Networks face delicate balance in integrating sports betting as NFL opens doors to gambling in broadcasts

Networks face delicate balance in integrating sports betting as NFL opens doors to gambling in broadcasts

Article brief provided by SportsHandle
  • Matt Rybaltowski, SportsHandle
September 10, 2021 6:39 PM
  • Matt Rybaltowski, SportsHandle

The NFL is entering a new frontier.

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After decades of opposition to the legalization of sports betting, the league has gradually changed its stance on gambling since the historic PASPA ruling, despite becoming the last of the major North American pro sports leagues to develop a comprehensive policy on sports wagering. For the first time ever, the league will open a season with an official sports betting partner — three to be exact — in DraftKings, FanDuel, and Caesars Entertainment.

While the leagues have worked feverishly to monetize an industry that has a total addressable market of $40 billion per year, according to Goldman Sachs, major TV networks have also spent hundreds of hours creatively brainstorming ways to integrate sports betting into their broadcasts.