A reader suggests that for many a year the avid viewer at home and serious punter has questioned the style and timing of the presenters tips and /or exotic permutations delivery on our racing television screens.
In a letter to the Sporting Post Mailbag, seasoned racing fan William Milkovitch writes that in the zone between 15 and 3 minutes before the official race time, nobody is interested in listening to the personal fancies and various constructions of the presenters’ exotic permutations.
In addition, viewers do not want the TV screen flooded with loads of labelled or named tipsters/presenters PA, Jackpots or Mixers.
Presenters, do you not realize that your viewership are, at the very least, sophisticated, but certainly experienced?
Now even a more alarming or frustrated reaction to the viewing product comes from the new or neutral sports viewer. It is this, that on the big 6 to 10 race days of the year, viewing punters have friends around at home to have a lekker time to watch the Met etc. and the ‘Empress Clubs’ of this sport.
These viewers are dismayed by the small talk or other nonsense screened when the horse is on his/her way to the start.
This is the perfect time to promote the game by following these horses, close up, to the start. Early on, get a camera in to watch them being saddled and later them circling at the start.
Have the presenters any idea how important it is and that these type of pictures will increase viewership and race-day value? Punters at home, and even at the course, are crying out for production teams and presenters to ‘get with it’.
If, in fact, presenters are of the opinion that their tips justify the screen space and viewing time let me challenge them with the idea of a quantified tipping competition over a period of a few weeks. That will separate the mice from the men with regards value. Let’s each put a R100 or so of our own money into a Hollywoodbets or Tote account.
Lastly, I’d like to qualify all of the above by stating that morning chat shows, pre-recorded panel discussions and studio race meeting previews are welcomed where interviewees can air their 1-2-3-4’s and Pick 6 strategies. Those are the appropriate platforms for tipping.
4Racing’s Executive Head: Content Stephen Watson responded, expressing thanks to Mr Milkovitch for the points raised and indicating that they always valued receiving feedback.
4Racing’s Stephen Watson – values feedback (Pic – Supplied)
He writes that the challenge with all broadcast platforms is that typically our viewers wants and needs differ and as such television remains subjective. What one group of viewing stakeholders may prefer often differs to the needs and wants of others. Accordingly, we continuously strive to find the happy medium.
When it comes to the timing and publishing / broadcast of tipping content, history has shown we need to meet two key requirements:
Pre-race day content: For our form studiers and punters that spend the time ahead of a race meeting researching and looking for information and/or the opinions of peers, we provide the following:
- Track Talk which is published on Racing Today – this includes willing trainer interviews and insights into their views on their runner(s) prospects and current form.
- Betway Weighted to Win: Our popular tipping show is produced three times a week, ahead of each race day. This is published as a full episode to Racing Today’s YouTube channel and posted as individual race comments on to Racing Today.co.za to make it easy for punters to access information for specific races. As this is not produced live and/or on the morning of each race day, things can change from the time of publishing to race morning. Scratchings, equipment changes etc which often impact the opinion / tip presented by our tipsters. Our on-course presenters are well positioned to talk to this ahead of each race.
Raceday content: Whilst some our audience do indeed study form and consume the above shows ahead of a race-day, many of our punters and store customers do not. They make decisions in the dying minutes before the off of each race. Both locally and internationally one can see a shift in the betting with the last two minutes before the off. It is also important to note that our outlet customers often don’t have access to audio, hence catering to them with on screen slides and graphics.
The parade ring images and canter downs are critical and, of course offer viewers the final opportunity to reach a final decision on their bet. Again, for a huge percentage of our viewers, they require additional views of those on-course and how the latest form may change opinions / tips.
We take the time to clip each tip for each race recorded during the Betway Weighted to Win show for the audience that doesn’t have the time to watch the full 24 – 28 minute episode ahead of each race day and play these out ahead of each race. This is supplemented by the on-course tipsters who by extension are the eyes and ears on course for our viewers and can relay their thoughts based on latest developments.
So in response, we cater for the requirements of a broad spectrum of viewers who consume our broadcast in different ways and for different reasons, those that prefer information ahead of race-day and those who are looking for a tip and additional information in the final moments ahead of each race. It is a very broad remit and while we know it is impossible to please everyone all of the time, we continue to do our best.
Justin Vermaak – pro’s and cons abound (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
Cape Racing’s Executive Racing & Bloodstock Justin Vermaak said that this was not his area of expertise and that he would leave it to those tasked with it, but noted that the use of words like ‘nobody’ and ‘viewers’ implied a representation of the majority of punters.
“As we know, the bulk of the betting rand is from the customer in the outlets where many do not even have audio and rely upon on-screen information. Therefore, the writer is possibly talking about his personal preference and not what is best for ‘the punter’. I stand to be corrected. For every detractor of betting tips, I am sure we can find ten others that are pro betting tips and follow certain presenters. As for who is a good or lousy tipster, everyone is an expert. The picture is flooded with canter pasts and parade ring shots and has little, if any, on-screen presenter time. So that point is mute,” suggested Vermaak.
