Saratoga Live broadcast continues to bet on itself
Early meet rating success has led to expanded coverage of race course and the city
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. » While the cable industry is seeing a downturn in viewership and customers cutting the cord, it isn’t just huge companies like Netflix betting on itself and pouring money and resources into original programming, having success retaining along with gaining new viewers.
For those race fans that cannot be trackside this summer at Saratoga Race Course, NYRA has the perfect solution with its continued expansion of Saratoga Live which is available six days a week on Fox Sports Network’s FS2, MSG+ and FOX Sports Prime Ticket.
The original program started with 80 hours of original programming in 2016, typically broadcast from 4 to 6 p.m. during the weekdays and expanded on weekends, was increased to 96 hours for this summer meet.
But that changed earlier this month in a good way.
“The ratings just came in and we haven’t even told the team yet, but ratings are up 63 percent on FS2 and on Fox Sports Prime Ticket ratings are up over 70 percent,” Tony Allevato, President NYRA Bets and Executive Television Producer said last week. “FOX is adding hours on Saturdays and Sundays adding an hour so we will be up over 100 hours. It’s a tribute to the people working on the shows and the success of the shows.”
The programming has also grown out of the Northeast and gained viewership nationwide as part of FOX Sports San Diego and FOX Sports Ohio programming.
“When you talk about all these cuts that are going on and NYRA is investing more in television, part of what gets lost in the shuffle is the fact that NYRA is not-for-profit and NYRA is in this for the long haul,” Allevato said. “I remember (CEO and President) Chris Kay interviewing me when I first came on board and saying ‘Our goal is not only to see NYRA succeed, but horse racing in New York and it’s important for horse racing to succeed across the country to know that this is a business and a sport that’s going to succeed for decades to come.”
The ‘Talking Horses’ and NYRA simulcast team, seen trackside on the large infield screens and picnic and grandstand screens throughout the race course, includes handicapper Andy Serling, analyst Gabby Gaudet and paddock analyst Maggie Wolfendale who are part of the paddock set. Throughout the broadcast they will join the Saratoga Live broadcast from the rooftop set and talent that includes host Greg Wolf, trainer Tom Amoss and former New York Met and Los Angeles Dodger Paul Lo Duca.
“We’ve spared no expense on the talent-side, we’ve got Paul Lo Duca, a five-time all-star who loves horse racing, he’s owned horses, and he’s been around horse racing his whole life. He’s a person that really appeals, not just to that New York audience, but just to sports fans,” Allevato said. “We have Greg Wolf who’s a long-time host for FOX and we’ve got the rest of the team which is amazing, we’ve really put a lot into it because when people watch Saratoga Live!
“We went them to feel like they’re watching a major league sporting event because anyone who comes to Saratoga and goes to the races realizes that it is a major league sporting event and we want that to translate to the people that are watching on television.”
NYRA has also made a point of communicating where the show is taking place throughout each telecast by utilizing ‘bumpers’ or transitional videos in and out of the broadcast to highlight Saratoga Springs. Within the production they are fittingly known as ‘Postcards from Saratoga.’
“The idea was how do we get this message to people who have never been here and are looking for a place to go to on vacation, maybe not this year, but maybe next year or the year after,” Allevato said. “They’re almost like Travel Channeltype spots, but they are integrated into the show so they just feel natural and they don’t feel like a commercial for Saratoga.
“It works seamlessly into the show, whether we’re showing the trolleys downtown, Shakespeare in the Park, SPAC, it’s very seamless and I think it’s very effective.”
Within the 30-year veteran of television production is a desire to pull the viewer in and share the story throughout each broadcast.
“I believe firmly that if you watch our shows, it’s as if you are watching a group that’s sitting in a box here at Saratoga,” Allevato said. “That’s the experience that we’re trying to give people. We’ve got a group of people that are just hanging out at the races and that’s what we’re trying to convey to the audience.
“I personally think it’s working, we’ve gotten a really good response, very positive feedback and we’re always working to make the shows better.”