With TV Appearance Fees Falling, Talent Are Turning to Public-Racing Events for Better Pay

Public competition revenues hit record highs

Sales figures for public racing events in fiscal 2025 have been released. Keirin recorded ¥1.5487 trillion in sales, up 16.6% from the previous year. Boat racing went even further, reaching a record-breaking ¥2.6658 trillion, up 5.6% year-on-year.

As revenues from public racing have increased, so too have events and race broadcasts at venues across Japan. Major talent agencies, which had previously been reluctant to get involved with public racing-related work, have started entering the field. According to a sports newspaper reporter, “Among them, Watanabe Entertainment is especially aggressive.”

“Until recently, public racing work was dominated by Yoshimoto Kogyo, which has a dedicated department for the sector, and by impressionist comedians. However, lately it’s become increasingly common to see Watanabe Entertainment talents such as ‘Yonsentoushin,’ ‘Party-chan,’ and ‘Linda Color ∞ at velodromes.’”

The reason behind this trend is reportedly the decline in appearance fees for terrestrial television variety shows.

“Even popular comedians today earn only around ¥100,000–¥200,000 per TV appearance. Public racing gigs can pay roughly three times that amount. In the past, gambling was associated with debt and bankruptcy, and these jobs were sometimes considered dirty work. However, after a flood of commercials featuring popular celebrities and the changes brought by the COVID era, the situation completely changed. The fan base now includes many young men and women. ABEMA broadcasts midnight keirin races every day, and many people discover the enjoyment of gambling through those broadcasts,” said a talent agency executive.

Popular actors such as Kanata Hongo (35), who openly describes himself as a boat-racing fan, and Shohei Miura (37), who is a surfing companion of top boat racer Ryuta Mine (41), have also begun appearing in talk shows held at race venues.

“Boat racing has a very large budget. If an actor wants to do the work, even top stars are now willing to accept public racing jobs. Keirin doesn’t have the same budget level, and there isn’t as much competition for jobs, so the barriers to entry are lower. That creates opportunities for agencies that were late to enter the market, like Watanabe Entertainment, as well as for freelance talent,” said a person involved with an advertising agency.

Because several private companies operate betting websites for keirin, a production company director notes that job opportunities also come through routes connected to betting-site operators and sponsoring companies, making the field more accessible.

“For example, former Nogizaka46 member Kana Nakada (31) has been appointed as the image character for Hiratsuka Keirin Velodrome, whose naming rights are owned by CyberAgent. Former TV Tokyo announcer Yuki Matsumaru (44) appears on YouTube programs produced by the betting site ‘Betimo,’ which is operated by a group company of the production firm East. Meanwhile, ‘Party-chan’ has released keirin-related videos on YouTube through a tie-up with the betting service ‘Odds Park.’”

As major agencies enter the market in earnest, some talents who have long made money from public racing work are beginning to feel pressure.

“Dancho Yasuda (52) of ‘Yasuda Dai Circus,’ a well-known keirin fan, has reportedly shown up uninvited at racecourse events saying, ‘I don’t need a fee—just let me appear on stage or in the broadcasts.’ He’s even been directly pitching himself by saying, ‘Use me next time—I’ll work for less than the talents who are here now!’” the sports newspaper reporter added.

As times change, so do the types of jobs that are in demand.

From the May 15–22, 2026 combined issue of “FRIDAY.”