The new FanDuel Group plans to use its horseracing media assets to educate Americans on the whole legal sports betting thing.
On Friday, Bloomberg reported that the FanDuel Group – the newly merged entity of daily fantasy sports operator FanDuel and the US-facing operations of UK-listed gambling operator Paddy Power Betfair – plan to use Betfair’s TVG broadcasting platform to air sports betting content in newly regulated US state markets.
FanDuel CEO Matt King told Bloomberg that the company would be “investing heavily in content” to air on the TVG and TVG2 cable networks, as well as TVG’s digital channels. However, King said the content wouldn’t be dominated by references to the FanDuel brand to ensure that “it’s not viewed as an infomercial for FanDuel.”
It remains to be seen how TVG’s horsey set react to the sudden influx of non-racing content invading their clubby little broadcasting niche. It’s equally unclear whether sports bettors who aren’t into racing will gravitate towards TVG to check out the isolated pockets of content they’d find interesting.
FanDuel opened its first branded retail sportsbook this month at New Jersey’s Meadowlands racetrack. While the launch hasn’t been without its hiccups, King claimed to be “very happy” with the sportsbook’s performance to date.
These are exciting times for the nascent US betting broadcasting sector. The Vegas Stats and Information Network (VSiN), whose luminaries include longtime sportscaster Brent Musburger, got a financial boost this week after private equity group SeventySix Capital announced a “strategic investment” in VSiN to further the group’s reach.
Musburger, who was just named the radio voice of the new Las Vegas Raiders NFL franchise, is reportedly also among the names that will feature on Fox Sports 1’s new one-hour TV show dedicated to sports betting discussion that will air weekdays from 5-6pm starting this fall.
Sporting News reported that Musburger will be joined on the program by Fox Sports veteran Charissa Thompson, oddsmaker Todd Fuhrman and Fox Sports Radio host/political troll Clay Travis.
