BHA Gives Promising Snapshot Of Steps Taken To Improve Horse Racing

The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has provided a promising snapshot on the progress made by Project Beacon in shaping the future of horse racing. In a 16-page report entitled Project Beacon Spring 2026 Update, the BHA examined the areas where improvements have been made, discussing the key concerns that have so far been addressed.

As part of its long-term commitment to diversify and improve engagement levels in the sport, Project Beacon was brought in to give horse racing a renewed sense of purpose. And it seems that Project Beacon is starting to reap the dividends.

What’s the back story?

Considered to be the largest piece of customer research undertaken on horse racing, Project Beacon identified six pain points that needed to be tackled, including the cost of attending race meetings and building an emotional connection with fans.

In February, 10 start-up companies pitched ideas to Flutter and the BHA in an event titled the Future of Racing summit to shake things up in the sport.

Among the ideas raised were artificial intelligence (AI) to support training and equine welfare, and racecourse surface analysis. Now, groups, such as the BHA, Great Britain Racing (GBR), and broadcasters have been implementing fresh concepts and helping create stronger connections with audiences.

Pinpointing the success of campaigns

One of horse racing’s flagship campaigns, “The Going is Good”, has been revamped based on Beacon’s insights. According to the BHA’s findings, Q1 attendance figures rose by 4.5% year-on-year (YoY), while general admission ticket sales enjoyed a 10.1% uptick. Nearly a third of those are coming from the main target group, namely those in the 18-28 range.

Meanwhile, the Friday Night Live fixture series has enjoyed plenty of success thanks to the partnership struck between Arena Racing Company (ARC), ITV, and media firm Invades, which saw peak viewing figures of more than 480,000.

There was also one million views generated on social media platform X for Constitution Hill’s win in the Road to Cheltenham Novice Stakes, where he cruised to victory in style.

Elsewhere, GBR has been working with racing experts, such as Chris Hughes and Harry Clark, to bridge the gap between traditional crowds and new audiences. An explainer series, for example, provided by Clark at Cheltenham in January reached 900,000 views.

Gauging industry reaction

Judging by the industry reaction, it seems the campaigns built on the back of Beacon are already having the desired effect. A follow-up Racing Summit will be held next month in May to build on the momentum gained, but BHA CEO Brant Dunshea was quick to underline the progress made so far.

He said:

“Beacon gives us the clearest picture we have ever had of who our customers are and what they need from the sport. The early results are encouraging, with strong growth in audiences, record digital engagement and real momentum behind campaigns such as HorsePWR and The Going is Good.

“What is most pleasing is how quickly the insights have been embraced across the industry. This collective commitment makes me hugely optimistic about the progress we can deliver together in the months ahead.”

Similarly, Alex Eade, CEO of The Racecourse Association, was positive about the insights embedded, as he said:

“It’s been encouraging to see how quickly Beacon’s insights have been adopted across racecourses. With everyone focused on attracting and retaining customers, we’re already seeing growth in attendances, and we’re hoping that positive trend continues throughout 2026.”