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Better than ever Churchill Downs executive says industry is strong
Posted: Wednesday May 03, 2000 06:25 PM
LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (AP) -- The racing industry continues to grow stronger despite decreasing on-site attendance and handles at race tracks, Churchill Downs president and chief executive officer Thomas Meeker said Wednesday. "The industry today is healthier than it's ever been," he said. "We've had a dynamic shift in the way we deliver our product with the distribution system known as interstate simulcasting. "Our revenue base is significantly higher than it's ever been before. On any given day, U.S. racing is reaching more people than it has ever reached in its history." Meeker said the key to continuing that growth lies in the utilization of new technology -- namely the Internet and interactive cable television systems -- as it brings young people and non-horse players into the sport. "The Derby is a perfect example," he said. "The woman out in rural Nebraska isn't tuning in to see The Deputy run around the track. The Derby is not just a horse race. It is an event -- a collage of a lot of different things. "It's mint juleps and hats and roses and color and spectacle. That's what a lot of people are tuning in to see, and we need to realize that if we're going to interest the casual fan."
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