BC Partners With Video-Sharing Company
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Breeders' Cup June 12 announced it will partner with Burst, a mobile video platform, for the 2015 Breeders' Cup World Championships and select Breeders' Challenge Series races. Burst enables users to capture and share authentic video in real time.
The first activation will take place June 13 at Churchill Downs in conjunction with the track's first "Downs After Dark' racing program this year. The evening is anchored by the $500,000 Stephen Foster Handicap (gr. I)—a Breeders' Cup Challenge "Win and You're In" race for the Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I)—and also will feature an appearance by Triple Crown winner American Pharoah.
Through the Breeders' Cup's partnership with Burst, 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 horse race is two minutes long, yet there is so much more to the overall race-day experience," said Peter Rotondo, vice president of media and entertainment at Breeders' Cup. "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 at 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.
Following the Churchill activation, there will be six additional Breeders' Cup Challenge Series races that will be powered by Burst, as well as the Breeders' Cup World Championships, to be held Oct. 30-31 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," said Bryant McBride, chief executive officer and co-founder of Burst. "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 Breeders' Cup announced a 10-year extension of its partnership with NBC. With NBC Sport's recent commitment to incorporating Breeders' Cup-themed Burst videos into its national broadcast, the relationship between Breeders' Cup and the network continues to evolve and strengthen.
To begin sharing videos and register in time for the kick-off activation at Churchill Downs on June 13, fans can visit: http://www.breederscup.com/BCLIVE.