Photo Finish™ LIVE Unlocks a New Generation of Horse Racing Fans

Jul 19, 2024 Third Time Games

A new generation of horse racing fans is being introduced to the age-old sport through the virtual lens of a video game built on the world’s most advanced technology.

The game is Photo Finish™ LIVE, founded by Ian Cummings, the former Creative Director of EA Sports Madden NFL and, as of 2023, an official gaming partner of the Kentucky Derby.

Unlocking a Gaming Generation of Horse Racing Fans

For many players, PFL has transformed their little to no previous interest in horse racing into a love affair with the sport. One example of the game’s impact is Phil Baker, a chartered accountant from the Isle of Man who owns the virtual stable YSM Racing Club.

After a year-long pursuit of the title, Baker and YSM were crowned champions of the Virtual Kentucky Derby, a monthly Race for the Roses that digitally mirrors the real-world Derby down to a meticulously detailed virtual replica of the Churchill Downs track.

In a short period, Baker has seen his interest in horse racing go from intermittent to passionate enough to travel to Louisville for the 150th Kentucky Derby this past May to win the race's virtual equivalent in the following weeks.

'Before Photo Finish™, I was just a casual horse-racing fan, mostly from the wagering side,” says Baker.

'My interest in horse racing has grown considerably. PFL has opened up my interest in horse racing in the USA and beyond, where I previously only casually followed UK or Ireland racing.”

After joining the game, Baker says that attending the Kentucky Derby quickly made it onto his bucket list, which he checked off by attending the 150th Kentucky Derby in May. Baker traveled thousands of miles to watch the historic race alongside a large contingent of fellow virtual stable owners who had traveled from every corner of the globe, all thanks to their shared passion for a video game that introduced them to the sport.

“The atmosphere at Churchill Downs was electric, and the moments before the main event were unforgettable. It was surreal to be there, knowing a video game led me to fly across the world to watch America’s biggest race.' Baker said.

Not long after watching Mystik Dan crowned Kentucky Derby champion in person, his stable’s virtual racehorse, Sprinter Sacre, won the digital equivalent of the rare honor – the Virtual Kentucky Derby.

“Winning the Virtual Kentucky Derby has been a huge driving factor for me and the rest of our stable syndicate, YSM Racing, since the day the partnership with Churchill Downs was announced,” Baker shares, adding the journey to VKD champion was a long, but worthwhile trek.

“We knew we had the bloodlines and the breeding acumen to create a Virtual Kentucky Derby winner -- and we came close multiple times, hitting 2nd place twice. We thought we had a great chance to win on at least half a dozen previous races; it never clicked until we eventually won the 14th running of the Virtual Kentucky Derby with our horse, Sprinter Sacre.

“The race went off at midnight UK time, and I excitedly woke up my wife and newborn. It was a moment I'll never forget.'

Churchill Aims to Draw New Generation of Horse Racing Fans

As a virtual horse racing experience, Photo Finish™ LIVE mimics all the thrills, excitement, and rewards that come with its real-world counterpart. The game is so realistic, in fact, that throughout the past decade, NBC Sports has utilized Photo Finish™ 3D simulations of the Kentucky Derby during its pre-race telecast.

From the First Call before every race to hosting a monthly Virtual Kentucky Derby, every aspect of real-world horse racing has been digitally duplicated to showcase sport hundreds of millions of people worldwide enjoy to a new audience.

The fact that the game is so true to life largely made Photo Finish™ a perfect partner for Churchill Downs to help make horse racing more accessible and digestible to a young gaming generation.

'One of our objectives is to really lean into and engage that next generation of Kentucky Derby fans,' Casey Cook Ramage, VP of Marketing & Partnerships at Churchill Downs, told BizBash ahead of the 149th Derby. 'That's why we're working with Third Time and other partners that can help us find those fans and celebrate in a way that interests them.'

The success Photo Finish™ LIVE has had in attracting a new generation of fans is evident, with events like KD150 serving as proof of the vital bridge between virtual and real-world racing experiences. 'As PFL continues to succeed, it will draw more traditional racing fans to the game as well as bring an entirely new audience to real-life horse racing,' says Baker.

'KD150 was proof of this bridge, and I believe it will only get bigger in the coming years – we’ll see you for KD151!'

With a little over a year under its belt and a mobile app coming to market soon, Baker believes many more will soon learn what thousands of Photo Finish™ gamers have—the only thing better than a realistic horse racing video game is real horse racing itself.

'Online horse racing games like Photo Finish™ LIVE can introduce a new audience to horse racing,' Baker notes.

'I've seen members of the game and community who had no prior interest in horse racing develop a genuine passion for the sport – it feels as though we’re only just getting started and scratching the surface.”

What is Photo Finish LIVE?

A simulation-style horse racing game, Photo Finish™ allows players to own, race, and breed virtual horses just like the real thing.

Filling a gap in the gaming market where no true-to-life horse racing game existed prior, the in-depth strategy has taken the gaming industry by storm and fast-tracked the introduction of horse racing to thousands of virtual stable owners participating in continuous, 24/7 virtual horse races.

Sign up and get your very own horse for free at https://signup.photofinish.live