Industry to produce 'Still. Running. Strong' television and internet ad campaign

Several major racing organizations have banded together to fund an advertising campaign that is intended to draw attention to racing during a time when nearly all other major sports are on hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the organizations announced on Thursday.

The Jockey Club and Breeders’ Cup are providing the major funding for the campaign, which will use the tagline “Still. Running. Strong” and include television and internet elements. Other contributors include the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, a trade group that counts most major constituencies in racing in its funding; TVG, the broadcast network and account-wagering company; the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association; and the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association.

Television spots in the campaign will focus on the “bond between human and horse along with the thrill of watching and betting on horses.” Digital spots will direct viewers to a new page on the website of America’s Best Racing, a fan-engagement company owned by The Jockey Club, according to a release from the group. That page will include links to account-wagering companies.

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A handful of racetracks have operated over the past 2 1/2 months even as most other major sports have taken entirely to the sidelines. Those tracks have reaped enormous gains in handle compared to last year, but the industry has also had to make due with much lower wagering margins and without subsidies from casinos, which have remained closed in nearly every state in the U.S. during the pandemic.

Several other racetracks are expected to get up and running in the near future, with the New York Racing Association planning to reopen for live racing at Belmont next week, as well as some tracks on minor circuits.

According to an analysis conducted recently by Daily Racing Form, 56 racetracks last year held live race cards in May, compared to only 14 in May of this year (through Memorial Day weekend). All racing this year has been conducted spectator-free, and wagering has been conducted almost exclusively through account-wagering platforms.

Starved for live content, NBC Sports and Fox Sports have been broadcasting live racing from a number of racetracks. NBC has used a partnership with TVG to simulcast its daily racing coverage at certain times of the day.

“With racing returning to major circuits and the addition of many hours of live programming on Fox Sports and NBC Sports, there is now a unique opportunity to appeal to new fans and ask them to sample Thoroughbred racing,” said Jim Gagliano, the president and chief operating officer of The Jockey Club, which co-owns the racing-data company Equibase. “Our goal is to increase awareness of racing as an option for these potential customers, engage with them, and provide the initial tools for them to learn more and break down barriers to participation.”