How Horse Racing Can Win 200 Million New Fans | Sam Houlding

Horse racing has one of the richest histories in global sport—but can it become one of the fastest-growing sports for younger audiences? In this episode of Sports Management Podcast, Marcus Filipsson sits down with Sam Houlding, Managing Director of B2B at Spotlight Sports Group, to discuss fan engagement, sports media, betting, data, digital transformation and the future of horse racing. Sam explains why horse racing doesn't have an audience problem, but an accessibility problem, and shares the findings from a major industry report identifying nearly 200 million potential new fans worldwide. Topics include: Growing global sports audiences Formula One's fan engagement strategy Data visualization in sports Digital media and storytelling Sports betting and fan acquisition Career advice for young professionals Networking in sports The future of horse racing Time stamps: 00:00 Welcome Sam Houlding 00:15 Spotlight Sports Group Explained 01:55 The 200 Million Fan Opportunity 05:00 Why Racing Struggles to Grow 07:01 Accessibility Beats Awareness 10:24 Formula One's Winning Playbook 12:04 Betting vs Growing the Sport 14:03 Turning Data Into Fan Experiences 17:08 The Five Growth Priorities 19:07 Why Digital Comes First 21:21 The Future of Horse Racing 22:39 Sam's Career Journey 24:15 Lessons From Career Setbacks 26:06 Advice for Young Sports Professionals 27:36 Networking That Actually Works If you enjoy conversations about sports business, sports management and leadership, make sure to subscribe for new episodes every week. Subscribe for more conversations with leaders from across the global sports industry. 🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and all major podcast platforms. Follow Sports Management Podcast for weekly conversations with leaders from across the global sports industry. ================================================== To watch other videos on this channel: Ultimate Hoops Founder Alan Art Interview | Sports Business & AI in Sports:    • Ultimate Hoops Founder Alan Art Interview ...   Sports Analytics Secrets: How to Turn Passive Fans into Superfans | Neil Schwarz Insights:    • Sports Analytics Secrets: How to Turn Pass...   How Disney Guest Experience Can Transform Sports Management | Vance Morris Podcast:    • How Disney Guest Experience Can Transform ...   How to Become a FIFA Licensed Football Agent | Women’s Football Growth & Career Path:    • How to Become a FIFA Licensed Football Age...   ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ Lots of love to everyone. Subscribe to the channel and stay with us. ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ 🔔🔔 Subscribe to My Channel: /    / @sportsmanagementpodcast   ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ ✔✔ Like Facebook Page: /   / 100093257293980   ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ Instagram: /   / sportsmpodcast   ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ LinkedIn: /   / marcus-filipsson-44493b13b   ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ Twitter: / https://x.com/sportsmpodcast ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ Website: / https://www.sportsmanagementpodcast.com/ ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ Thanks for watching my video and subscribing to my channel. ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ Related Keyword: sports management, sports business, horse racing, horse racing business, sports media, sports betting, fan engagement, sports technology, sports data, digital transformation, sports leadership, audience growth, sports marketing, racing post, spotlight sports group, sports innovation, sports careers, sports podcast, sports management podcast, sports industry