As with the 2022 Preakness Stakes, the 2022 Belmont Stakes did not have a lot to offer to interest bettors and television viewers…and the results reflect this reality. With the connections of Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike skipping the Preakness, there was no possibility of a Triple Crown winner and the field for the Belmont did not have star power or the prospect of an intriguing matchup. The main draw was to see if Rich Strike’s win in the Kentucky Derby was a fluke.
All-sources betting was $98.8 million, compared to $112.7 million in 2021, which was a wagering record for a non-Triple Crown year. This was a decline of about 12.4%. While on-track betting on 13 races was $9.5 million, up from $7.5 million in 2021, the contrast is meaningless because in 2021 NYRA limited attendance to approximately 11,000. All-sources handle on the Belmont only was $50.3 million, a decrease from 2021 when the handle was $60.5 million.
Television ratings were tepid. The race portion of the Belmont Stakes earned a rating of 2.65 and had viewership of 4.72 million people. This was up slightly from 2021 but was the third smallest TV audience since 2000.
The paid attendance was 46,301 but not much can be read into this statistic. Due to construction of UBS Arena on Belmont property, NYRA capped attendance at 50,000.
In 2022, the Triple Crown business metrics were strong for the Kentucky Derby and modest for the Preakness and Belmont. Regardless of the sport, absent star power, an event won’t attract as many fans as it would with a Tiger Woods, Serena Williams, or an American Pharaoh.
Copyright © 2022 Horse Racing Business
Recent Comments