FAQs — Audience & Reach
Current and Potential Audience for IRR
Based on the size of existing Indian Relay Racing crowds, the reach of digital media, and the audiences currently attracted by major racing broadcasters, IRR appears to have the potential to expand from a relatively small regional sport into a nationally recognized entertainment property.
Current Audience
At present, IRR's audience is concentrated primarily in Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, South Dakota, North Dakota, Arizona, and parts of Canada. Attendance at major events generally ranges from several thousand spectators to tens of thousands over the course of a season. Audience growth has also been driven by social media, YouTube, and features such as CBS's 60 Minutes coverage of the sport.
A reasonable estimate of today's audience might look something like this:
| Category | Estimated Audience |
|---|---|
| Live attendance | 50,000–150,000 |
| Social media and streaming | 250,000–1,000,000 |
| Total annual reach | 300,000–1,150,000 |
Potential Audience After Sanctioning
If IRR were recognized as a pari-mutuel discipline and distributed through national wagering and media platforms, the numbers could increase dramatically.
FOX's horse-racing broadcasts routinely attract hundreds of thousands of viewers, while major events such as the Belmont Stakes attract millions.
ESPN's experience with racing and other niche sports demonstrates that compelling storytelling can transform specialized events into nationally recognized programming.
FanDuel Racing has also shown that wagering and broadcasting can work together to expand audiences and engagement.
Potential Annual Audience
| Platform | Estimated Reach |
|---|---|
| Live attendance | 250,000–500,000 |
| Streaming platforms | 2–5 million |
| FOX Sports exposure | 3–10 million |
| ESPN programming | 2–8 million |
| FanDuel ecosystem | 1–5 million |
| Social media | 10–25 million |
| Total annual reach | 15–50 million |
Long-Term Scenario
If IRR were to become a nationally sanctioned racing discipline, several factors would work in its favor:
- A uniquely American and Indigenous story.
- Exceptional visual appeal and television value.
- A format that is easy to understand.
- Strong opportunities for wagering integration.
- Existing tribal, racing, and tourism infrastructure.
- Appeal to younger audiences seeking action-oriented sports.
The comparison often made is not to traditional Thoroughbred racing, but to the evolution of sports such as mixed martial arts, professional bull riding, X Games competition, and Formula One racing. Those sports moved from niche audiences to mainstream media after combining television exposure, digital streaming, sponsorships, and legalized wagering.
Given those factors, a mature IRR market reaching 20 million to 50 million people annually is not an unreasonable long-term objective.
A mature IRR market reaching 20 million to 50 million people annually is not an unreasonable long-term objective.