Any Questions for Stephen Burn Head of TVG

[Canarsie]

I wrote him a letter stating what I liked and disliked about his network and much to my surprise he responded asking for my phone number. Why he would want to talk to an "idiot" :lol: like me is beyond my comprehension but it's supposed to happen tomorrow sometime.

I asked him if he wouldn't mind taking questions from the best horse racing site on the web and he said it wouldn't be a problem. Now please don't single out hosts maybe just maybe there is a chance they will look favorably on our issues. Stuff like acting like a clown, singing, huge tickets, track coverage, wagering fees, and stuff like that would be right on target.

I'm going to cut and paste most of them and email it to him before we talk. Hope we understand each other a Brooklyn boy and an Englishmen j/k.

After the talk I'll be reporting back.

[eastie]

why is everything always multi race tickets ? why don't they try to hit a tri or super some time ? also, the bobblehead thing with the loop of the announcer next to the pick 4 tickets...WTF is that all about ? also why not show classic races during down time. like all the preps for the derby in 72, then another year the next day

[mannyberrios]

The fees to make a bet, and watch videos has to go. Tell him that people are looking for rebates, and not the other way around

[horses4courses]

Hi Canarsie,

Thanks for relaying the following question to Stephen Burn:

Do you know if Betfair intends to explore other avenues within the US market?
I ask this with regard to William Hill's recent acquisition of 2 satellite sports wagering companies in Nevada.

Many thanks!

[jelly]

With the decline of Cal.racing does TVG see them moving their operation to the east coast soon?

[Vinman]

Michelle Yu should be allowed to sing : ) No one else.

[Tom]

Tell him that there are race tracks out there running races.
They should really cover some of them. sometimes they go for a whole hour with only two races shown.

Less babble among the babbleheads would be great. theyh did not fire near enough people last month. Not close. One person on the air at a time. When you get 2-3 of them, the discussions degenerate into pure stupidity.

The most intelligent thing I hear dthis week was Ken Rudolph - he said when he was a Emerald Downs, n one asked him who he like and he thought that was very respectful of the people there, to leave him alone.

I thought it was very smart of them! :D

[Alc]

Hard for me to believe that with all the moaning and groaning about takeout rates, that anyone uses a wagering company that charges a wagering fee.

[jelly]

I think most people watch on TV(bigger screen) and bet through an adw like Twinspires.

[andymays]

I want to know the cost of a bet next year if they get approved in California. I could be wrong but right now the cost of a winning bet ranges from 3.5 to 5%. Will they bone the California Players with a 12% charge?

[Sandysix]

If California horsemen owners approve bet exchanges in May 2012 will TVG be handling it or will Betfair create a separate company to handle it?And what differences he thinks there will be between the one they have now(Betfair exchange) and the one they will be implementing. Thanks!

[MickJ26]

It's easy.
More races, less talking.

[GatetoWire]

I watch TVG regularly because I have DirecTV and as a result TVG is the only horse network I have access to. I do not use their ADW to bet because of the fees involved. Twin Spires and Xpressbet offer the same product for free. Nuff said.

I generally like the TV presentation but a few things really bug me. I will try not to be too on air talent focused but in many cases the production and the talent, are the areas they could improve on the most.

1. The lack of focus on the upcoming race. Too much talk about non-racing issues leading up to the start of a race. They should focus on the horses on the track instead of the mindless babble. This has been covered to death…but just focus on the race!!!

2. I generally like the on air talent, but one thing that brings down the quality of the talent is the Hosts (not analysts) thinking that they can handicap. There is a difference between host (screen left) and analyst (screen right)

It is insane to have Rudulph and others try to handicap along side people who have spent their careers in Racing.
I know some people think that the analysts are all dumb but several of the on air talent are solid players. The issue is that they are forced to play every race at multiple tracks and so they get hammered for making poor plays. If you watch a lot and listen you can get excellent angles from Matt Carothers, Frank Lyons, Ron Ellis, Simon Bray and Tom Amoss.
Just today (Easter Sunday) Matt nearly hit a $900 Pick 4 at Woodbine (lost a bob in the last leg) probably because he was able to spend time on it with only 2 tracks racing. You can’t play every race and expect to win consistently. They are forced to put selections up on every race and this waters down the winning but I am sure increases the churn for TVG betting.

All of this good knowledge gets lost because I have to listen to Rudulph babble on about the horse he likes even though he knows nothing and I mean nothing about racing. If he stuck to being a host and stopped trying to play an Analyst the network would improve 100%. Some of the things that come out of his mouth shock me at his lack of overall knowledge. This would not fly if he worked for another sports network. They need to treat the on air talent like every other sport does with Play by Play/Host doing the set up and the Color/Expert Analyst filling in the expert details. Stop blurring the lines and you will have a better product.
Rudulph is the worst offender but the rest of the team would benefit if the roles were more defined. I would like to see TVG act more like the way MLB Network, NFL Network and NHL Network operate for mainstream sports. This approach would lead to increased betting on it’s own.

3. Not really focusing on the true stake races. Yesterday was a perfect example. The Jerome at Aqueduct got next to zero coverage. This has quite a bit to do with Keeneland being an exclusive track. I know they have contracts with some of these sites but it makes the network look stupid. The Jerome was the best race of the day but because it was in NY it was all but ignored. At least they didn’t show it on tape delay!!!
Another example of this approach was last Saturday night for the Charles Town Classic. The race got tons of airplay buildup on TVG during the week, all during the day, and during the under card. When it came time for the race (10:30 PM) guess what? Los Al had just started at 10:00 and TVG barely showed the Post Parade of a $1 million dollar race. The Charles Town under card got way more coverage than the CT Classic got because of the Los Al conflict.
TVG seems to think that their viewers would rather see a $5,000 claimer at one of their exclusive tracks that they are on site at rather than a stakes event at another track that they don't have exclusivity or are on site to cover. You might want to remind them that in sports the fan/bettor will always prefer world class level play (races) to bad overnights at your "preferred" tracks. The major leagues are the major leagues. MLB Network doesn’t show Newark Independent league baseball over the Yankees because their studios are in NJ.
TVG as a whole spends way too much time away from being a Sports Network that covers horse racing. They prefer trying to be a Betting site that has a TV network. They need to adjust their priorities toward the races and the betting will follow.

4. Lack of a workout specialist or a pedigree specialist on the set.
This does not bother me because I have spent hours and hours studying pedigree and the learning curve is immense but I continually hear the on air hosts (other than Simon Bray who is really good in this area) botch the pedigree angle. Just yesterday at Hollywood they were talking about some horses going to Synthetic for the first time and also going a route for the first time. On several occasions they claimed this was a plus move. This was totally contrary to the data I was looking at. One horse was a sprinter on both sides and they claimed that an added distance would be suite this horse. It actually made me double check the data I use because it was so opposite what I was reading.
This does not really affect me but if we are cultivating new players then we need to help educate them. Pedigree is very difficult to figure out without giving newer players the wrong information. Let’s cultivate new winning players.

5. On education, they could really use their platform to do similar programs to the NTRA Night School type videos that are taking place now to help educate. They already have the talent on staff plus the studios and could create 30 min to 60 min seminars to help educate the novice player. Friends of mine who know nothing about racing quickly get turned off when they tune in due to TVG’s go, go, go format pushing exotic wagers and not always focusing on helping newer players. If they want to attract new players they need to help educate them once they tune in.

6. Do more Late Double type shows. I know the hardcore regulars hate this show but it does target younger, newer players, helps with education and overall it’s fun to watch.


Bottom line: Act like a Horse Racing sports network that also has a betting site not a betting site that happens to have a TV network. This along with improving the coverage of the Stakes races, tweaking the On Air Talent and adding some educational programs would make it a much better product overall

[CBedo]

How about:

How does the industry do a better job of attracting (and retaining new players), and what strategies and marketing is TVG putting in place to help attain that goal?

[Spiderman]

Ask him if his exclusive with NYRA has anything to do with NJBets not receiving a live feed of NYRA races. Thanks

[atonymania]

more women analyst on TVG.

[Canarsie]

Ask him if his exclusive with NYRA has anything to do with NJBets not receiving a live feed of NYRA races. Thanks

TVG doesn't have an exclusive with NYRA I can answer that one. This is strictly a 4NJBet-NYRA monetary issue that has been going on way too long. Hopefully with new owners after the leases are worked out it will be resolved.

[Canarsie]

Thanks guys and gals keep them coming to around 11 then I will send the email. Some of the questions are really good. He's on the road so I don't know where he will be calling from. He knows of this board not by name but from what I wrote him.

One of my minor pet peeves is when they do an 'all" and then proclaim a check mark winner. :ThmbDown:


I never used the war room here should I extend an invitation? Once thing I'm not afraid to do is ask one never knows unless you try.

[Canarsie]

With the decline of Cal.racing does TVG see them moving their operation to the east coast soon?


Jelly 70% of their business derives from California and the exchange wagering unit is in San Francisco I really don' think their moving. If anything after opening the other office they are entrenched there.

[Canarsie]

I want to know the cost of a bet next year if they get approved in California. I could be wrong but right now the cost of a winning bet ranges from 3.5 to 5%. Will they bone the California Players with a 12% charge?


Andy I added exchange wagering to the comment so there's no confusion. If I interpreted your comment incorrectly just let me know.

[Canarsie]

Any questions on the video quality or along those lines? Delay? I can only use NJBets don't have a clue.

[arno]

Why not more previous day replay shows?

They showed Meadowlands 6am Eastern.

How about showing 6 hours of replay shows 6am to noon Eastern.

Makes sense to me as you know all us horse players are old and retired and wake up early!

[usedtolovetvg]

What qualifications do the people you have working on the tv have in marketing to young people?
Have you had a noticeable increase in the amount of account holders under the age of 25 since the introduction of the Late DDouble?
If so, how much have they been betting?
Have you had a noticeable drop off in older account holders or wagering since the introduction of the Late DDouble?
Will you ever offer a new or controversial program without offering an inordinate amount of reward points to test its real value?
How do you feel about the tv presentation, in general.

Thank you.

[GatetoWire]

Why not more previous day replay shows?

They showed Meadowlands 6am Eastern.

How about showing 6 hours of replay shows 6am to noon Eastern.

Makes sense to me as you know all us horse players are old and retired and wake up early!

On DirecTV they show infomercials on TVG in the mornings. I am sure this is a revenue generator for them.
Is this the same on cable/Dish?

[jelly]

Jelly 70% of their business derives from California and the exchange wagering unit is in San Francisco I really don' think their moving. If anything after opening the other office they are entrenched there.


In three yrs the racing in Cali.will be so bad that Suffolk Downs will look good.

It's very expensive to run a business in Ca.

Florida,better racing and getting better,no state taxes.

[Shelby]

I think they should re-vamp the Morning Line show.

IMO, they should go over all of the tracks that are running, even if they aren't showing them on their station. For example, I'd have loved to hear commentary on Gulfstream over the last meet--especially on the Rainbow Pick Six.

[Beachbabe]

More of Rich Perloff and less of everyone else.
He's concise, clear,knowledgable and not silly or in love with himself.

[Marlin]

More of Rich Perloff and less of everyone else.
He's concise, clear,knowledgable and not silly or in love with himself.and boring. For every host someone dislikes there is somebody else who enjoys said host and vice versa.

[BombsAway Bob]

question:
Every Poker.com company has a Poker.net website to allow
players to learn & practice. they ALL promote it extensively.
TVGFREE.net has been around for quite a while, is a great
resource for New Players & players unable to bet thru an ADW
due to state or age regulations, yet TVG NEVER promotes it!
WHY?... (it could be used easily for on-air contests, as well)

[turfnsport]

Ask him who Ken Rudulph is picking in the Derby. I'm on pins and needles.

[GatetoWire]

Ask him who Ken Rudulph is picking in the Derby. I'm on pins and needles.
Ken is all in on Archarcharch.
He has mentioned it on the air several times.

[JustRalph]

ask him if he has updated his resume..........

At this rate I give his network 2 yrs or less............

[PaceAdvantage]

question:
Every Poker.com company has a Poker.net website to allow
players to learn & practice. they ALL promote it extensively.
TVGFREE.net has been around for quite a while, is a great
resource for New Players & players unable to bet thru an ADW
due to state or age regulations, yet TVG NEVER promotes it!
WHY?... (it could be used easily for on-air contests, as well)They all promote the .net sites extensively here in the USA because that is all they are ALLOWED to promote. None of the mainstream media will accept any promotion of the .COM sites.

And now, with the recent crackdown, even that is debatable.

[senortout]

They all promote the .net sites extensively here in the USA because that is all they are ALLOWED to promote. None of the mainstream media will accept any promotion of the .COM sites.

And now, with the recent crackdown, even that is debatable.

I just signed up to tvgfree.net. I am a show better. Now Using fictional wagers I can make my real showbets using real money switch over to tvgfree.net and make a mythical win bet and maybe let it keep track so I don't have to always do the math to see if my show betting has been more productive! zooks this might be useful indeed. Thanks again...

[Stillriledup]

Ask him who Ken Rudulph is picking in the Derby. I'm on pins and needles.

Is Giacomo running this year? :lol:

[Track Phantom]

I have more suggestions than questions...but here goes.

I've had TVG (via Directv) since 2002. I watch quite a bit and even chime in on occassion (I'm TrackPhantom for those of you that may have heard some of my selections on Tue/Wed (work from home on those days)). I feel very fortunate to have a horse racing network especially in the times of lacking interest in the sport. However, here is where I think TVG is going in the wrong direction....

Forget trying to appeal to a non horse racing audience. I'm 100% certain there isn't more than 3 people a month tuning into TVG to "give horse racing a look". I agree with the need to bring new, younger people into the sport, but TVG has to be realistic that they are not the vehicle to do that. That MUST redirect 100% of their attention to the serious horseplayer.
After they realize they have a niche market (serious horseplayers) they need to understand how to be more relevant in that market. They have to treat every race, every raceday, as if it is the most important of the year. In other words, their handicappers must come prepared. They have to show races, talk about upcoming races and, most importantly, cultivate for new information for these upcoming races. I have absolutely no problem if they "obsess" about an upcoming race or pick 4, as long as they are consistent. I have no time or tolerance to hear discussion about who won the oscars, a previous night on the town or anything else that deviates my attention to handicapping and betting. If this sounds uninteresting to thier producers or on air talent, they need to leave the market. It is what it is. I bet a lot of money, thus my opinion needs to be valued more than the player that bets a few bucks and likes the goofy babble. While I have no problems with those players, they will not grow the business.
Partnership with DRF to show the PP's of upcoming races on the screen? I know they do this a bit but if I am not betting and do not have the form, I have no clue who or why a horse might run. It's just a bunch of horses running in a circle. The PP's are the lifeblood of horse racing and it would go a long way to see the PP's, even at a glance, when they are discussing an upcoming race. In addition, it could serve as a tutorial to those not PP savvy.
Notation when they aren't going to show a race live. I cannot stand it when I've got TVG on and not the video feed and I'm capping a race they are talking about. I think I still have time to get my bet in because the race is not being shown yet, only to realize they are not showing it and the race is off. Gotta get that right. I'm ok with it as long as they make it clear they aren't going to show the race.
Love the idea of old racing from the 70's, 80's etc. when they have downtime. However, that is just me as I love the nostalgia.
They should track on-air handicapping results. This would be of interest just to see how they do. This should NOT be a monetary tracking but a "handicapping score". I created such a thing that balances top selections finish position, off odds and number or winners selected in a day.
Sorry for the overall brain dump....

[Canarsie]

I have more suggestions than questions...but here goes.

I've had TVG (via Directv) since 2002. I watch quite a bit and even chime in on occassion (I'm TrackPhantom for those of you that may have heard some of my selections on Tue/Wed (work from home on those days)). I feel very fortunate to have a horse racing network especially in the times of lacking interest in the sport. However, here is where I think TVG is going in the wrong direction....

Forget trying to appeal to a non horse racing audience. I'm 100% certain there isn't more than 3 people a month tuning into TVG to "give horse racing a look". I agree with the need to bring new, younger people into the sport, but TVG has to be realistic that they are not the vehicle to do that. That MUST redirect 100% of their attention to the serious horseplayer.
After they realize they have a niche market (serious horseplayers) they need to understand how to be more relevant in that market. They have to treat every race, every raceday, as if it is the most important of the year. In other words, their handicappers must come prepared. They have to show races, talk about upcoming races and, most importantly, cultivate for new information for these upcoming races. I have absolutely no problem if they "obsess" about an upcoming race or pick 4, as long as they are consistent. I have no time or tolerance to hear discussion about who won the oscars, a previous night on the town or anything else that deviates my attention to handicapping and betting. If this sounds uninteresting to thier producers or on air talent, they need to leave the market. It is what it is. I bet a lot of money, thus my opinion needs to be valued more than the player that bets a few bucks and likes the goofy babble. While I have no problems with those players, they will not grow the business.
Partnership with DRF to show the PP's of upcoming races on the screen? I know they do this a bit but if I am not betting and do not have the form, I have no clue who or why a horse might run. It's just a bunch of horses running in a circle. The PP's are the lifeblood of horse racing and it would go a long way to see the PP's, even at a glance, when they are discussing an upcoming race. In addition, it could serve as a tutorial to those not PP savvy.
Notation when they aren't going to show a race live. I cannot stand it when I've got TVG on and not the video feed and I'm capping a race they are talking about. I think I still have time to get my bet in because the race is not being shown yet, only to realize they are not showing it and the race is off. Gotta get that right. I'm ok with it as long as they make it clear they aren't going to show the race.
Love the idea of old racing from the 70's, 80's etc. when they have downtime. However, that is just me as I love the nostalgia.
They should track on-air handicapping results. This would be of interest just to see how they do. This should NOT be a monetary tracking but a "handicapping score". I created such a thing that balances top selections finish position, off odds and number or winners selected in a day.
Sorry for the overall brain dump....


This is really good stuff :ThmbUp: but I emailed him the replies late last night. If he doesn't call today I will send this out and any new ones later tonight.

No matter what goes down I have to give the guy credit wanting to talk to a "simpleton" like me. I'm not even allowed by NJ law to have an account with his company and he knows that.

[Canarsie]

Ok guys and gals I just got off the phone with him and we spoke for well over 90 minutes. I have a bad back that's hurting a bit now from staying in the same position talking to him. So I will post his answers to your questions and more tomorrow. Some very interesting stuff.

I will say that I found Stephen Burn to be a stand up guy and was quite pleased that he didn't balk at answering anything and even volunteered some information. That he took the time out to talk to an ordinary Joe shows me something.

For now I'll just answer Andy's question quickly about exchange wagering. It's more up to the tracks if this idea flies because if they want 20% takeout it's going to fail. Right now he thinks it will be between 5%-10% but that the heavy players will get rebated so it works out to around 5%. He stated the optimum takeout would be 5%-6% if it was up him.

I'm off to watch basketball soon in my old mans chair. :sleeping: