On Monday night, MSG Networks will be airing a sports-betting focused simulcast of the Rangers game against St. Louis, which will mark the first time the network produces a sports betting-focused simulcast of an NHL game (the network has recently aired sports betting simulcasts of Knicks games). The upcoming hockey ‘BetCast’ will air on Monday at 7pm on MSGSN, alongside the traditional Rangers telecast on MSG.
The alternate Rangers telecast will feature Rangers reporter Michelle Gingras, former Rangers and Devils center and two-time Stanley Cup Champion Scott Gomez and sports betting hosts Alex Monaco and Sean Little breaking down the play on the ice from a sports betting perspective. They will deliver live reaction to all the betting action on the game from the spread, player props and more, as well as provide in-game updates to the odds and lines as they move throughout the night.
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.
For the 15th time in history, PBR (Professional Bull Riders) will buck into “The World’s Most Famous Arena,” as the toughest sport on dirt holds one of the initial events of the 2022 season for the elite PBR Unleash The Beast, invading the Big Apple on Jan. 7-8 for the Monster Energy Buck Off at the Garden, presented by Ariat. For two nights only, 40 of the best riders in the world will square off against the rankest bucking bulls in the nation, the ultimate showdown of man vs. beast, seeking to be crowned the event champion and earn crucial points towards the world standings.
The New York City event will also be one of three Majors this season, giving riders the chance to earn increased world points, and their share of the augmented event purse.
After a one-year hiatus from travelling to Madison Square Garden, the PBR will storm back into Manhattan on the spurs of an unforgettable 2021 season. En route to being crowned the 2021 PBR World Champion, Jose Vitor Leme rewrote nearly every major PBR record, including twice obliterating the all-time high-marked ride record aboard Woopaa, the very bull who propelled him to the 2020 title. In late July in Tulsa, Leme and Woopa first teamed for a monstrous 97.75-point score, breaking the previous 96.5-point record. On the final out of the season at the 2021 PBR World Finals, Leme was marked an unprecedented 98.75 points on Woopaa, including the first-ever perfect 50-point rider score. He became just the seventh multi-time PBR World Champion, and second back-to-back PBR World Champion. During Leme’s historic campaign, he also set new records for most round wins in a season (21) and most 90-point rides in a season (24). Throughout 2021, Leme went a torrid 49-for-71, covering 69.01% of his animal athlete opponents, including a 12-out ride streak to end the season. While Leme continues to battle a nagging abdominal and groin injury, should he return in time for the New York City event, he would be contending for a new honor — Monster Energy Buck Off at the Garden event champion.
MSG Networks Inc. (NYSE: MSGN) today announced that it will launch a new, free-to-play app – MSG Networks Pick ‘Em – developed in partnership with Boom Sports, a leader in online sports-gaming technology. The new prediction gaming app, expected to be available on iOS and Android starting in March, will offer sports fans the chance to win cash prizes during Knicks, Rangers, Islanders, Devils, and Sabres games.
“MSG Networks is thrilled to partner with Boom Sports on our new free-to-play app. We’ve been offering trivia and pick’em games on our MSG GO streaming app since 2018 and have seen firsthand how interactive games can help increase viewer engagement – including how long and how often they tune in,” said Peter Tulloch, Senior Vice President, Digital Products and Distribution, MSG Networks. “MSG Networks Pick ‘Em will further deepen our connection with viewers, providing sports fans with a fun and, potentially, rewarding way to enjoy MSG Networks’ live coverage of their favorite sports teams, while providing MSG Networks with new revenue opportunities.”
“We are excited to be working with MSG Networks to create an app that will enrich the viewing experience, and also offer unique value in the form of user insights and a strategic digital asset,” said Greg Viverito, VP of Partnerships, Boom Sports. “We’re also a New York City-based company so we embraced the opportunity to create a product that adds to the fun of being a fan of New York sports teams.”
MSG Networks’ Pick ‘Em games will have a series of predictive questions rewarding fans with cash prizes for every basketball game, and for hockey games, the jackpot will be progressive.
MSG Networks Pick ‘Em is the latest example of MSG Networks’ commitment to innovation and creating engaging content for its viewers. MSG Networks is the first regional sports network (RSN) to announce a standalone app for free-to-play pick ‘em-style contests. In 2018, MSG Networks was the first RSN to integrate live stats and interactive games on its MSG GO streaming app, which encourages fans to play along with the actual game broadcast for a chance to win prizes.
The free-to-play app is expected to build off of engagement with the gaming fan that MSG Networks has cultivated over the past few seasons, starting with a daily-fantasy focused simulcast in 2018 and evolving to sports-betting focused programming blocks, short-form content acting as previews for the game, and the aforementioned fan contests on MSG GO.
MSG Networks’ exclusive coverage of the NBA’s New York Knicks, and the NHL’s New York Rangers, New York Islanders, New Jersey Devils and Buffalo Sabres can be seen on MSG, MSG+ and on the MSG GO streaming app for phones, tablets and computers. Official rules, scoring, prize and other information for MSG Networks Pick ‘Em will be available when the app launches.
