Short-form video is somewhat of a new revelation in online entertainment. A product of the feed and to continue to spur on scrolling, quick videos that are punchy, impactful, and over in a few seconds have become the preferred form of social media consumption for millions.
Having been made mainstream by TikTok – although Instagram, YouTube Shorts, and Facebook also play a big part now – short-form content is often seen as being for the newer audiences. Horse racing, often seen as a traditional sport for older audiences, however, has embraced short-form video and is benefiting greatly from doing so.
Showcasing the Best of the Action
Horse racing is a rather quick sport. From the off, just a few minutes later, if that, bettors get to see their picks cross the finish line. Along the way, there will be some drama, with falls and overtakes adding to the drama. Seeing that there are these key moments and flashpoints, horse racing enterprises have decided to leverage short-form content.
Chief among these is The Jockey Club. The leading racecourse group in the UK already boasts over 164,000 followers and 6.8 million likes on TikTok, combining engaging content with video highlights that hype the action. On Instagram, the following is also very strong, with 116,000 subscribing to the updates of the racecourse operator.
As we’ll explore, short-form content is becoming crucial for reaching new audiences online. However, horse racing is also finding itself very pliable to other new digital content platforms. Given its ties to betting, perhaps it won’t come as much of a surprise that online casino gaming has taken to horse racing of late.
One of the biggest game series in this sector is the one that began the Fishing Frenzy trend that remains prominent to this day. Fishin’ Frenzy has continued to expand from the original creation, as have its new competitors. In pursuit of this, there’s now the horse racing-themed game Big Bass Day at the Races, which blends the two hit settings.
Adapting to the New State of Play
It’s important to note the impact of 2020’s pandemic on the sport of horse racing. Only this year did news arrive of overall attendances breaching five million again – the first time since 2019, while investment in the showpiece events has continued to underline the importance of the sport, and their impact on more local fixtures like Fakenham.
It can be assumed that this has, at least in part, been spurred on by the adoption of trending digital content. Organisations like The Jockey Club seem to believe so, given their continued effort to exploit these avenues. Short-form content has become a much more regular source of entertainment for target audiences, which has given horse racing an in.
Engagement online doesn’t always translate directly into ticket sales at the tracks, but showcasing the potential entertainment value certainly plants the seed of interest in many. From there, racetracks will eventually welcome complete newcomers, particularly as they continue to pad race days and festivals with extras to grow their appeal as a day out.
Embracing short-form content has and will continue to support horse racing’s resurgence, as will the sport’s ability to blend into other new and popular forms of digital entertainment.
