Fixture List Changes

Here's the statement issued by the BHA:



BHA Board approves core principles for innovation and improvement in the 2024 fixture list

    Principles shaped by the work of the sport’s Commercial Committee and unanimously approved by the BHA Board
    Innovations introduced in 2024 aim to grow the sport’s reach, appeal to new fanbases and better engage existing customers
    Changes represent vital first step in longer-term improvements to the structure, funding and promotion of the racing product

Innovative and wide-ranging changes to the 2024 fixture list based on several core principles have been approved by the Board of the British Horseracing Authority (BHA).

Developed as part of British racing’s cross industry strategy, the principles – which will be implemented and tested over an initial two-year period – represent an important first step in delivering more substantive changes to the racing product.

They have been shaped by the work of the industry’s Commercial Committee – consisting of representatives from the BHA, racecourses, owners, breeders, and licensed personnel – as part of efforts across the sport to develop a long-term, sustainable model for British racing.

The agreement of core principles for the 2024 fixture list is the first phase in the sport’s strategy to grow its fanbase, maximise engagement and generate increased revenues, which in turn will see increased prize money levels.

Work around the future racing product was identified by industry leaders as the most time-critical aspect of the strategy development, and this has therefore been prioritised to ensure that fundamental changes can be incorporated into the 2024 fixture list.

This wider strategic work is looking at a broad suite of customer-focused and data-driven initiatives around how the sport is structured, funded, presented, and promoted – work that will be further developed in the coming months. This sits alongside associated workstreams in key areas such as racehorse ownership, equine welfare, integrity, industry people and corporate social responsibility.

The principles agreed unanimously by the BHA Board that will inform the 2024 fixture list, include:

    A “Premier” racing tier with higher prize money and more competitive top-quality racing featuring the best horses
    A two-hour “shop window” on most Saturday afternoons with three fixtures, including up to two Premier fixtures, taking place during the peak customer engagement period (usually 2pm-4pm). Other Saturday fixtures will take place outside the protected window.
    Piloting six Sunday evening floodlit fixtures between January and March 2024 – a time of the week where betting activity tends to be strong
    Boosting Core racing – moving more fixtures later in the day in response to changing customer preferences, making the most of our Core fixtures during major festivals and supporting Summer Jumping
    More competitive racing with a reduction in 300 Jump races across the year, and some Flat races moved from summer to autumn/early winter, based on data showing these measures will help increase field sizes and betting
    Better quality racing on Sunday afternoons, including Premier fixtures.

More information about these core principles can be found here.

These measures are supported by extensive research and analysis, underpinned for the first time by data from betting companies, racecourses, and the Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB). The work has also been informed by customer insight, including from the Horserace Bettors’ Forum (HBF), and input from the industry’s Fixtures and Funding Group.

Further detail to support the implementation of the core principles will be developed and refined in the coming weeks and used to inform the 2024 fixture list. This will include funding submissions to the HBLB to support the delivery of the strategy, particularly around areas of higher prize money levels.

There will also be ongoing dialogue about how best to support racing’s people as the sport innovates the racing product and seeks to meet the changing preferences of its customers.

This will initially include discussions and recommendations around the number of breaks in the calendar, while a long-term strategy to future-proof racing’s workforce is developed by the Industry People Board.

Joe Saumarez Smith, Chair of the BHA, said:

“The BHA Board endorsed and approved these recommendations because it was clear to us that they were necessary and in the best interests of the sport.

“The information that was presented by the sport’s Commercial Committee included detailed consideration of both the upside and downside of all proposals. This allowed the Board to make its decisions based on the complete picture.

“It is inevitable that not all parties agree with all proposals. But it was for this reason that the new governance structure was agreed by the industry, so that difficult decisions can be made and there can be progress in the best interests of the whole sport.