Before August, there was one place to get comprehensive coverage of horse racing, but when FanDuel announced they bought that source, TVG, and were rebranding it, there was concern among fans.
What would the new channel look like? Would they still cover horse racing?
FanDuel Vice President of TV Kevin Grigsby told CDC Gaming Reports that there was a lot of trepidation when fans heard the news.
“The racing customers and viewers were reluctant upon hearing the news, Grigsby said. “But once we launched and they saw the investment we continue to make in racing, they’ve been supportive.”
Grigsby added that the new programming they put on the air has been a pleasant surprise for long time viewers.
“They’ve even had a similar reaction to the network programming like Up and Adams and More Ways to Win that’s not dedicated to racing,” Grigsby said. “Once our core viewers were able to see the quality of the content we’re delivering, they’ve complimented us on our efforts of increasing our audience and cross-selling the new into horse racing.”
The fears of horse racing fans of their sport not getting any coverage have been calmed. The network recently proved that with their coverage of last weekend’s Breeders’ Cup.
FanDuel TV had full coverage of the richest two days in horse racing. They were live in Keeneland in Kentucky with shows starting at 7 a.m. both Friday and Saturday. When the races began, FanDuel TV broadcasted them.
Grigsby has said their commitment to the sport is paying off for the sportsbook.
“Our racing wagering business has us taking over $2.5 billion a year in bets on the sport,” Grigsby said. “We’re also putting horse racing betting into FanDuel Sportsbooks at the end of the year, which will give the same customers that bet NFL, NBA, MLB (the opportunity) to bet on racing using the same login and same wallet. So, yes, we are going to continue airing races every day.”
Grigsby did add that a younger demographic is desired and they are emphasizing noted sports personalities to help meet that goal.
“Bringing in a new audience is one objective of the new, star-studded programming on FanDuel TV,” Grigsby said. “Another is to create content that caters to sports betting enthusiasts in the US. As sports betting legalizes and scales state-by-state, we are well positioned to present relevant content to those fans, customers, and potential customers.”
