The Washington Redskins have broken the mold when it comes to telecasts as they became the very first NFL franchise to provide gambling-focused coverage during their games.
Winners of three Super Bowl titles, the Redskins began offering this telecast option during their first preseason game of the season which was played against the Cleveland Browns.
These kinds of telecasts offer fans the chance to win cash prizes for accurately predicting in-game results during the preseason. The entry is free and there will be one winner of $1,000 for each quarter of the four preseason games.
The NBA’s Washington Wizards was the first professional team in America to come up with a formula for telecasts that could provide viewers with sports betting content to their audience. The basketball team also offered fans the chance to come away with cash prizes through free-to-play games all through the NBA season.
However, the Redskins can only have this kind of telecast in place for their four preseason games. This is because NBC Sports Washington currently owns the rights to these games, but not for regular-season games.
The telecast on the main NBC Sports Washington channel will continue to air in a conventional format. The gambling-focused telecast can only be viewed on the NBC Sports Washington Plus.
A gambling-focused telecast was done for eight of the Wizards games last season. Damon Phillips, who is the general manager of NBC Sports Washington, relayed that they had excellent ratings and great fan engagement from these telecasts.
NBC Sports Washington is also enthusiastically waiting for the beginning of legal sports betting in the district of Washington DC. This will let them offer a more engaging experience for their spectators. When legal sports betting starts, the television network could partner up with a sportsbook and link this in with their broadcasts.
Phillips believes that the future lies with this kind of broadcasting. He believes that they are making vital steps in the right direction at NBC Sports Washington.
Sports betting legalization has already been ratified in Washington DC. Mobile and retail sportsbooks will be opening for business, including at the district’s major sporting arenas.
Delaware and West Virginia are both inside of the viewing region for NBC Sports Washington, and both of these states already have open sportsbooks. Legal sports betting is also close in nearby Virginia and Maryland, with the issue set to go to a public referendum to approve the issue.
While the NFL was against legalizing sports betting for many years, they recognize that not much can be done now. They are already allowing teams to acquire casino sponsorships and have entered numerous lucrative sponsorships with gambling companies.
