analysts hits a really impressive ticket, they had a great windfall, we want to talk that up, of course."

Many sports fans will make their first legal bet in the near future. And there is a lot that goes into marketing to one's audience — to the novice betters, the sharps, and everybody in between. There are also different ways to market horse racing and sports betting, from the monetary to the emotional, and more. For Miller and NYRA, they foster those sports bettors gradually, using both education and excitement. This in addition to the fans that may never place a bet, but can still enjoy a day at the races (or one spent watching them on TV).

“For a casual fan, it’s come out [and enjoy the atmosphere]," said Miller, who has been at NYRA since 2015. "For someone who’s maybe just starting to bet, we want to introduce you to some of the less-complicated bets. And over time hopefully you go to the more complicated ones. We love when our players have a big score. We love to tell that story on social or on our TV programs. That is just the best thing, when a real person has a life-changing score. You want to tell that story.”

The betting stories are big. They're part of the scripts of live sports that can't be replicated. But there is more to horse racing than betting slips. And more to the sport than race days, too. Helping fans connect with the sport at a human level is important for horse racing and for NYRA. And horse racing is teeming with compelling stories and characters to engage fans on the off-days.

“On days when we’re not racing, which we call dark days, we really like to tell the more behind-the-scenes storytelling-type of content...,"" said Miller. Whether it’s an interview with a jockey maybe who’s a mainstay on the NYRA circuit, or a brand new jockey just won their first race at Aqueduct — we want to tell those kinds of stories on those days Things that are more interest pieces and less what’s happening exactly on the track."

Even for a sport that has been around for centuries, Miller and NYRA know the sport can't rest on tradition alone. And for somebody in Miller's role, she's able to show how that storytelling content converts to real revenue for the organization. With an understanding of ROI, getting buy-in from the top isn't so challenging.

“It’s about bringing people along and creating fandom and leaning into player-produced content," said Miller. "So I would say we’ve made a really strong pivot over the last three years. And personally when it comes to the digital team and our group, as long as you can show that what you’re doing is driving revenue — if it’s an email marketing campaign that’s generating ‘x’ dollars in ticket sales, if it’s a concerted betting host that drives however many sign-ups.

"As long as you’re continuing to tell that story and connect those dots, you’re going to continue to get buy-in from leadership. You’re going to continue to get added resources, whether it’s personnel or tools…"

So when PASPA was overturned, clearing the way for state to legalize sports betting, NYRA was ready and invested in digital and social. The increased conversation around betting-adjacent content like daily fantasy, along with betting on other major pro and college sports, only helps NYRA's objectives. A more interested audience accustomed to gamifying their sports consumption experience is good for horse racing. Meanwhile, NYRA is helping to further foster and start more social conversations around horse racing, betting, and the storylines.

“I think there’s something that we’ve all kind of learned, too, is there’s a whole language to horse racing," said Miller. "There’s a way we talk about horse racing when you’re a really experienced bettor that can be really confusing and hard for a newbie to grasp. And one way we’re all helping each other and breaking down that barrier is (using) digital.

“So when it comes to increased conversation about betting, even things like fantasy and sportsbook — all that’s great for the horse racing industry. Because it’s all betting-adjacent, it’s making people more familiar with the concepts. And even if somebody is an avid fantasy bettor and they’re never going to bet on the racetrack, the exposure of that kind of concept is great for us.”

Some years from now, parlays, money lines, and spreads will be part of the everyday sports lexicon for a majority of sports fans. Fans will still live and die, figuratively, with the outcome of games they care about. The emotional investment will just be complemented and augmented by a financial element. Striking the balance between both those sources will be the challenge and the opportunity moving forward for horse racing and the stick-and-ball sports alike.

Horse racing has is adapting to this new paradigm now. While non-bettors fall in love with stories like American Pharoah, the betting fans cheer much more for their wallets than their hearts. Horses come and go and fandom isn't passed from generation to generation like it has been in other sports. This conversation begs the question of what defines a sports fan. Is it anybody who cares about the outcome of a competition? Anybody that enjoys watching the excitement and unpredictability of live sports? Somebody that makes their favorite team or athlete part of their identity?

The definition is less black-and-white than it was in generations past. But that's a good thing. Because regardless of what makes us lean in with baited breath for a buzzer beating play or a neck-and-neck finish down the stretch, we experience the emotional roller coaster together. And wake up the next day with a story to share.

LISTEN TO MY FULL CONVERSATION WITH EMILY MILLER OF NYRA