Published: Friday, June 12, 2015 – 9:00 am
The Breeders’ Cup has announced a new partnership with Burst, a mobile video platform that enables users to capture and share video in real time, for the 2015 Breeders’ Cup World Championships and select Breeders’ Cup ‘Win & You’re In’ Challenge Series races. The first activation will take place June 13 at Churchill Downs in conjunction with the legendary racetrack’s first night-time horse racing program this year. Through this partnership, fans at the racetrack and around the world will be able to upload and share their videos and personal experiences on NBC Sports during the live broadcasts, helping to expand coverage beyond the racetrack and more fully capture the fan experience. In addition to this being Burst’s first activation for a horse racing event, the partnership with the Breeders’ Cup is the first time Burst fan-generated videos will be shared nationally through NBC Sports.
“The average horserace is two minutes long, yet there is so much more to the overall race-day experience,” says Breeders Cup VP of Media and Entertainment Peter Rotondo. “At the biggest events, such as the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, there are numerous hospitality offerings, fashion moments and entertainment performances, in addition to the athlete’s pre-race activities of saddling the horses and prepping the jockeys that beg to be seen and captured. The partnership with Burst enables us to easily share these moments, further engaging fans and providing them with the opportunity to be featured on national television.”
On the evening of June 13, fans both home and at the track will be able to shoot and upload videos of their experiences and share them directly with NBC Sports via a link, without requiring the fan to download an app to participate. In addition to the fans, trainers, jockeys, and other track personnel with exclusive access will be able to upload videos, allowing them to share special, behind-the-scenes moments from the jockey room, stables, paddock area, and even horseback, with millions of viewers. Following the Churchill Downs activation, there will be six additional Challenge Series races that will be powered by Burst, as well as the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, to be held Oct. 30 and 31 at Keeneland.
“User-generated content unlocks a huge opportunity for innovative brands like the Breeders’ Cup and media leaders like NBC to leverage content from their own audience,” says Burst CEO and Co-Founder Bryant McBride. “While the complex technology infrastructure required for upload, management and curation have made it difficult for most to maximize the potential for viewer engagement, we are thrilled that the Burst platform is now allowing the Breeders’ Cup to make history in the sport and truly capture the energy and passion of its active fan base.”
In late 2014, the Breeders’ Cup announced a 10-year extension of its partnership with NBC Sports, which has utilized its horse-racing coverage to drive online video consumption and grow its social media presence.
“We are excited to help offer our viewers a part of the race-day experience as captured by fans in attendance,” says Rob Hyland, coordinating producer of NBC Sports Group’s horse racing coverage. “As we saw when history was made at the Belmont Stakes last weekend, fans and viewers enjoy sharing their big-event memories via social media. We will continue that experience-sharing with Burst throughout the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series this summer and fall.” See full article here: http://sportsvideo.org/main/blog/2015/06/breeders-cup-taps-burst-to-distribute-user-generated-video-content-via-nbc-sports/
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