“If every rider shared the AEC livestream link with three people, it would exponentially extend coverage,” says Frankie Thieriot Stutes.
And she should know.
The 5* rider has been commentating eventing competitions since before livestreaming was a “thing.” That was 15+ years ago for US Eventing TV. Eventing coverage has evolved significantly since then.
But there’s still infinite potential for the medium to help the sport grow, she asserts.
Frankie is the founder of the marketing firm, Athletux, the official commentary sponsor for the USEA American Eventing Championships, presented by Nutrena Feeds, coming to Galway Downs August 27-31.
Growing the sport is a long time passion for Frankie. Expanding the fan base is the foundation for growth across all aspects of the sport – from participants and spectators to sponsors and prize money. Getting more people tuned into the livestream is an easy way everyone can help bring new people into the fold.
“It all fits together,” she explains.
Tell A Friend!
There’s good reason for everyone to tell three (or more!) people about the AEC live coverage – Frankie will commentate the Equine Network’s stream of the Preliminary through Advanced divisions. Equine Network’s coverage is free and the veteran network is known for reliable, high-quality coverage and an easy-to-use platform. Equine Network’s AEC stream will also be available on Horse & Country TV+.
Upper-level eventer Jon Holling, of The Jon and Rick Show, will partner with Frankie, both working remotely from their homes – Frankie in Northern California and Jon in Florida. The livestream is planned for as many divisions as possible although only the upper levels will have Frankie and Jon’s reporting.
The move to remote commentating enables the production “to take it up a notch,” Frankie explains. The ability to bring Jon on board exemplifies how funds not spent on commentators’ travel accommodations can go to instead to improving the product and the end-user’s experience.
In the past, Frankie has recruited top riders – many of them friends – to sit in the booth with her for portions of the competition. It’s been a great format, but she’s excited about the continuity of partnering with Jon for the whole competition. “It enables us to get in the groove for the whole time.”
“Even when we’re at an event, we’re in a room looking at the same screens we’re looking at when we commentate remotely,” Frankie says. “We talk to the course designers and riders about the cross-country course and there’s plenty of technology that allows us to get a feel for the course and its challenges.”
That’s on top of a lifetime of first-hand experience.
5* Dreams Fulfilled
Frankie grew up eventing in the Bay Area and achieved remarkable international success as an amateur. She received the 2018 Rebecca Broussard International Developing Rider Grant and, in 2019, she and Chatwin finished 4th at the Luhmühlen 5* in Germany.
Epitomizing eventing’s can-do approach to everything, Frankie achieved 5* success while launching Athletux in 2011. The company has grown into one of the best-known marketing agencies for riders, brands and events in the equestrian realm.
That’s along with having three children, ages 9, 7 and 4 now,as Frankie continues to juggle parenting and her career.
She’s even taken on a new venture in the launch of ForRealSocial.com. It’s a media coaching service for teen athletes and their parents. The emphasis is on building an online presence without “losing who you are offline.” The timely goal is to help youth sport families navigate the new era of “name, image and likeness” and other sponsorship opportunities while maintaining mental health, life balance and perspective.
Frankie credits the help of friends and family in reaching many personal and professional milestones. The experience and camaraderie earned as a competitor and horsewoman shine in her understanding, empathy and insights as a commentator. Many of the riders she comments on are longtime friends. Researching up-and-coming riders and horses is part of pre-show prep. And so is developing a sense for where pairs are in their respective quests.
A Welcoming Insider
Frankie is also conscious of being an insider and the importance of opening the sport to those new to it. “We try to talk and explain things in terms that, if you’re not a horse person, you can understand what’s happening and the significance.”
It’s busy in the virtual booth. “While we’re commentating on what we see on the screen, we are also keeping an eye on things like whether it’s time to switch cameras or look at something in a different way.”
One thing Frankie doesn’t do is handle the technical aspects of the livestream. “If something goes wrong, we’re as frustrated as everyone else is watching,” she shares. “We just have to roll with whatever is going on.”
As a media contributor and advisor to several competitions, Frankie believes many events could get much more mileage out of their livestream coverage. Encouraging sponsors to create commercials for the feed is one example. “There are a lot of ways for an event to monetize a livestream. If the livestream is integrated well, it can really take an event to the next level.”
The value of that airtime circles back to the number of people following the livestream. And that circles back to riders helping promote the coverage. The ripple effect of having participants promote coverage of their sport is “very prevalent in other sports,” Frankie notes. “My nephew plays baseball in Washington and we all watch his games when they’re livestreamed.”
“From a marketing standpoint, the more we can increase livestream viewership, the more appealing and valuable the livestream becomes for sponsors and advertisers. And that would help the sport grow,” she concludes.
The AEC livestream begins Wednesday, August 27 with Preliminary and Intermediate dressage starting at 8 a.m. Please bookmark these livestream links and share them widely.
