Watching sport is part of the culture of the western world, in fact maybe it’s what defines our culture. We devour the unscripted drama of televised live sports broadcasts and we invest ourselves in emotionally in the personalities central to the drama. Big moments in sport become big moments in our lives and part of our history. Many of our ‘remember when’ moments revolve around the highs and lows of big time sport. Add mobile sports betting to the mix and live sports media becomes a whole new beast. If you didn’t think the consumable product of live sport could get any bigger, well buckle up, because you ain’t seen nothing yet!
Will Sports Betting Make Me Watch More Sport?
The answer here is undoubtedly yes. A 2018 study of Americans by Deloitte Insights found quite conclusively that people who bet on sport watch significantly more televised sport on a weekly or even daily basis. How much more? Well basically double!
In fact Deloitte established that the size of the bet or the total amount bet doesn’t even matter, it is more the fact a person has action on a game in the first place that encourages them to watch sports in greater volumes. This means even small time bettors are important to broadcasters and sportsbooks.
The numbers are truly staggering and this means one thing. Not only is live sport the saviour of the flagging television industry it is also fast becoming completely adapted for mobile devices to fit in with our 21st century world. Just like sports betting, this product will get bigger and better. Dare I say, a marriage made in heaven!
How Will Sportsbooks Integrate Live Sports Vision?
Deloitte Insights predicts that in the near future 60% of men aged between 18-34 that watch sports on TV will also bet on sport. In the competitive industry of sports betting, customer acquisition is the main game. Grabbing the slice of the sports betting customer pie is the ticket to becoming a profitable sportsbook, especially with the surprisingly low margins under which sportsbooks operate.. Clearly having live sport streaming options available through a mobile betting app is a huge carrot to dangle in front of prospective bettors.
1. Live Streaming
This is a total given. In an article published by emarketer titled ‘Mobile soon to pass TV in time spent‘, their research claims that in 2019, more vision is watched on mobile devices than televisions daily per person. This is huge for mobile betting.
The fact a bettor is using their mobile to research and place bets on mobile sports betting apps means the incentive to offer them live sport through the app keeps them connected to the sports book platform longer. What does this equal? More betting!
As it stands at the moment live streaming of sports on betting apps is limited to less mainstream sports because these broadcast rights are easier and cheaper to attain. Overtime the limited offerings is sure to change to more mainstream popular sports.
Imagine a world where you are watching and betting on the NFL in game from your mobile. Live odds coming across the screen, much like fantasy football points, accurate and in real time. The potential live betting markets are countless. In an ever busier world, being able to view sports and wager on the go, is an essential service sportsbook will need to offer.
2. Sportsbooks Partnering With Streaming Providers
In a first of its kind deal in the US, Fanduel entered into a partnership with fuboTV in late March 2019. The deal allowed Fanduel to share its sports betting data with fuboTV across their sport TV platforms. In turn fuboTV has provided exclusivity to Fanduel with marketing and promotions of sports betting. The deal is national giving it real significance.
It would seem logical that these types of partnerships mean members of the Fanduel sportsbook may receive sign up deals and/or discounts to access fuboTV’s streaming services. A win for the customer and yet another example of the value of the individual bettor’s business.
Similar very early forays into this area have been made by ESPN and Caesars Entertainment as well as other smaller sportsbooks in emerging betting markets like esports. Watch this space.
3. Sportsbooks Partnering With Sports Leagues
In 2018 in Australia, the country outside of the US with the highest uptake of the NBA game pass, betting agency Crownbet (now Beteasy, owned by the Stars Group) offered all customers with a betting account free streaming of all NBA games via their mobile app. An unbelievable kickback for bettors who would ordinarily be paying subscription fees for the gamepass. While the content was not as complete as the game pass, with no pre and post match shows or analysis, it still represented incredible value. These offerings are without doubt coming to the US market in the very near future.
In 2019 Beteasy partnered with the NBA to become Australia’s official NBA wagering partner. This allowed Beteasy (The Stars Group) to use NBA official marketing and promotional assets in Australia. In return the NBA promoted the Beteasy app in all of their online platforms including the NBA app and NBA.com. This meant fans who were not members of Beteasy in Australia but were accessing NBA.com to stream matches and other content were immersed in Beteasy marketing. These types of partnerships are coming to the US market in a big way. The big pro leagues like the NFL and MLB will be active in this space.
4. Live TV Providers Becoming a Sportsbook
The most current example of this is the emergence of FOXbet. The foray into the US sports betting market by a large (they don’t get much larger) media company is something completely new in the US. Fox, in partnership with the Stars Group, will replicate the Sky Betting model well established in the UK. Where this is different, is it has the power to go to the next level due to the vast amount of sports content owned by Fox Sports. Linking this to sports betting is a no brainer and will surely become the model by which many sportsbooks in the US will be compared.
What Will Sports Betting TV Look Like?
New Content
The joining of live sports TV and sports betting will bring a slew of changes to the way content is delivered. One quick and obvious change will be the add on shows which deal specifically with sports betting. In the 24 hour content cycle, sports channels are always looking for new angles to present content. Sports betting and all the analysis that accompanies it, is the perfect addition to mid week and game day shows.
In Game Odds
In game live odds will become part and parcel of many live sports productions. Live betting is fast becoming a key revenue stream for all sportsbooks and promoting the available markets during the broadcast will without question become the norm. As an example at half time a sideline reporter may give feedback on player injuries, coaches halftime address and then insert up to date match betting odds. Simple, powerful and highly valuable for the sportsbook that grabs the exclusive sponsorship deal.
Avalanche of Statistical Analysis
Sports coverage is a rich source of statistical analysis at the best of times. Add a range of betting markets and the statistical analysis will become an avalanche. A range of new data focussing on the application to betting for the home viewer will be extraordinary. In particular a focus on proposition bets will be seen. An example of this may be distances to the pin on the PGA tour. As a player stands over an approach shot the broadcaster may be offering odds on the over under distance to the pin market. If the market is being offered the statistics will be delivered without question.
Minor Sports Gain Increased Coverage
Supply and demand is an age old relationship. In the world of sports betting the more opportunities a bettor has to wager the more chance they have of turning a profit, or in fact lose money. The point being, if a bettor is wagering on a market, they are more inclined to want to view the event. This power of demand means minor sports, and second tier leagues, will have an increased chance of gaining coverage. A win for the sport and a win for the bettors.
International and Overnight Sport Increased Coverage
The world is a large place filled with a range of strange and obscure sports, many which have sophisticated and exciting betting markets available. These sports, like the Australian Football League and the Indian Premier League Cricket will gain a foothold in less traditional markets like the US, due to the demand driven by the need to bet. Sports betting is a 24/7 business and streaming of content is able to feed the 24/7 appetite. Get ready to learn something new!
How to Make Profit From The New Sports TV Paradigm
1. Adapt or Die
Learn the tech. Sports betting is an age old business but with the influx of live streaming and mobile betting platforms it is essential that a serious sports bettor learns the technology associated with this changing space. More efficient betting and access to the best apps gives bettors a greater chance of turning a profit. Grabbing the best odds requires the bettor to be invested in tech that gets them real time data and instant bet placement.
2. Promotions Linked
Get across the promotions that are linked to the live streaming features. Sportsbooks invest a lot of time and effort to acquire customers and as a result as further developments occur in the live streaming space promotions are sure to follow. Load up on those.
School of Bets has delved deep into the art of using bonus bets. Read more here.
Free live sports content is a win in anybody’s book. The competitive market place means that sports streaming offerings will come thick, fast and generally free. The only ‘cost’ is signing up to the sportsbook app. Why pay when you don’t have to.
3. Bet Live
Learn how to bet live effectively. The real reason sportsbooks are pushing live streaming of sports is to grow betting revenues. The greatest growth area is without doubt live betting. In order to increase your profitability learn the nuances of the sports you are watching. Learn how to see momentum changes and spot value when it appears.
School of Bets has an extensive article on making the most of live betting. Read more here.
4. Access to Analysis Not Found Elsewhere
The increase in betting specific content across sports networks gives at home bettors the chance to access expert analysis from professional bettors that ordinarily may not have been available. Use this as a chance to learn more deeply the art of sports betting and add the new skills to your betting repertoire.
5. Choose the Correct Sportsbook
To make the most of the exceptional live streaming options, promotions and deals, research what the sportsbooks are offering. Some will offer more than others. Find the one that best suits your needs. Better still open accounts with more than one sportsbook and grab the best deals from them all.
The Game Starts Now!
This is the most exciting time in the history of sports betting. If you love live sport and the thrill and excitement of having a wager on the outcome, then the developments in live sports broadcasting and the integration of sports betting is simply awesome! Get involved and ride the wave of innovation. You never know, you might make a little money in the process.
