The legalization of sports betting in the United States has changed a lot of things connected to the world of sports.
The latest industry that is turning their attention to betting is sports media houses as various sports channels are partnering up with gambling companies for sports gambling content.
Currently, ESPN, Fox, and Turner Sports have made deals and more are expected to follow.
ESPN’s deal is the latest surprise in the rise of sports gambling content.
ESPN recently announced that it has partnered with Caesars Entertainment to build a new studio at LINQ Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.
The plan is to launch this studio in 2020 and it will be the hub for ESPN’s sports betting content across multiple channels. This studio will be a big help since there are a growing number of sports events in Las Vegas. Caesars will be providing sports betting odds data to the new studio.
In a statement, Mike Morrison, vice president of business development for ESPN, said
The sports betting landscape has changed, and fans are coming to us for this kind of information more than ever before. We are poised to expand our coverage in a big way.
ESPN has already ventured a bit into the sports betting world by creating shows that are related to gambling like “Daily Wager”, besides having segments and discussions on sports betting on various shows like ‘SportsCenter’.
This is a big shift for sports media. In the past, broadcasters were not allowed to even discuss odds when it came to discussing sports on air. This was mostly due to the pressure that the top sports leagues imposed in their efforts to keep the ban on sports betting. However, all that has changed and now the leagues are getting in on the action which have paved the way for sports media houses to be more open with their content.
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ESPN is just one of the big names that have signed up with Caesars. Turner Sports signed an agreement with Caesars Entertainment to develop special sports betting content along with a Bleacher Report branded studio located in Caesars Palace.
Fox Sports has partnered with the Canadian based Star Group and the two are working to develop a new app that will allow mobile sports betting in the states where it sports betting is now legal. One can expect to see similar partnerships being announced as we progress towards the end of the year.
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