Cleminson, CEO of Square in the Air, a racing and gaming marketing agency, presented a number of such ideas during the keynote address at the conference. The ideas fell into four broad topics: providing insight and innovation; personalization of the sport and access; storytelling; and cultural framework.
Cleminson said achieving a goal in these areas can transform a sport from something you watch to something you live, share and belong to. He noted that the success that Formula 1 (motor racing) has achieved in these areas has led to a huge increase in global interest, including a spike in the number of female fans who now represent 42% of the fanbase.
While walking into Royal Ascot this year, Cleminson noted that a 12-year-old daughter of one of his friends was “desperately looking at her phone to see what had happened that morning during F1 qualifying.”
“Who would have thought this could have happened 10 or 15 years ago?” Cleminson added. “That’s what we have to strive for in racing.”
According to Cleminson, racing must focus on technology to immerse fans in the sport. He said that while helmet cams have been a great innovation, putting them on every rider and allowing viewers to follow along with whichever horse they choose during a race would take things to another level. In addition, he proposed new camera angles that capture the speed of the horses and the proximity of the competition. He further proposed placing radar guns around the track with large screens that would show the speed of the leading horse at key points in the race.
Cleminson noted that other sports are placing microphones on competitors and suggested that racing could do the same: picking up the final strategic plans between trainers and jockeys before the race and the excitement of horses and riders competing after the gates open. He suggested that riders’ heart monitors could record who stays cool during the race and who is pushed to their limits. (Cleminson didn’t suggest it, but heart monitors on the horses could also be important.)
Cleminson said the odds of winning for each horse can be listed throughout the race so they can be adjusted immediately if fortunes change.
“We are doing this to some extent, but we should be doing more,” Cleminson said. “We need to tell more stories. That’s what modern sports fans demand.”
Cleminson called for greater adoption of AI as a disability aid. He said it could offer a taste of the many daily racing events currently being held without such fanfare.
If racing has a horse star, Cleminson says the sport should take full advantage of it. He suggested lighting up a skyscraper to promote a top horse with a big race coming up. He said such a demonstration could move through the building at the same speed as the horse.
At the track, Cleminson proposed exclusive areas for fans of the biggest stars of the day. This year’s Breeders’ Cup Saturday could have had special areas for fans of Forever young , Ferocity , Sierra Leone or Journalism come together.
In terms of making the most of its human stars, Cleminson said an exclusive jockey entrance would allow social media recordings of their arrival at the track and provide a chance to engage with fans. That would help build anticipation and awareness ahead of race day.
Noting the success of influencer Griffin Johnson for U.S. horse racing in 2025, Cleminson said the industry could capitalize on that by offering alternative television broadcasts in which Johnson, or a prominent owner, trainer, jockey or influencer, provides live thoughts, interviews, etc. throughout the race day. Think of ESPN’s “ManningCast” live shows during Monday Night Football.
In presenting these and other ideas, Cleminson called on the racing industry to make a greater investment in marketing.
“We don’t have to invent anything new. All the technology is there and it’s not as expensive as you might think,” Cleminson said. “If we grow the audience, we will attract new sponsors and more money will come into the sport for further investment.”
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