Attendance Figures for the 2023 Cheltenham Festival to Drop
Numbers for this year’s Cheltenham Festival will be down, but it’s not due to a lack of demand. The 2022 racing festival saw 280,627 people line up trackside to see some of the best runners and riders. However, in 202,3 Cheltenham Festival will welcome 274,000 visitors. The drop in attendance figures is due to new measures aimed at improving safety and, according to the Jockey Club, improving the race-going experience.
The racecourse’s owner announced its decision to cap daily entries at 68,500 in August 2022. Customer feedback and a desire to offer the best experience possible were cited as reasons for the new cap. Talking to the BBC, Jockey Club regional director Ian Renton said even with significant investment, Cheltenham’s facilities could be stretched if attendance figures keep increasing.
Online Access Keeps Interest Alive
Of course, we know that in-person attendance figures aren’t the only measure of interest. The Cheltenham Festival will be broadcast on ITV in the UK, as well as on various licensed platforms online. What’s more, there will be numerous ways to place a bet at Cheltenham, including online apps. Across the internet, there will be outright win markets for all the top races, including the opening day’s big race, the Champion Hurdle. The level of betting interest in 2023 is set to be as high as ever.
In fact, betting on horse racing remains a popular pastime thanks to online apps offering a variety of markets. For hardcore sports betting fans, there are odds for nuanced outcomes, including multiway bets and crossover specials (wagers that combine outcomes for two different sports). For casual racing fans, there are outright odds and promotions to keep things interesting. Based on the accessibility of online betting apps, as well as the longstanding appeal of Cheltenham, more than $500 million could be wagered during the four-day festival.
Racing Can Thrive in the Digital Era
Another sign that interest in the Cheltenham Festival remains high is viewing figures. ITV Racing has made multiple gains in recent years and confirmed in 2022 that peak viewing figures for Cheltenham topped 1.6 million. That was up from 922,000 in 2020 and 1.1 million in 2021. In addition to record viewing figures on TV, online engagement remains high. Keywords linked to the event, including “Cheltenham tips” and “Cheltenham bets” have been trending on Twitter ahead of the 2023 festival. With tweets (see as the one below) attracting more than 125,000 views, it’s clear the event is still popular with the masses.
😳 The Greatest Robbery I've seen at Cheltenham
— Stephen R Power (@racingblogger) March 11, 2023
CHAMP comes from the clouds to miraculously beat Minella Indo and Allaho under a storming Barry Geraghty ride in the RSA Chase!!#CheltenhamFestival 😍 👏pic.twitter.com/JIUeEqEdiP
Capping the number of visitors following massive crowds in 2022 might be necessary to keep the event a fan-friendly experience. This might have hurt Cheltenham in the past. Indeed, before digital technology increased access to all aspects of the industry, limiting the number of attendees may have caused casual fans to stay away.
Today, however, it’s not so much of an issue. Whether it’s betting, news updates, or live streams, the internet is awash with horse racing content. Therefore, even if fewer people will attend the 2023 festival and subsequent ones, it’s unlikely to hurt the event or racing as a sport.
