The sponsored by bookmaking firms unibet, ladbrokes, coral

The introduction of the BHA’s Authorised BettingPartner (ABP) initiative; was the proposed solution to tackle the problem ofonline operators not contributing to the levy (Wood, 2015) and therefore funding racing. This’stick’ approach was felt to be a way of forcing bookmaker’s hands into signingup but with William Hill, Ladbrokes, Coral and Betfred not agreeing, racecourses were faced with the dilemma of a massive loss of sponsorshipincome. High profile races like the Cheltenham Gold Cup sponsorship switchedfrom Betfred to Timico (Cook, 2015) similar to strong Soccer/Rugby brands withmass exposure. The challenge is more the day to day objective of trying toattract sponsors to lower grade races (Martin, 2015). The all-weather in the UKprovides over 1, 200 races throughout the winter sponsored by bookmaking firms Unibet, Ladbrokes, Coral and 32red (AWC, 2015). This has resulted in a considerablereduction in sponsorship income as 32red are the only ABP approved bookmaker. Ladbrokes Director of Media David Williams summed upthe situation from a non-ABP sponsors’ perspective; “ We want to work withsports who value our sponsorshipexperience and credentials. There is no shortage of sports with broad appealfor sponsors like us who are eager to work with bookmakers to secure mutualbenefits” (Barber, 2015).

This statement raises the ante for the racingindustry as a brand for sponsorship as the keys words from this statement being’value’ and ‘ no shortage of other sports’. From a media perspective, Irish horse racing receives extensivetelevision coverage on At the Races and also on Terrestrial channels. Similarlyits betting pictures are distributed worldwide via SIS and mobile streaming. Exposurein national and local newspapers, dedicated Industry papers and radio meanshorse racing sponsorship can provide excellent value for money in terms of exposureto local businesses. So can racecourses adapt and get local business involvedin sponsorship and see the value in this media exposure. As we move more intothe digital age, social media platforms provide a cheap and targeted approachfor marketers as another tool in their marketing mix.

The use of modern onlineplatforms can provide improved branding and sponsorship opportunities.