ESPN Telecast

[SentToStud]

I liked it a lot. Seemed much, much better than NBC's shows. Fowler does a good job and I liked Moss's and Bailey's work a lot. Jeanine does a nice job and that English chap ESPN used certainly is an improvement over that McCrick (sp) act.

Anyone notice that Bailey was pretty steady during the telecast, except just before post time and especially when they were going in the gate? I sure sensed his excitement. Competitive nature, I guess.

[intense]

I liked it alot, they did a great job, I especially liked the breeding segment with Kenny, that was hillarious.

[Rileyoriley]

I didn't like that they didn't show any post parades. I like to see the horses I bet.

Originally Posted by Rileyoriley

I didn't like that they didn't show any post parades. I like to see the horses I bet.

Funny how they talk about racing being about the horses, they are the stars and then we didnot get to see them except in the races. I guess paddock shots are too boring , but not the post parade ? inexcusable to me . Its back to the simo place for me next year with the track feed and with my cell.

Originally Posted by point given

Funny how they talk about racing being about the horses, they are the stars and then we didnot get to see them except in the races. I guess paddock shots are too boring , but not the post parade ? inexcusable to me . Its back to the simo place for me next year with the track feed and with my cell.

You guys dont understand.... they're trying to make the BC and horse racing in general more popular with sports fans. Racing is lacking in the single most important demographic... the 15-35 yo bracket.

To get some of those viewers, they put their two most liked on-air personalities to cover the BC. Kenny Mayne is well liked across the board and Chris Fowler is probably the one personality with the biggest fanbase, especially with viewers in their 20's. For those who dont know, he hosts College Game Day and is beloved by most.

To hook the fans, its going to take more than showing the horses prancing on the track. Its going to take these familiar personalities hooking the new viewers by making the sport seem "cool" and not a has-been event.

To the regular sports fans who turned to the BC with no prior knowledge, the only thing of familiarity are Kenny and Chris. Its important you take the complications of the sport out of the equation, and appeal to the broadest audience possible. The post parade is not exciting for the average viewer... but we know, as seasoned fans, how important it can be. Dont sell the coverage short for trying to help our sport grow.

[letswastemoney]

Why does everyone like overhead shots? They are pointless. You can't see which horse is where.

[Suffolk Shippers]

Originally Posted by Balletto

You guys dont understand.... they're trying to make the BC and horse racing in general more popular with sports fans. Racing is lacking in the single most important demographic... the 15-35 yo bracket.

To get some of those viewers, they put their two most liked on-air personalities to cover the BC. Kenny Mayne is well liked across the board and Chris Fowler is probably the one personality with the biggest fanbase, especially with viewers in their 20's. For those who dont know, he hosts College Game Day and is beloved by most.

To hook the fans, its going to take more than showing the horses prancing on the track. Its going to take these familiar personalities hooking the new viewers by making the sport seem "cool" and not a has-been event.

To the regular sports fans who turned to the BC with no prior knowledge, the only thing of familiarity are Kenny and Chris. Its important you take the complications of the sport out of the equation, and appeal to the broadest audience possible. The post parade is not exciting for the average viewer... but we know, as seasoned fans, how important it can be. Dont sell the coverage short for trying to help our sport grow.

I find myself agreeing with Balleto alot today haha...

I have a friend who is working at ESPN and they are very serious about expanding the fan base of the sport. Balleto is right, they put Mayne and Fowler on the coverage because of their mainstream connection. Especially Fowler. They took him AWAY from College Gameday, which is one of the network's premier productions to exclusively work this today. That is a telling sign right there. NBC used to have Bob Costas, but not for blanket coverage...that went to the lesser names like Tom Hammond and Bob Neumirer.

Fowler is a star at the network. The popularity he has with Kirk Herbstreet, and Lee Corso is amazing, and it's primarily with the younger crowds that follow college football. Thats what they are looking to do here in making in roads to the younger audience.

Balleto made most of the good points, and kudos for that Just wanted to add my two cents!

Originally Posted by Balletto

You guys dont understand.... they're trying to make the BC and horse racing in general more popular with sports fans. Racing is lacking in the single most important demographic... the 15-35 yo bracket.

To get some of those viewers, they put their two most liked on-air personalities to cover the BC. Kenny Mayne is well liked across the board and Chris Fowler is probably the one personality with the biggest fanbase, especially with viewers in their 20's. For those who dont know, he hosts College Game Day and is beloved by most.

To hook the fans, its going to take more than showing the horses prancing on the track. Its going to take these familiar personalities hooking the new viewers by making the sport seem "cool" and not a has-been event.

To the regular sports fans who turned to the BC with no prior knowledge, the only thing of familiarity are Kenny and Chris. Its important you take the complications of the sport out of the equation, and appeal to the broadest audience possible. The post parade is not exciting for the average viewer... but we know, as seasoned fans, how important it can be. Dont sell the coverage short for trying to help our sport grow.

I agree with your points of marketing the sport to the demographic. What I DONOT agree with is them not permitting online video feeds of the track feed . The regular race trackers and handicappers are denied access to view the horses in the paddock and post parade as we normally do every day. We also like to track where the horses are in the race in a continuous pan shot, without all the cutting away for a variety of shots. Why can't they satisfy both audiences ? I would be happy to view the ESPN broadcast, as a supplementary video feed along with my track feed. Why were the BRISBET and Youbet feeds blacked out ? I cannot get the TVG feed on cable here and am not permitted to install a dish for a satellite feed. There was never an announcment that there would not be online video feeds of the track video feed, which i believe was TVG. The ESPN team was better than the NBC team, but post parades are part and parcel of each race. Where's the beef ? I don't go for sizzle !

[SentToStud]

Originally Posted by Balletto

You guys dont understand.... they're trying to make the BC and horse racing in general more popular with sports fans. Racing is lacking in the single most important demographic... the 15-35 yo bracket.

To get some of those viewers, they put their two most liked on-air personalities to cover the BC. Kenny Mayne is well liked across the board and Chris Fowler is probably the one personality with the biggest fanbase, especially with viewers in their 20's. For those who dont know, he hosts College Game Day and is beloved by most.

To hook the fans, its going to take more than showing the horses prancing on the track. Its going to take these familiar personalities hooking the new viewers by making the sport seem "cool" and not a has-been event.

To the regular sports fans who turned to the BC with no prior knowledge, the only thing of familiarity are Kenny and Chris. Its important you take the complications of the sport out of the equation, and appeal to the broadest audience possible. The post parade is not exciting for the average viewer... but we know, as seasoned fans, how important it can be. Dont sell the coverage short for trying to help our sport grow.

you sound like a sophomore in college who just took media 201.

So, what demographic exactly is Hank Goldberg appealing to these days? Or, maybe he just has a real good contract?

[The Bid]

The mayne piece was hilarious, I wish they would have let that breeding thing go for a little longer. The music and the censor on the eyes made me laugh till I hurt. Even my girlfriend who hates horseracing liked that part of the telecast. She eventually went out to shop as she couldnt bare anymore horseracing.

[sumitas]

i agree about the post parade. they just made a bad decision not to show each horse and their records.

[2Hot4TV]

Originally Posted by Rileyoriley

I didn't like that they didn't show any post parades. I like to see the horses I bet.

Agreed. Needed a better veiw of the horses in the walking ring and post parade. Too many people in the walking ring and some of us like a good visual before finallizing your bet.

[pmacdaddy]

Overall, I think the ESPN Coverage was very good. Few things I would like to see improvement on:
- More visibility of race fractions
- More visibility of multi race will-pays
- and they HAVE to get the prices up faster and more often.

I'm all for appealing to a wider audience, but I have to think horseplayers are still the bread and butter. It was a pain to keep flipping to TVG to get the prices.

To me, BC payouts are among the best advertising you can get...

[Rileyoriley]

After I had placed my bets at the local teletheater, I came home to watch the ESPN broadcast with my daughter and others (we had a small B.C. party). Other than my daughter and myself, none of the others knew any of the horses except Bernardini. We had a little game where everyone picked a horse in each race, threw in $1, and whichever horse finished in front of the others won the pool. It's fun for the non-racing fans and they seem to enjoy it. In years past, they've picked their horses from the post parade. These people that I'm trying to get involved in horseracing biggest complaint was "why aren't they showing us the horses"? While they did think Mayne's piece was funny and the gate piece interesting ( I liked it too), I still think there was enough time to at least show a post parade.

[ArlJim78]

Way better than NBC. Bailey is really impressive and in general its a likable team. I wish they would run the replays after the race and disect it a little explaining what happened and why. They did it a little but not enough for my taste. I love those live overhead shots of the race.

[SentToStud]

Originally Posted by ArlJim78

Way better than NBC. Bailey is really impressive and in general its a likable team. I wish they would run the replays after the race and disect it a little explaining what happened and why. They did it a little but not enough for my taste. I love those live overhead shots of the race.

I like the overhead shots a lot too. One improvement might be to trade Hank G. for the Buelah twins.

[Scav]

I have to say that the IN HOUSE feed for Churchill was OUTSTANDING also. They had Lyons and Schrup, who was tame (possible Xanax). They talked the WHOLE time and it kept me interested.

I would also like to thank Churchill for not getting ridiculous with their post times between races, I thought it was EXTREMELY reasonable this year, unlike years past.

[Sightseek]

A+ from me. I think they made a lot of last minute decisions with the Distaff with explainations and a video tribute that were outstanding considering the circumstances.

The Breeding thing was VERY hilarious. I nearly fell off my chair with the music and shots of Victory Gallop licking his lips.

I've been talking up how serious ESPN is taking this and I think they proved it today. They'll also be adding 3 new people to the Horse Racing on-air cast starting next year.