Horse racing is one of the oldest competitive sports in the world, but despite its legacy, it is enjoying a new Golden Age in 2025. Racing is as popular as it has ever been in this modern day, with the most recent edition of the Kentucky Derby reflecting this.
This year’s opening leg of the Triple Crown peaked at a record-breaking 21.8 million, making it the most-steamed horse racing event in history. The success of the sport in this modern day also focuses around the betting side of the business, with a staggering $222.6 million wagered on the card on Derby Day.
The success achieved via betting has attracted a new audience to the sport, leading to many looking for the best horse racing betting offers.
Still, the prolonged success of the sport in this modern age can also be put down to the growth enjoyed following the emergence of social media.
Platform for Racecourses
One of the biggest success stories in racing when it comes to social media is the platform that racecourses now have to share their updates. It offers a fast route to talk to operators at the tracks, enabling easy questions to be answered quickly and efficiently.
However, it also enables courses to share exciting upcoming events with followers, using marketing campaigns to ensure that they reach as many Racegoers as possible. Creating a buzz around an event is essentially important to long term success for racecourses, especially the smaller ones that don’t have major Grade Ones on the schedule to attract record numbers.
One of the ways in which courses are able to attract newcomers is by putting on festival-like race days, with musical acts taking to the stage after the racing has concluded for the day.
Showcasing these events is hugely important, as they are a sure-fire way to get those that wouldn’t typically go to the racing through the entrance.
Highlighting Key Moments
Sometimes even the most passionate racing fans aren’t able to get to their television screens to watch the action in full. Therefore, social media has been a key tool to help catch up with action in smaller clips.
Full races can often be found on platforms such as X and TikTok, which can also be seen by those that have no current interest in the sport. Close races or memorable moments have the power to attract newcomers to the sport, as they may wish to find out more about what it is all about.
For that reason, social media has been a powerful tool to give all racing fans the platform that they need to share thoughts about races. Memorable moments from yesteryear can also be found on social media, enabling experienced fans to reminisce and newcomers to learn more about the history of the great sport.
Socialising with Likeminded People
Social media remains a controversial topic in this modern day, with many of the negative headlines surrounding the unwarranted abuse that some sports people have to deal with. However, in its essence, social media is all about connecting people with similar interests.
The racing community can often be as divisive as sports such as soccer and American Football, with those that have lost money on a selection pointing the finger of blame at the jockey.
But, it is overall an excellent platform to connect with likeminded people and share thoughts about upcoming racing events. Social media gives racing fans the opportunity to share their picks for the biggest races on the calendar, and indicate where they believe a race could be won or lost.
It is also an important tool for experienced racing fans, as the latest news can be easily found on the social media platforms before it makes its way to officially recognised news outlets.
Growing Influence of Social Media Stars
Whether you like them or not, influencers have a huge impact on the growth of horse racing across the world, as they are able to take the sport to new audiences that typically wouldn’t be engaged in the action on the track. Of course, there are some influencers that are just after making quick money, but those with a passion for the sport are a vitally important asset to racing.
One of the most popular comes in the form of Stephen Power, or Racing Blogger. He has amassed a worldwide following on social media channels, and is regularly given access to some of the biggest events in the diary. Power takes his followers behind the scenes at some of the notable races throughout the season, showing the pre-race and aftercare treatment of horses that can’t be seen unless you’re at the track.
Giving fans a rounded view of a day at the track is a huge positive for the sport, and taking racing to those that wouldn’t normally watch the action can never be regarded as a bad thing.