Part of the NBA mission is to come up with various ways to allow fans to enjoy live games fit to their specific affinities. That includes sports betting, which the NBA is tapping into with the implementation of new betting-focused broadcasts called NBABet Stream.
“The point of an alternate broadcast is for it to be different from the primary telecast,” said Scott Kaufman-Ross, senior vice president/head of fantasy and gaming, NBA. “We didn’t feel we needed a perfect professional play-by-play person. We wanted to provide someone that would simulate you and your friends talking about the game from a betting perspective.”
The genesis for the approach emanated from similar betting-focused broadcasts by NBC Sports Regional Networks in Philadelphia and Washington in 2019. For its version, the NBA has partnered with Bleacher Report and Turner Sports on on-air talent, who appear on the NBA TV direct-to-consumer channel within the NBA App, according to Sports Video Group.
The league has also tapped the Action Network and Yahoo! Sports for talent on NBABet Stream broadcasts on NBA League Pass, the league’s out-of-market streaming service.
“With this being the first time that we did this, we wanted to experiment with different personalities, different approaches, and see what resonated with fans so we can figure out what the best approach for this is moving forward,” Kaufman-Ross said.
Is this for the hardcore gambler or the casual fan? By looking at different models perhaps the league will discover the answer. Seeking the casual fan might be the better approach. This avenue also might engage fans at a time when they can’t engage in person.
“There was an extra focus on ensuring that we found creative ways to bring fans closer to the action and create new access and ways for fans to consume content,” Kaufman-Ross said.
