FanDuel is getting in the cable sports game. The online gambling operator will bring the newest cable sports channel, FanDuel TV, to sports bettors starting at 10 a.m. on Sept. 1.
That means it will compete for attention and eyeballs with channels like ESPN and its parent company’s content partner, Fox Sports.
Working in FanDuel TV’s favor, Kay Adams – the former host of Good Morning Football on the NFL Network – will helm an hour-long talk show.
Beginning at 11 a.m. Eastern Time, she’ll broadcast Monday through Friday. (FanDuel’s press release says “EDT,” rather than “EST,” which is the format Bonus.com uses. It’s an unusual choice from FanDuel, considering it’s planning to launch in September, rather than when Daylight Saving Time switches on Nov. 6.)
At 10 a.m. on Sept. 1, More Ways to Win host Lisa Kerney will kick off the new network’s programming. That’s a week before the NFL season officially begins.
A little after her LFG tweet (Let’s Freaking Go) the former ESPN SportsCenter anchor tweeted:
I couldn’t be more proud to be a part of the first-ever sports betting network @FanDuelTV where you can watch, wager, & engage with us 24 hrs a day right from your phone! When I came to @FanDuel 4 yrs ago, this dream was in motion.
UPDATE: 09/06/2022
FanDuel TV and FanDuel+ officially begin today, according to a FanDuel announcement made yesterday.
Up and Adams with Kay Adams is the “flagship daily morning show” that runs at 11 a.m. on weekdays.
According to FanDuel, that show will have notable guests:
On the guest roster are former professional basketball player and television analyst, Charles Barkley, Super Bowl winning head coach Sean Payton, Super Bowl Champion Eric Weddle, Darius Butler and FanDuel partner Dr. Disrespect, to name a few.
FanDuel TV Debuts Slightly Ahead of Fox Negotiation End
The possibility that FanDuel TV may take on channels like Fox Sports comes at an interesting time.
New York-based FanDuel’s primary owner, Dublin-headquartered Flutter Entertainment, has been in closed-door negotiations with Fox. At issue is the price Fox wants to pay for an 18.6% equity interest in FanDuel Group vs. what value Flutter wishes to receive.
Negotiations may result in an agreement in October.
Rumors persist that a FanDuel IPO may happen soon after that resolution.
FanDuel TV Is Joined By FanDuel+
Rather than calling FanDuel+ a streaming service, as providers like Netflix and Hulu do for shorthand, FanDuel is using the inside baseball term of OTT for this offering.
Over-the-top media (OTT) includes television, video, and podcasts.
According to FanDuel’s announcement:
FanDuel+ will also be widely available on direct-to-consumer OTT platforms including Roku, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire. For more information on FanDuel TV programming and news, follow @FanDuelTV on Twitter and Instagram.
Catena Media Broke the News
News about FanDuel TV confirms a July 21 article by Legal Sports Report, with a few clarifications. LSR is a Catena Media brand, as is Bonus.com.
FanDuel Publicity Director Kevin Hennessy tells Bonus.com today that the main clarification is Adams won’t be hosting an ESPN SportsCenter-type program, it’ll be her talk show.
The FanDuel announcement says she’ll invite “guests and a wide range of personalities from across sports and entertainment.”
The FanDuel TV host, known as @heykayadams on Instagram and Twitter, doesn’t appear to have made public statements other than her quotes in a Variety article published before the FanDuel announcement.
Adams tells Variety:
Betting on sports “is a part of our game. It’s the future of the industry,” says Adams. “I want to be on the right side of that.”
TVG Is Rebranding to FanDuel TV, But Horse Racing Remains
TVG Network is rebranding to FanDuel TV.
However, Hennessy tells Bonus.com today:
Horse Racing is not going anywhere. That needs to be clear.
FanDuel Chief Commercial Officer Mike Raffensperger adds in today’s announcement:
FanDuel TV and FanDuel+ will accelerate the renaissance racing is enjoying and repackage the sport for a new generation of mobile enabled fans, while also bringing new leagues and sports to the U.S. market. We plan to offer more live sports than any network in America.
FanDuel Bettors Are Changing
A FanDuel Casino marketing campaign aimed at a changing audience is just one example of FanDuel’s recognition that bettors are evolving. Half of FanDuel Casino gamblers are women.
So the idea that FanDuel Sportsbook bettors want to see sports betting content shows that that audience is changing, too.
Adams tells Variety she “expects to talk to a new type of sports audience, one that plans on interacting with the games they see rather than passively taking them in.”
More Big Names Are Coming
Pat McAfee, known for The Pat McAfee Show, is a former NFL punter and a current WWE wrestler. However, McAfee’s now a sports analyst brand who crosses over industries and digital channels.
Soon, he and his PMI Network team will come to FanDuel TV each week.
Hennessy tells Bonus.com today:
Pat McAfee … and his company will be creating new shows in the future.
The Ringer, a network Bill Simmons founded, will bring content to FanDuel TV.
Hennessy says to Bonus.com:
It was always about signing up content partners with great show ideas.
Where to Watch, Listen to FanDuel TV, FanDuel+
FanDuel may later announce more distribution channels.
For now, the following apply.
FanDuel TV partners include:
- Comcast Xfinity
- Spectrum
- Verizon FIOS
- DirectTV
- DISH
- Cox Communications
- FuboTV
- YouTubeTV
- Hulu
“FanDuel+ will also be widely available on direct-to-consumer OTT platforms, including Roku, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire,” today’s FanDuel announcement says.
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