Product Placement

Cal-Expo has signed a deal with TVG where Cal-Expo's races on Friday and Saturday night will be shown exclusively on the leading ADW's broadcast.  This is a smart move by Golden Bear racing which is operating the meet for Watch and Wager.  It really is a no-brainer considering how successful the former operator was with simulcasting their Pick-4 sequence on Saturday night was.

Perhaps the more important question is why other harness tracks are not following the lead of tracks like Cal-Expo?  WEG and the Meadowlands have inked similar deals for their live racing programs as has Yonkers Raceway, Western Fair District, as has the Delaware harness tracks for the slower days of racing.   But other tracks have refrained from taking such steps.

Perhaps having to pay for television exposure goes against them, especially when their races are available on TVG and other ADWs' websites, but to get the interest of gamblers on the web, they must be familiar with your product.  However, when you put your product in front of people on the broadcasts, you are going to get gamblers who normally wouldn't take a look at your signal.

Cal-Expo's old management saw the differences on Saturday nights between the races shown on TVG versus their own races not broadcast on the same race card and the wagering difference was significant, more than enough to cover the expense of having to pay for airtime.

It's all about getting exposure.  There is a reason why consumer goods manufacturers pay for product placement in movies and television shows, to get their product in front of the consumer.  To be successful, racing needs to seriously think about product placement.