America’s Best Racing (ABR), a multimedia fan development and awareness-building platform designed to increase the profile and visibility of North America’s best Thoroughbred racing events, and Woodbine Entertainment (Woodbine) today announced a cross-promotional marketing partnership. As part of the partnership, ABR and Woodbine Entertainment will work together to create and distribute content across digital channels to fans across North America, sharing stories from Woodbine Racetrack and Woodbine Mohawk Park and promoting wagering opportunities on Woodbine’s Thoroughbred and Standardbred racing.
As part of the expansive collaboration, Woodbine will license U.S. broadcast rights to Racing Night Live on TSN every Thursday evening (6 p.m. to 8 p.m.  ET) to ABR for distribution on ABR’s YouTube channel – https://www.youtube.com/americasbestracing. Racing personalities and analysts from ABR will make in-show appearances during each Thursday night telecast to promote content offered at www.AmericasBestRacing.net and to highlight upcoming big races across America. Simultaneously, ABR will live stream a “Woodbine Live†handicapper’s show on its Twitter and Facebook channels to promote wagering on races at Woodbine every Thursday night.
“We’re thrilled to partner with Woodbine Entertainment and are excited to leverage our social media channels, video production, second screen live video show promotions, and digital content team to help amplify Canadian horse racing across America,†said Stephen B. Panus, President of TJC Media Ventures. “This is a tremendous opportunity to reach and attract a new demographic to the best of Canadian horse racing, including via the innovative, AI-powered app ‘Dark Horse.’ Additionally, we’re pleased to have the  opportunity to showcase Racing Night Live via the TSN broadcast every Thursday across our YouTube channel. American horse racing fans and sports bettors will enjoy wagering on and watching the live racing experience at Woodbine Racetrack and Woodbine Mohawk Park, respectively.â€
“As our content strategy continues to evolve and we look to engage our fans and attract a new generation of fans across North America, ABR is an excellent partner,†said Jim Lawson, CEO, Woodbine Entertainment. “We have always been big fans of how ABR reaches and enages fans through their channels, so we are naturally excited about how we can partner with them to distribute more Woodbine content as well.â€
Among the other highlights of the multi-faceted partnership agreement:
- ABR will produce and stream Woodbine-sponsored Live Shows (2 hours per show) and Mini-Live shows (45 minutes per show) in 2020 featuring handicappers, sports bettors and various influencers betting Woodbine races on key dates during the 2020 Thoroughbred and Standardbred racing seasons:
Saturday, August 15 — Woodbine Oaks Day
Saturday, August 29 – Pepsi North America Cup (Woodbine Mohawk Park)
Friday, September 11 — Day before The Queen’s Plate
Saturday, September 12 — The Queen’s Plate
Friday, September 18 — Day Before Woodbine Mile
Saturday, September 26 – Mohawk Million (Woodbine Mohawk Park)
Saturday, October 24 — Breeders’ Stakes Day
- To complement ABR’s stream of Racing Night Live on its YouTube channel, ABR will produce a weekly 2-hour live show, secondscreen experience streamed on ABR’s Facebook & Twitter channels every Thursday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. ET, through Sept. 10. Each show will be hosted by ABR’s Dan Tordjman and will also feature leading handicappers Emily Gullikson and Ashley Mailloux, focusing on Woodbine Thoroughbred and Standardbred analysis respectively.
- ABR will distribute regular Woodbine content that focuses on handicapping of Woodbine racing, big wins from Woodbine racing and more.
Launched in 2012, America’s Best Racing continues to reach and attract a new and younger demographic to the sport, with a focus on the gambling, racing and lifestyle. A significant majority of the users (61% men and 39% women) to America’s Best Racing are under the age of 50 while over 80% of ABR’s social media audience falls under the age of 44.  ABR has national distribution via NBCSports.com and CBSSports.com, hosts a weekly radio show on SBNation Radio every Saturday which broadcasts in more than 105 national markets, and is the title sponsor of national television coverage of live horse racing on both Fox Sports and NBC Sports.
