2019 is rapidly drawing to a close and it is time to look at the future of sports wagering online and streaming for 2020 and beyond. 2019 was a great year for the gaming industry with many states legalizing sports betting. Not only did that open things up for sports fans around the United States but it also allowed for those states to have solid revenue streams.
Online Sports Betting & Live Streaming – Mutually Beneficial
The sports world has taken notice of the impact of wagering online and live-streaming. In order to take advantage of this recent change both teams and leagues in American professional sports have opened up what they offer to both sports betting experts and novice bettors and everyone in between.
The NBA was one of the first U.S. pro sports league to full embrace sports betting online. They partnered up with MGM in 2018 and the league and their teams have both taken to online wagering being associated with their brands and both have benefitted from it. One of those teams is the Philadelphia 76ers of the NBA, as this is their 2nd season where they have broadcasted games that have an alternative format that is focused more on betting.
Shawn Oleksiak, who is the NBC Sports Philadelphia Vice President of Live Events, recently stated, “These broadcasts are a fun way for fans to be more engaged with our games. From the casual sports bettor, to those just learning the basics, these game broadcasts will entertain as well as inform those interested in sports betting.”
The betting focused broadcasts as well as betting centered television programs, such as Daily Wager on ESPN and Lock It In on FS1, have brought in a new audience to sports betting online.
MGM also announced early in December of 2019 that they will livestream games through their mobile betting application of BetMGM. Soccer is the first sport where steaming will be available through the app with live streams of the EFL Cup, the Scottish Premiership, and matches from soccer leagues across Europe as well as tennis matches from the ATP.
There are many ways for sports leagues, as their teams, in order to enhance the product they have for sports bettors. A couple of the things are creating and introducing new technology to go with live streaming giving sports bettors and viewers an enhanced experience.
Earlier in December 2019 the NHL and partner Disney Streaming Services launched GameFlow on their mobile application. This is a tool that lets views watch the flow and momentum of a hockey game in real-time. Because of this, bettors that make live bets, in-game bets, have more information available to them when making wagers.
Barry Tishgart, who is the senior vice president and general manager for hockey, Disney Streaming Services, stated, “We are excited to introduce this season new and engaging tools that bring hockey fans deeper into the trends and play habits outside of typical box scores.”
With in-game technology, such as GameFlow, the info that bettors have is set up for impressive growth.
New Jersey Sports Betting Industry & ESports Growth
2020 will also see growth in terms of esports events broadcast live. Live broadcasting gives fans of esports a new visual experience that is different and more enhanced than streaming sites such as Mixer and Twitch.
Earlier in December Turner Sports announced they had brokered a deal with EA Sports in order to be the exclusive broadcaster in the United States for the qualifying events for EA’s FIFA 20 Global Series. This is the most popular sports series in the world and adding that to Overwatch, Rocket League, and Street Fighter, Turner Sports is now the leader when it comes to broadcasting esports events. Besides getting new people to view these events Turner Sports is attractive to both esports bettors and fans of esports.
Jennifer Dill, who is the vice-president of esports at Turner Sports, stated, “In addition to the role ELEAGUE will play in the growth of EA Sports FIFA 20 as a top-tier esport and viewing experience, we are looking forward to leveraging the full breadth of Turner Sports’ platforms and sports programming to drive additional excitement surrounding the EA Sports FIFA 20 Global Series.”
In October New Jersey sports betting fans were the first US bettors to be able to legally bet on esports, with the bet type through to rapidly penetrate in to other legal sports betting states.
With a new decade about to start there is a bright future for online betting and streaming, which have now merged for the advantage of bettors and fans alike. If the leagues and teams keep up the 2019 momentum then bettors and streamers, as well as sportsbooks, are primed for positive growth.