Sports Media Report
ESPN’s experiment last week with “Statcast” for the NL Wild Card Game, an alternative broadcast shown on ESPN2 with analytics-themed commentary, drew mostly praise. With the recent court decision opening the door for states to legalize betting across the country, could the “Bet-Cast” be far behind?
The Las Vegas and Vegas Stats & Information Network (VSiN) are, pardon the pun, betting on that possibility. Or at least they’re rolling the dice hoping to have a winner when they air a two-hour “Bet-Cast,” featuring sports wagering experts calling the action from Lights FC vs. Sacramento FC, Saturday at 7:30 p.m., live on myLVTV. Its hosts will be in the VSiN studios, with a convenient ticker flashing live odds on U.S. and European soccer matches simultaneously on-screen.
Thomas Viola, host of the Las Vegas Soccer Betting Hour on NBC Sports AM 920 in Las Vegas, will handle play-by-play duties. Matthew Holt, president of U.S. Integrity – a consulting business to sports leagues and sports books — will explain how and why the odds are changing. Nigel Seeley, a London-based betting journalist and frequent contributor to VSiN (@VSiNLive), will cover the gambling market and analysis. There will be more additions to the “Bet-Cast” on-air team ahead of Saturday’s match.
“The decades-long hypocrisy of American professional sports is quickly coming to an end – Las Vegas is the international home of gambling, VSiN is the industry’s most trusted source for real-time betting news and Lights FC is the most progressive pro sports team in the country – This broadcast will marry the three together in a unique, first-of-its kind way,” said Lights FC Owner & CEO Brett Lashbrook. “Lights FC is incredibly proud to help lead the way within American professional sports to destigmatize the role betting plays in our industry. We know the ‘Big Five’ pro sports leagues will be watching the results of this broadcast closely, and we’ll further demonstrate to the rest of the country that the legalization of sports gambling should be fully embraced by pro sports teams.”
“This broadcast will serve as a tremendous introduction to the excitement and opportunities of live in-game wagering,” VSiN CEO Brian Musburger said. “In-game betting will completely change the way fans watch sports, and as the first network dedicated to sports gambling, VSiN is in a great position to deliver the real-time updates and analysis folks need to inform their waters throughout the game. We’re excited to partner with a pioneer such as the Lights organization to bring this unique broadcast to life.”
myLVTV is available locally in Las Vegas over the air (Channel 21), on COX (Channel 12, 1012 in HD), on Centurylink (Channel 21) and on DirecTV (Channel 21). Expect additional bet analysis on the Lights FC Spanish-language radio broadcast on ESPN Deportes 1460AM.
Lights FC’s Saturday “Bet-Cast” vs. Sacramento Republic FC will be exclusively available on myLVTV for residents of Southern Nevada. The traditional match broadcast will only be available via the ESPN+ app.
