Racecourse Media Group, the media and data rights management organisation for British and Irish horseracing entirely owned by its 37 racecourse shareholders, has appointed its first-ever chief content officer to spearhead a new drive to get younger punters in.
Andrew Demaria brings over 16 years of experience, including in leadership positions, at media conglomerate CNN. In his most recent role, he led NBCUniversal’s in-house creative and content studio.
He joins this week and will oversee content strategy, audience development, digital growth, data and insights, marketing integration and content partnerships.
Demaria has been tasked with driving subscriber growth, audience engagement and commercial performance as horse racing looks to mirror the recent growth of sports including Formula One, golf and darts.
He said: “Racing possesses all the ingredients of a great media property: elite sporting competition, compelling personalities, passionate fans and a year-round calendar of major events.
“The opportunity is to tell those stories in more ways, across more platforms and to more audiences than ever before.
“Racing TV and RMG already occupy a key position at the heart of the sport, and I look forward to working with racecourses, broadcasters, partners and colleagues to build a truly integrated content operation that drives audience growth, subscriber engagement and long-term value for racing.”
Demaria’s appointment follows concentrated efforts to make horseracing more appealing for a younger audience. While the so-called “sport of kings” is the second biggest spectator sport in the country, with around 6 million people attending each year, most consumers only really engage with the larger events, such as the Grand National, the Derby and the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
RMG managing director Russell Ferris added: “Andrew combines world-class editorial expertise with an exceptional track record in audience growth, digital innovation and commercial content. Throughout his career he has built and transformed media brands that engage audiences at scale while delivering measurable commercial success.
“He will play a pivotal role in bringing together our broadcast, digital, marketing and data capabilities to help us reach new audiences, deepen engagement with existing fans and create even greater value for our racecourse shareholders.”
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