Tag Archives: television

MSG Networks Announces Lineup of Sports Betting Focused-Simulcasts of Knicks and Rangers Games

MSG Networks today announced a lineup of sports-betting focused simulcasts of select Knicks and Rangers games this season. The alternative broadcasts presented by DraftKings will air on MSGSN alongside the traditional game telecasts on MSG, featuring real-time commentary and analysis through the sports betting lens. The first BetCast will air tonight at 7:30pm ET when the Knicks take on Atlanta at home.

The schedule will include a total of 12 BetCasts between the Knicks and Rangers, which will mark the first time MSG Networks produces a sports betting-focused simulcast of an NHL game. The network debuted the BetCast during the 2021-2022 NBA season, offering the simulcast for five Knicks games.

The alternate Knicks telecasts will feature a rotating mix of sports betting experts and on-air talent from the network’s roster of shows, including Alex Monaco, Keiana Martin, Sean Little, Erik Coleman, Jeff Johnson, Harrison Sanford, Kazeem Famuyide and eight-year NBA veteran John Henson. The hosts will deliver live reaction to all the betting action on the game from the spread, team totals, player props and more, as well as provide in-game updates to the odds and lines as they move throughout the night.

The first hockey BetCast will air on Monday, December 5th at 7:00pm ET for the Rangers’ game against St. Louis. Rangers reporter Michelle Gingras and former Rangers and Devils center and two-time Stanley Cup Champion Scott Gomez will break down the play on the ice from a sports betting perspective.

MSG Networks will integrate DraftKings odds into the BetCasts, as well as highlight specific bets and parlays on the air that will be available for viewers exclusively within the DraftKings Sportsbook app. The simulcasts are also expected to include appearances by various on-air personalities from DraftKings.

All BetCast coveragewill also be available to view on MSG GO, the network’s live streaming and video on demand platform.

photo credit: Jean-Baptiste Bellet

Ones Basketball League Announces Content Partnership with SHOWTIME Sports

Ones Basketball League (OBL) — an elite competition that celebrates the most skilled one-on-one players on the planet and created by Basketball Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady – today announced a content partnership with SHOWTIME Sports, the newest media distribution relationship for the start-up league.

Under its highly successful SHOWTIME® Basketball brand, SHOWTIME Sports will distribute a behind-the-scenes, all-access documentary feature for its YouTube channel capturing the story of this season through the eyes of Tracy McGrady. SHOWTIME Sports will also produce short-form digital content for distribution across its social networks from the remainder of the inaugural OBL season through the league’s Las Vegas Championship in July.

“The production and creative team at SHOWTIME Sports knows how to build and tell stories like no one else, and the detailed background and exciting drama we have already started to capture with OBL makes this content partnership a perfect fit for us,” McGrady said. “The team at SHOWTIME shares our excitement for putting a spotlight on one-on-one basketball and all of the great action, rich stories, and hyper-competition that flows from the game.”

“We believe in Tracy’s vision and are thrilled to be working with the OBL on their inaugural season,” said Brian Dailey, SVP, Sports Programming & Content, Showtime Networks Inc. “This collaboration embodies the SHOWTIME Basketball brand — premium, bold and boundary-pushing. We are delighted to welcome Tracy and the OBL team to our unmatched lineup of content and talent.”

“The early results of our proof-of-concept season look good, we love what we see on the court, and so does SHOWTIME,” said Jeffrey Pollack, OBL strategic advisor. “This content partnership with SHOWTIME Sports came together quickly and further validates Tracy’s vision for shining a bright light on the essence of basketball and celebrating the vibrant talent and culture that fuels the one-on-one community.”

SHOWTIME Sports joins SLAM Media, Playmaker and Heart and Hustle Productions’ as initial production and content partners for OBL.

Six cities across the United States are hosting a two-day, regional, 32-player round-robin knockout tournament with athletes aged 18 and up who are currently not under an NBA contract and have not been on an active NBA roster for more than 164 games (equivalent to two NBA regular seasons). The participants come from a combination of open-sourced video submissions and the advice of basketball insiders. The aim is to welcome both best-in-class talent and players who may still be under the radar of most basketball fans. The inaugural events this year will feature only men, and women will be welcomed as equal participants as soon as 2023.

The regional tournaments scheduled for the rest of the OBL season are:
· New York City, May 28-29
(Major R. Owens Community Center hosted by New Heights, Brooklyn, NY)
· The DMV, June 4-5
(The St. James, Springfield, VA)
· Los Angeles, June 18-19
(TBD)

The winner of each regional tournament will take home a $10,000 cash prize along with an invitation to the Finals, which will see 21 players (the top three from each region) compete for a chance to win a $250,000 grand prize and be crowned “Ruler of the Court.” The regional winners from the first three events include: Glen Rice Jr. (Marietta, Ga.), Antonio Hester (Miami), and Tiras Wade (Tampa) from the Atlanta regional; John Jordan (Houston), Matt Kiatipis (Austin by way of Canada and Simon Fraser University), and Myron Taylor (Killeen, Tex.) from the Houston regional; and Mario Smith (Kalamazoo, Mich.), Yoshi Craig (Chicago), and Grant Anderson (Chicago), who took the top three places this past weekend in the Chicago regional.

More information about Ones Basketball League at: https://www.oblhoops.com/.

MSG Networks Announces Expanded Lineup of Sports Betting Programming

As it looks to further serve the growing sports betting market, MSG Networks today announced an expanded lineup of original sports betting programming. The expansive content push signifies the network’s continued foray into sports betting as it aims to engage fans in a fun and informative way.

The lineup will feature “Odds With Ends,” a new Sunday morning show that will air from 11:00am-12:00pm ET during the football season, with former Giants defensive end and 2x Super Bowl Champion Mathias Kiwanuka and former Giants wide receiver and Super Bowl Champion David Tyree. The one-hour program will serve as the premier sports betting show on game days, providing fans with in-depth player analysis, game breakdowns and top picks and betting predictions in the lead-up to kickoff. Drafted in the first round in 2006, Kiwanuka went on to record 38.5 sacks during his nine seasons with the Giants, finishing ninth on the franchise’s all-time list. Tyree earned All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors as a special teams player with the Giants in 2005, although is most known for his iconic late game catch against his helmet in Super Bowl XLII that helped propel the Giants to victory.

As former NFL players and teammates with the Giants, Kiwanuka and Tyree will provide valuable insight and bring a unique betting perspective to the broadcast. A mix of other former New York athletes will also regularly join the show to lean into all the football betting action that day and discuss the latest betting lines and point spreads across the league. The first episode will air on Sunday, October 24th.

“As I go from the defensive line to now breaking down betting lines, I’m looking forward to connecting with the fans again every Sunday morning on MSG Networks,” said Kiwanuka. “David and I will provide fans with a unique perspective around sports betting that only former players can give. We will chop it up and deliver analysis that will be helpful for NFL fans betting on games each week.”

MSG Networks will also premiere “The Bettor Half *Hour,” a fast-paced, energetic show that will give an inside look at the sports betting landscape. Hosted by sports betting host Alex Monaco, the show will entertain, yet educate viewers on how to approach sports betting. Monaco will break down effective betting strategies, analyze the latest storylines and react to the latest odds and betting action each night. The half-hour program will include interviews with industry leaders and expert voices in the betting field that will present the viewer with even more tips, news and information. “The Bettor Half *Hour” will air at 5:00pm ET every Monday through Thursday, beginning tonight, Wednesday, October 20th.

MSG Networks’ recently launched “The Betting Exchange,” a dynamic roundtable style show that dives into the latest betting trends across the sports world. Hosted by sports betting on-air personalities Katie Mox and Jeff Johnson, the half-hour show delivers news and analysis through the sports betting lens, while also exploring and providing insight into the nuances of betting. After initially debuting as a weekly program in September, the show will now expand to four nights a week, airing Monday through Thursday at 5:30pm ET, starting tonight, Wednesday, October 20th.

A rotating mix of New York athletes, such as Tyree and former Jets safety Erik Coleman, and sports betting experts including Minty Bets, Alex Glaze and Sean Little, will regularly join Mox and Johnson each night, where they will take part in spirited and entertaining debates on everything from upcoming game lines, player props, over/under totals, future bets and more.

“With the rapid rise in sports betting interest around the country, we are excited to expand the reach of the MSG Networks brand and further immerse our fans in the sports betting culture,” said Kevin Marotta, Senior Vice President, Marketing and Content Strategy, MSG Networks. “We will significantly increase our sports betting presence with the launch of these fun and energetic shows, which will uniquely position us to become one of the premium destinations for sports betting content.”

The sports betting programming airing on MSG Networks will also be available to watch on MSG GO, the network’s live streaming and video on demand platform.

To coincide with the programming launch, MSG Networks is also significantly expanding its online presence by debuting a new social media handle on both Twitter and Instagram tied to sports betting, @MSGPlusMinus. The new handle will serve as the dedicated social media home for the network’s sports betting initiatives. The @MSGPlusMinus channels, along with MSGNetworks.com and the network’s YouTube page, will feature exclusive content, highlight top picks and drive the overall betting conversation amongst bettors each day.

MSG Networks’ expansive push into sports betting is the latest example of its commitment to innovation. In 2017, MSG Networks became the first network to offer a live fantasy/gaming infused broadcast of a live game (Knicks), in partnership with DraftKings. In 2018, MSG Networks was the first regional sports network to integrate live stats and interactive games on its MSG GO streaming app, which the network will continue to expand and build on going forward. And last year, MSG Networks became the first regional sports network to announce a standalone app, MSG Networks Pick ‘Em, for free-to-play pick ‘em-style contests. The prediction gaming app will now include new football contests for fans this season, in addition to its existing basketball, hockey, baseball and soccer offerings.

National Lacrosse League, TSN Announce Landmark Multi-Year Partnership For Canada

The National Lacrosse League (@NLL), the largest and most successful professional lacrosse property in the world, today announced a historic partnership with TSN, Canada’s Sports Leader, to bring games to Canadians across broadcast and live streaming platforms for the first time since 2016. The new agreement is the league’s most comprehensive Canadian broadcast partnership in its 35-year history, and marks the next in a series of major steps the league has taken in recent months as it moves towards returning to play on December 3, 2021.

The multi-year media rights partnership between the NLL and TSN includes exclusive rights to the regular season “NLL Game of the Week,” as well as comprehensive playoff action, including the NLL Championship Series. TSN also delivers NLL coverage to TSN and TSN Direct subscribers through live streaming on its digital platforms, TSN.ca and the TSN app. Schedule details and additional content information will be announced in the coming months. The 2021-22 NLL season begins the weekend of December 3 with 14 teams, five of which are based in Canada.

“As one of our new owners, Wayne Gretzky, reminded people a few weeks ago when we launched our new franchise in Las Vegas, box lacrosse is the national summertime sport of Canada, and we couldn’t be more pleased and eager to bring the NLL back to Canadian fans with TSN, the country’s premier sports network,” said NLL Commissioner Nick Sakiewicz. “This partnership will give us the ability to distribute NLL games to even more fans than ever before and showcase our amazing athletes, coaches, and action that so many Canadians love so dearly and have enjoyed in person.”

“Box lacrosse is an exciting, fast-paced sport, and we are very proud to partner with the NLL to grow the game and bring comprehensive live coverage to Canadian viewers throughout the season,” said Nathalie Cook, VP, TSN and RDS. “The NLL is a significant addition to our live sports schedule, one we know our fans will enjoy for years to come, and we’re excited to deliver expansive coverage, both on and off the floor, to spotlight the league’s talented players.”

For the most up to date information and breaking news, sign up for the NLL newsletter at NLL.com. Also follow Deputy Commissioner Jessica Berman and Commissioner Sakiewicz on Twitter @JessicaBerman1 and @NLLcommish, respectively.

DraftKings, SNY Team On New Gaming Shows

SNY, the official television home of all things New York sports announced a partnership today with sports technology and entertainment company DraftKings, bringing a new one-hour programming block of sport betting shows to SNY viewers every Sunday. The Sweat, produced by DraftKings will premiere this Sunday, September 8 at 10:30 AM ET followed by SNY’s original program Place Your Bets Presented by DraftKings Sportsbook at 11:00 AM ET.

“With the legalization of sport betting increasing in states across the country, the compelling integration opportunities have become more prevalent and visible throughout the sports industry,” said Steve Raab, President of SNY. “Sports news impacts sports betting and this partnership with DraftKings marries the two – giving us an opportunity to deliver insightful new programs not just for sports bettors but for casual sports fans, avid sports fans and fantasy players.”

Each week The Sweat, will deliver analysis by DraftKings experts – bringing fans inside the game. Place Your Bets Presented by DraftKings Sportsbook, will not only cover the local New York teams, but also the key matchups from around the league. Place Your Bets will be hosted by SNY’s Maria Marino.

“The legalization of sports betting transformed our business model not only as a sportsbook operator, but also as a digital media hub,” said Ezra Kucharz, chief business officer at DraftKings. “We are entering the most prime period of the sports calendar for our company, and the move to syndicate our original programming via a widely-viewed and premier partner in SNY was a clear strategic decision.”

The two shows will air every Sunday throughout the regular season and the playoffs.

Programming Schedule:

Sunday, September 8, 2019

• The Sweat: 10:30 – 11:00 AM

• Place Your Bets: 11-11:30 AM

All other weeks:

• The Sweat: 11-11:30 AM

• Place Your Bets: 11:30-12 PM

Maria Marino