XFL Prez Says Racing Can Learn From Successes, Failures

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Maybe you're not a fan of the WWF, or particularly impressed with the startup XFL. But in the opinion of Basil DeVito, Thoroughbred racing can learn from their successes and failures.

DeVito, a former National Thoroughbred Racing Association executive who now is president of the XFL, presented the Warner L. Jones Jr. Distinguished Lecture at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium in Louisville, Ky. The event was sponsored by the University of Louisville's Center for Equine Management.

DeVito said first impressions are particularly important, something the XFL discovered early on. The first live television productions were weak, he said, but by the end of the 12-week season, things had turned around.

"We made a huge first impression that wasn't very good," DeVito said. "We later had a good championship watched by only two and a half million people. But about 20 million people saw the first-week debacle."

There was some success: attendance was 20% above expectations, and innovations were used to enhance the game experience. On average, though, the games brought a 5 rating on the TNN and UPN networks.

It's no secret the racing industry has made its share of poor first impressions. But there are some positive developments, DeVito said, that could keep that from happening in the future.

With NBC now broadcasting the Triple Crown events, "the NBA becomes a promotional opportunity," he said of the basketball games shown on NBC before the Kentucky Derby (gr. I). There also is continuity now with many racing shows broadcast on the ESPN networks.

There is a major obstacle, one DeVito encountered when he worked for the NTRA and tried to negotiate television deals with the FOX network. He relayed a conversation he had with an executive in regard to the "NTRA Champions on FOX" series.

"He asked me, 'Are they the 3-year-olds?' " DeVito said. "I said no. He said, 'What are they?' I said they were the older horses, you know, the handicap division. Now there's a marketing tool for you. People are thinking these are horses in wheelchairs."

The NTRA and Breeders' Cup are working on retooling the racing season, in part to make it more understandable to the public.

DeVito, who handled the production and national syndication of the Jim Beam Stakes from 1984-85, mentioned the WWF for a reason: It knows how to stage live events, has stars, and plenty of merchandising deals. At one time, DeVito was a senior executive for the organization.

"WWF is really about entertainment and shouldn't be compared with any sport," he said. "For 52 weeks a year, the same brand is on TV -- people can stay involved with it. Continuity is an important aspect of the brand."

Horse racing isn't there yet on television, but DeVito said it can capitalize on what it does have: the Kentucky Derby and the TV Games Network on cable television. But he raised a question concerning what he calls the "shared experience" racing can generate through national television.

"There will be about one million people at all the (wagering facilities) on Derby Day, but will there be one focused, common experience?" he said. "Will you get the simulcasting feed or the NBC feed? That 10-, 12-, or 15-minute segment is the most important in racing all year. So should racing provide one focused, specific message for everyone?"

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