Via TD Thornton
It may seem odd that in a discussion on Tuesday titled “Leveraging Racing’s Global Footprint,” a presenter at the 2022 Racing Symposium organized by the University of California’s Racetrack Industry Program The Arizona School of Education has emphasized that localism outweighs globalism when you’re trying to market sports around the world.
However, Simon Fraser, senior vice president of international simulcast signal distribution for 1/ST Content, has effectively made his case by drawing on his experience in management. rights to content, data, odds and signals on behalf of a large portfolio of global partners who work with mixed bets, fixed odds and fixed odds companies world top.
“One of the points that I have learned over the years is that racing is a local sport. It is not a global sport. It’s a very local sport,” said Fraser.
For example, he points out that racers around the world, “all speak a version of the same language, and we can all understand each other when we talk.”
But when a bettor from one part of the planet opens a racing publication or looks at past performance data from another part of the world, it can be very difficult for them to interpret information familiar enough to make their own. bet news.
There are other local/global differences. Think of fixed odds vs mutuels, land vs ground, jump vs flat. Now let’s start mixing up different rules and operating styles, plus the inherent disorientation of working across multiple time zones.
“To take advantage of the fact that people really like racing and they love to bet on international races, you have to react to what the local market needs,” says Fraser. “First, the local product has to be relevant. If the domestic product is not suitable, then it doesn’t matter what happens internationally. And all the revenue that you will actually earn for producing the right local product comes from the local market. Anything international is just cherry on top.
“Now, when you get the local product right, you can bring it to countries and you can tailor it, and you can work with local partners, local betting companies. and local journalists to turn that product into the right product for that market.”
Fraser gave the specific example of selling North American simulcast signals to Turkey, where the only bet that usually appeals to players in that market is the Pick Six. That means his focus in delivering content to that market revolves around providing six powerful betable races.
“But that work for Turkey does not shift to Italy,” explains Fraser. “It doesn’t translate to Australia. It’s very specific to that market and you have to do things differently for each market.”
Bill Nader, now chairman and chief executive officer of Thoroughbred Owners of California, draws on his decades of executive-level experience with the New York Racing Association and Hong Kong Jockey Club as a reminder. audience in the United States that global engagement is a Two-way street.
“It’s not just America that’s trying to figure out what they can gain from venturing outside the country, but also the horses that come in and run in our races and try to make the most of it,” Nader said. use, in their own right, to global participation.
As a prime example, Nader cited the recent rise in international popularity among Japanese-based Purebreds. He also ties that global change to what is happening locally in Japan.
“You don’t really see Japan’s top horses running in [GI] Breeders’ Cup Turf, because at that time of year they have their own races. But in the dirty show, they don’t. So where will they go? They will go to the place where off-road racing is the center of the global universe, America and the goal [Grade I] races like [G] Kentucky Horse Race [GI] Belmont Stakes and Breeders’ Cup,” Nader said. “In Japan, there is only one Class I racing on dirt roads. And I think that’s their next chapter, and they’re going to grow even more with their dirty show over the next five to 10 years.”
Perhaps not so much in sprint races, Nader suggested. But because Japan’s blood supply program is so adept at cultivating excellent runners from 9 to 12, their entire horses tend to be “stronger over the years”. [of] the races stay, he said.
“You see stallions that they keep buying, especially in the US. They just keep getting stronger. But I think in the end, they will come to us on the dirt road. And when they do, that’s a good thing.”
Why good for US entities?
“Because if a Japanese horse takes part in those races, the whole of Japan will be watching. The benefits of that are incredible,” Nader said, in terms of long-term, trickle-down economics.
At one point, Fraser was asked what a typical American middleweight circuit could do to stand out to international bettors.
“One thing to remember is that internationally, people don’t really know what mid-range is. [American] follow [or] What is a top track. I know it can come as a surprise,” he said.
“Some of the things you would think of as mid-range tracks are very popular around the world because they run on time. They run on days when not much happens. So if you’re wintering on the East Coast, there won’t be a lot of evening races going on in France, the UK or Ireland during the winter. So Tuesday’s races are pretty standout [overseas]. Meanwhile, some of the bigger races that run on Saturdays and are packed with each other don’t get as many shares or voices.”
Data compatibility between different cultures is a topic that has popped up at international racing conferences since the advent of global simulation. Tuesday’s discussion revisited the issue.
Dean McKenzie, chief executive officer of McKenzie Sport International, Ltd. in New Zealand, note that bettors in other parts of the world are baffled when they encounter the US gear change that is listed as simply turning the flash on or off. They were used to being able to figure out exactly what type of flash was being used among the many variations. And if a coach decides to ask his rider to switch tactics to running style, in many foreign jurisdictions this is communicated to the public through the manager.
Nader notes that gamblers in other parts of the world often judge a horse’s fitness based on its body weight, which is a standard and widespread indicator outside of the United States. but practically unheard of here except for a few brief tests at various racetracks.
Tallulah Wilson, UK Tote’s head of international partnerships, points out that conflicts over global rules, such as a horse running “just for the money” in a major race like the Breeders’ Cup , which can create considerable confusion. (Such a concept was never known outside the United States.)
However, Wilson added, stakeholders must overcome these types of challenges.
“You have to adapt for the benefit of the customer,” she said.
When Fraser spoke on the topic of what U.S. content providers need to do right to become more attractive internationally, he pointed to two nagging problems that the U.S. racing industry has faced: long debated but can’t seem to get it right: provide a reasonable case size and adhere to published post times.
“More than eight athletes, and [going] Fraser said.
Although anyone on the board did not say anything concerning, the last comment from Fraser matched his initial view that racing organizations need to optimize their local operations. before attempting to scale globally.
