They say that when one door closes, another one opens. The NFL door just closed for the season, but another football door has opened, thanks to the XFL. The alternative football league is back, hoping to turn things around after its predecessor only survived a single season in 2001, and will see its first games tomorrow. Just in time for the start of the gridiron action, the Vegas Stats & Information Network (VSiN) has announced a new sports gambling content deal with the league and iHeartRadio.
As opposed to the NFL, which is only just now beginning to consider sports gambling as it looks to hire a VP of sports betting, the XFL is ready to fully embrace the activity, and VSiN is more than happy to help lead the charge. The Vegas-based company is launching BetCasts along with The Sports Betting Network to football fans, providing real-time access to odds, as well as in-depth coverage and analysis of the lines and their movements to iHeartRadio’s audio channels.
According to VSiN’s Michelle Musburger, “In this first-of-its-kind rights deal, the XFL, iHeartRadio and VSiN entered into a three-way partnership to create audio BetCasts for two games each week during the 2020 XFL 10-week regular season and two-week post-season. The BetCasts will feature VSiN sports betting experts covering XFL games live from VSiN’s studios in Las Vegas through a wagering lens. These unique digital audio broadcasts, available on the iHeartRadio app, will deliver real-time odds, as well as in-depth analysis of the events behind those changing lines to inform fans during the live action of the games.”
Being able to team up with iHeartRadio is also a big coup, given the reach the audio broadcaster has across the US. It reportedly has around 250 million listeners in the country and reaches 90% of Americans every month. It currently provides over 850 live stations in more than 150 markets and has digital services available on over 250 platforms.
iHeartRadio’s president, Darren Davis, adds of the new partnership, “This is a unique and compelling audio experience for listeners. We are looking forward to partnering with XFL and VSiN to offer this exclusive sports betting content and programming to diehard sports fans across the country, right at their fingertips through iHeartRadio.”
Sports topics run deep in the Musburger family. VSiN is led by co-founder and CEO Brian Musburger, nephew of Brent Musburger, a name that is intrinsically tied to football and other sports. For more than three decades, Brent has been calling pro and college football games, and has also been found at the World Cup, the PGA and more. He also helped launch VSiN.
Brian Musburger is looking forward to working with the XFL and its sports gambling activity, stating, “It’s great to see a league like the XFL embrace sports betting as a way to drive fan engagement and interest. We couldn’t be more excited to partner with the forward-thinking executives at both the XFL and iHeart to deliver the most credible and actionable sports betting content to football fans around the country on the number one audio platform.”
This isn’t the first partnership the XFL has signed for sports gambling content. As announced earlier this week, the league has teamed up with DraftKings, as well, to offer the sportsbook’s lines and analysis during live TV coverage.
