TVG

[andicap]

I watched TVG's coverage of the races on Saturday afternoon.
Just awful. Who they think they are appealing to?
There are three types of racegoers that the tracks/TVG/Magna have defined.

1. The hard-core, like many of us. We bet online, and often.

2. The recreational handicapper -- also like some of us. Goes to the track or bets online a few times a month time permitting.

3. The Vast Majority -- People who go to the track maybe 1-3 times a year, dont really know a lot about handicapping and don't take it all that seriously, but enjoy the sport. Always watches the Derby, will attend the Belmont, etc.

The final one are people who like to gamble, but don't like the track for various reasons -- too intimidated by the racing form, etc.

Who is TVG trying to appeal to? I can't figure it out.
When I watched Saturday I saw about 4 races an hour and a lot of talking from the hosts, mainly about the big Laurel races.
Now these guys weren't complete morons. One of them had the General George winner and they knew the sport somewhat.

But show me some damn races!!!
I know FG was closed and they don't have GP and SA in the winter. (TVG's strength is the rest of the year, Magna has the winter). but there was plenty of action from Aqueduct they weren't showing. They showed races from Turf Paradise on tape.

I mean the chatter wasn't what you would call educational. If you were in the third group and trying to learn more about handicapping, you really wouldn't be interested in what they were saying because they were just chatting rather than explaining. The chat was innocuous to the hard-core group.

Maybe a few people in the 2nd group would like what they were saying, but
a) most of the money is coming from Group 1
b) most of the people are in Group 3.

I'll give them another shot when there's more and better racing, so I'll reserve my final opinioin, but I didn't like what I saw on Saturday.

[JimG]

One of them is now the host of "The Bachelorette" and the other hosts on there are hoping for similar breaks. In order to get that break, they need talking and camera time.


Jim

[sq764]

One of the other guys is on The Best Damn Sports Show. (The black guy, I cannot remember his name)

[Suff]

TVG is a joke ..to me...... I have two other Internet accounts now and I don't use TVG expect for NYRA video... and I feel good that I burn thier resources and don't wager on them.

Did you see where they're handle dropped last 1/4? They released a statement that it was due to weather..and less races have run? Excuse me but with the 100's of players signing up everyday.. you think new money might have at least kept your handle Flat? Particulary when everyone else's hande was UP!!

It's baffling to me the way they run that place. Considering they got the best Deals and the big head start..... they should be Kicking butt... instead......they're losing share.... as peolpe like me go anywhere and try anything just to get away from them.

You may remember I bashed them a few weeks back for telling me that when the Video was'nt working... I really should'nt complain because the Video was free... and I responded? Free? No it's not..... I pay for it with my Bet fee's and takeout? Don't I? I mean it has costs associiated with it? So who picks up those costs? The Wizard of OZ?........ They seemed Flustered.... at that comment.

Well Long story shot,,,,,,, The women told me she would talk to her supervisor and send me an e-mail....... and I kid you not... She sent me an e-mail with Other services that Offer NY video? I was thinking Man - O- Man... what a company... they screw up.. and rather than fix the issue... they reccommend competitors... I knew then,,, they won't last.

[Speed Figure]

Sufferindowns, I bet you $20 bucks that TVG will out last HRTV.:D

The Black guys name is Ken Rudulph. I know because i'm Black also it's nice to see a bother doing something in horseracing. :)

[JustRalph]

I was watching it for a few minutes today and they said 3 tracks that they were supposed to be covering had canceled racing due to weather.

[Speed Figure]

Just Ralph, Will you be at Santa Anita For the Big Cap? if so we should hook up and do some handicapping let me know.

[Kappa]

I don't watch their coverage on the net. I do get it at home on cable, and enjoy having the video on while I'm working at home. I watch their show and bet using Phone Bet and Xpress Bet. The guys who are on early, Ken Rudolph and Matt Cavanaugh are good, explaining why made the pick. Also, Matt will recommend passing a race rather than back chalk. My kinda guy!!

[blind squirrel]

i've had TVG since day one{KY}.Yes, their handle is down,
they don't have SANTA ANITA or GULFSTREAM{MAGNA].

handle for HOLLYWOOD,DEL MAR,and CD WAS astronomical.
like them or not,it's a good chance they'll be around a long
time.

the morning guy's are KEN RUDOLPH and MATT CAROUTHERS.
MATT use to be a MONMOUTH PARK.I criticize their
selections,but ask yourself how many of us would like to have
to pick a winner for 15 or 16 races?it would be natural to play
a lot of chalk.

they have really improved since their first year,for
19.95 a month.....it's a deal

[takeout]

Originally posted by Sufferindowns

and I kid you not... She sent me an e-mail with Other services that Offer NY video? I was thinking Man - O- Man... what a company... they screw up.. and rather than fix the issue... they reccommend competitors...
They were probably trying to get in good with those that may turn out to be their next employers. :D

I can't believe that TRN is gone and TVG is still around. Somewhere there must be some planets that are seriously out of alignment.

[andicap]

Originally posted by JustRalph
I was watching it for a few minutes today and they said 3 tracks that they were supposed to be covering had canceled racing due to weather.

Like I said I will revisit them one weekend (when I'm home) when the weather is better and revise my review as needed.
We are all rooting for them to make it.

[sq764]

...you could be a harness guy like myself..

We get about 7 harness tracks a week, its horrendous. Yesterday and Today they have shown exactly ZERO harness races.

[superfecta]

At least we get some coverage of the races,if you consider how hard it is to spark interest in the sport nowadays,at least it is somewhat helpful.I take it with a grain of salt.Its really still in its infancy.Maybe in 50 years it will be what we think it should be......

[JustRalph]

Originally posted by speed figure
Just Ralph, Will you be at Santa Anita For the Big Cap? if so we should hook up and do some handicapping let me know.

It takes a lot to get me out to the track nowadays. I am going to hit S. Anita sometime in the future. Just to see it. I went down to Del Mar last fall for the same reason. Sant Anita is about 75 miles from my home. I rarely leave the high desert up here. If I ever do come down I will let you know and buy the first round.

:cool:

[MikeDee]

Andi

Don't expect it to get better in a few weeks. I've been watching it on FOX sports net digital for some months now and this is as good as it gets.

It sad how few races they bring live, You can tell their mission is to entertain uneducated channel surfers who may stop by and be enticed to open a TVG account.

They kinda grow on you, every now and then one of them will say something funny. They used to have a pretty blond with a English accent but I haven't seen her lately.

The other day the Matt guy did a P3 for $36 and put all the favorites in it. Of course all the favorites won and it paid $6.20

Now and then FOX will show HRTV out of Pittsburgh and it is much more like TRN was. One announcer, no selections and show all the races.

Hey SQ any racing channel that doesn't show any harness racing can't be all bad:D

[rrbauer]

TVG exists via a subsidy from Gemstar (that is now tied to Fox) all under the Murdoch News Corp umbrella. If News Corp is successful getting DirecTV, now that DISH has been prohibited from buying them, and assuming that Gemstar doesn't pull the TVG-subsidy plug before that, then I would expect TVG to move from DISH to DirecTV. Since they have been unable to make much headway penetrating the cable companies channel lineups, the strategic alignment with Fox has enabled them to get more exposure in the major markets that carry the Fox-based show.

I have had TVG via DISH since their inception; and, setting aside all of the issues with their on-air personalities (I happen to like Ken Rudolph who came to TVG from a local news gig in Sacramento--he's honest about not being an expert--and he has a keen sense of humor) and their horseplayer wisdom; the two things that annoy me most are the inconsistent presentation of betting data and the lack of coverage of the live pre-race warmup activities other than when the horses first enter the track and when they are being loaded in the gate.

Contrast that coverage with the full simulcast feed being offered, say at GP's or SA's web site, with multi-race payoff data (doubles, P3's, etc.) and current race payoff data and odds; and, live coverage (streamed) of the horses warming up on the backside. If you have a broadband internet connection there is no comparison. The simulcast feed is superior for horseplayers. It's true that I would rather see the live-feed real time and on a 32" screen, rather than streamed and on part of a 19" screen; but, I don't have that choice unless I go to the track or an OTB site.

If where it goes in the future is a function of business then I don't see TVG making it. They do not control any content. Their monopoly-based business model gives them content only to the extent that they can sign tracks to exclusive agreements. If CDSN were to take their business away from TVG that would be it. CDSN has made noise about developing their own in-house video production capability but nothing has surfaced yet. I think that a CDSN acquisition of a TVG-type operation might work, although TVG doesn't have any production capabities, per se. They use the Fox Sports production studio in Santa Monica.

TVG's account betting operation is no better than their competition and it's expensive compared to some others. As racetracks consolidate under fewer corporate owners it seems natural to me that those owners will want to have a typical vertical alignment of resources that will include the betting operation on- and off-track and their product's presentation. If those configurations materialize then what's left for TVG?