The NTRA is collaborating with The
Jockey Club to create a new, fan-centric website. This collaboration is a
continuation of the joint marketing and promotions initiatives that our
organizations began last year with the expansion of NTRA Communications. The
new site – which in many ways will be a re-branding of NTRA.com - will complement The Jockey Club’s
integrated strategy to combine national television, content like free-to-play
online games, and social media to attract and engage new fans of Thoroughbred
racing. This innovative fan development effort will be centered on the new web
portal, branded “America’s Best Racing.”
The “America’s Best Racing”
brand initiative was launched last weekend at www.followhorseracing.com. There, you can register
for a chance to win a VIP trip for eight to this year’s Breeders’ Cup World
Championships at Santa Anita. While you are visiting the new web page, take a
look at the videos about America’s Best Racing and check out the schedule for this
spring’s “Road to the Kentucky Derby” live racing series to be televised
by the NBC Sports Group.
And mark your calendar for
Wednesday, April 4 – the day that phase 1 of America’s Best Racing actually
launches. Subsequent
phases – offering enhanced content - will roll-out over the course of the
Triple Crown campaign and into the summer.
The new site is being developed by
the Orlando, Fla., based arm of the global Web designer LightMaker, whose other
clients include Manchester
United, tennis star Maria Sharapova and the Professional Bull Riders.
Eventually, the new site will
include a free-to-play online game that will provide the casual or new fan a
fun and easy way to learn about wagering on horseracing. It will also feature a
Facebook social game that simulates the Thoroughbred owner experience.
The goal of “America’s Best Racing” is to introduce fans to America’s best
horses, races, tracks, jockeys, trainers and owners with a focus on the two
seasons: “The Road to the Triple Crown” and “The Road to the Breeders’ Cup.”
Key to a successful launch of the
new site is the integrated digital marketing and promotional effort surrounding
the rollout. This plan includes strategic media buys, earned media and
promotion on social media platforms as we get closer to Triple Crown
season. The goal is to leverage new TV and digital tools to introduce and
develop relationships with a new, younger fan base. One feature of this
integrated digital plan is a Twitter-based social marketing campaign called #theothermadness,
which promotes horse
racing’s distinct brand of madness during Triple Crown season. Another is a new pinterest page dedicated to the
America’s Best Racing initiative.
What will happen to NTRA.com?
Our site will continue to operate within the same design framework in a way
that complements America’s Best Racing. NTRA.com pages
for NTRA programs like the National Handicapping Championship, the Safety and
Integrity Alliance, NTRA Advantage and Legislative will live on and continue to
provide members and fans with the same information as always. The goal is to
utilize NTRA’s 10 million annual page views and industry leading search engine
rating to provide a base of support to America’s Best Racing.
Why do this now? Due to numerous
factors, Thoroughbred racing has undergone dramatic change in the past several
years, and we are not alone. The global economic downturn has impacted
businesses and sports world-wide. However, there are hopeful signs for
Thoroughbred racing:
- Pari-mutuel
wagering appears to have stabilized and is actually on the uptick these past
few months in year-over-year comparisons;
- Despite
the difficult economy, our big events our bigger than ever. Attendance at
some tracks across the country and mainstream interest are growing and trending
in a positive direction. This includes not only the Triple Crown and Breeders’
Cup, but many other major race days around the country;
- Our
game, rich in data and delivered in exciting and colorful two minute bursts,
remains well-suited for the Internet;
- Exchange
Betting and other new wagers represent opportunities ifimplemented properly;
- The
door to the international wagering market outside North America is open, but
its potential remains untapped and largely unknown;
- There
are two cable television networks dedicated to horse racing;
- The
consolidation of the Triple Crown and Breeders’ Cup under the umbrella of a
single TV network, and the telecast of key races leading to both events by the
same network, represents an opportunity going forward;
- New
York racing is in the early stages of a rebirth thanks to expanded gaming;
- Winter
racing Meccas like South Florida, Louisiana, Arkansas and California all appear
to be having strong race meetings; and
- Time
and again, research indicates that our core fans are loyal and passionate. And,
we are seeking to engage the help of our dedicated fans in positioning our
sport as a fun, exciting and affordable sports entertainment option to the next
generation of horse racing fans.
If we remain fragmented and continue
to operate within our own separate silos, it will be difficult if not
impossible to take advantage of these opportunities. We need strong
collaboration to enact significant initiatives that can broaden Thoroughbred
racing’s popularity and strengthen industry economics. Strategic alignment of
priorities, such as the initiatives being undertaken by The Jockey Club and
NTRA, represent a good start. And it will likely take even broader
collaboration and involvement from other industry organizations to maximize
opportunities to move the needle.
Check out America’s Best Racing and tell us what you think. And
watch for more collaboration by the Thoroughbred industry in coming months.
