Wanted: The Matthew Berry of sports betting — or a Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder for the 21st century.
With the U.S. Supreme Court last month striking down a ban on state-sanctioned sports betting, a new gold rush is developing around a formerly taboo activity.
Most cable TV sports networks are expected to develop their own gambling-driven studio shows. These programs will turn some unknowns into stars, the same way Berry, a former Hollywood scriptwriter, parlayed his fantasy sports knowledge into a high-paying gig on ESPN.
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ESPN and The Action Network are first out of the gate with "I'll Take that Bet" on the ESPN+ streaming platform. That show will just be the " tip of the iceberg ," reported John Ourand of SportsBusiness Journal.
Regional sports networks such as SNY in New York are expected to develop sports betting-driven studio shows while also layering in more gambling information to current coverage. With the need to fill programming 24 hours a day, national sports cable networks such as Fox Sports 1, NBCSN and CBS Sports Network won't be far behind. Look for traditional networks to also include more information and analysis of favorites, underdogs, point spreads and betting lines as states across the country legalize sports betting.
Well-known sports analyst and handicapper Danny Sheridan told Sporting News he has already been approached by three different TV networks about contributing or creating content for sports betting shows. A study by the National Research Group found that 79 percent of current and potential gamblers said they would watch more sports live if betting were legalized.
"None of (the networks) really know how they want to capitalize on it yet, but there's a sense of urgency by the networks to cash in on this for ratings and sponsorship money," Sheridan said Tuesday night. "If they don't address sports gambling now that it's legalized, the networks feel they're going to be left out in the cold. That's true, and that's why they're scrambling."
Wily TV veterans like Brent Musburger and Al Michaels have always addressed the topic of sports betting with a wink and a nod. Back in the 1970s, Snyder used to predict game results to Musburger on "The NFL Today." Depending on the point spread, NFL bettors would know whether to give or take the points. More than four decades later, Musburger is now lead analyst for the new VSiN ( Vegas Stats & Information Network ).
Brent Musburger with some of his "friends in the desert." (Getty Images)
Sports betting has always been the "elephant in the room," said ESPN's Scott Van Pelt, but now, he predicts, everybody will be "dancing with the elephant." Van Pelt's popular "Bad Beats" segment on the midnight ET "SportsCenter" looks ahead of its time.
"There will definitely be gambling shows, definitely. What’s our tolerance for them? That I don’t know," Van Pelt said, "but I would think you’d see that window, once the NFL gets on board, which they will, I think you’ll see that (NFL) window between 12 (noon) to 1 (p.m. ET) become much more like what Musburger and Jimmy the Greek used to do, only now it will be: 'Who do you like?' 'Well, give me the Chiefs plus 3.5 (points).' It will eventually land there."
New shows mean new opportunities for anchors, analysts and experts, but the road to stardom won't be easy.
Anyone who tackles sports betting better know what they're talking about, warned Jimmy Traina on the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast, or face ridicule from bettors, oddsmakers, wiseguys and sportsbook operators who know the betting lines inside out.
Austin Karp of SBJ asked Traina whether the addition of sports betting information could "change the face" of ESPN's 6 p.m "SportsCenter," which airs right before many NBA, MLB and NHL games. Instead of highlights, what about offering betting analysis of that evening's games?
Traina loved the idea, with one caveat: "It would be insane if ESPN doesn't do it, but you getter the right people on that show to do it. As someone who does wager, and has wagered for a long time, if they put people on there who don't know what they're talking about, it's not going to be pretty."
Media talent looking to cover sports betting will also have to deal with the uncomfortable truth that gambling addiction is a disease and that their coverage might contribute to addicts' rage and ruin.
Van Pelt knows all about addiction: He has spoken movingly about his late father's alcoholism. Still, this is a free a country, and ignoring sports betting on NFL pregame shows won't stop fans from betting on games, Van Pelt said.
"I’m sensitive to the fact that too much of anything is bad, so when people say, ‘Well, gambling does this, that and the other thing,' I say: 'So does alcohol, and Budweiser, Miller and Coors and everybody else have ads on and we accept the fact that a beer's OK, but 20 are really bad if you have them every single day,' so I think people largely realize that whether it’s a lottery ticket or a blackjack game or craps or whatever, that gambling is pretty pervasive."
Scott Van Pelt (Getty Images)
Especially, Van Pelt added, when other forms of gambling are legal.
"How many states have casino gaming? Lots. So how are we going to differentiate? So if you live in Washington, D.C., you can drive downtown and play craps and blackjack all day, but you can't bet on the Redskins? Who gives a s—? What difference does it make? Gambling is gambling. So I think people recognize that it’s so available, and so pervasive now, that throwing up your fist and being mad at sports betting? What are you accomplishing?"
Any fan of "Bad Beats" would realize Van Pelt isn't advocating for anybody to go out and bet their hard-earned cash on sports.
As Van Pelt said, "If you watch my segment, it is a cautionary tale. Why would anybody want to bet on sports? You’re born to lose — and probably in excruciating fashion."