CBS launches first-ever sports gambling show on its streaming network
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Screen shot from CBS Sports HQ
CBS announced Thursday that it's debuting its first-ever show dedicated to sports gambling, called "SportsLine Edge," on its 24/7 over-the-top streaming network — CBS Sports HQ.
Why it matters: CBS is looking to capitalize on the Supreme Court's decision last May to allow states to engage in legal sports gambling by highlighting its expertise in sports picks and projections.
"The ruling we think is definitely [an] interesting [and] exciting opportunity for us. We don't think its going to be an immediate change, but we think it's going to be gradual and localized and will roll out slowly. The show and these investments play into that opportunity for us."— Jeff Gerttula, Executive Vice President and General Manager for CBS Sports Digital
The details: The show will air live on CBS Sports HQ on Monday and Thursday evenings and weekends to start, but will air live every day in the coming weeks.
- The purpose of the show is to give sports fans, fantasy players and line bettors content that will make them smarter about the games they’re investing in. Gerttula says the show will be projections focused, helping people understand data around matchups.
- The show will be hosted by Nick Kostos and will feature former oddsmaker Todd Fuhrman. It'll also include SportsLine experts Hank Goldberg, Kenny White, Micah Roberts and Kelly Stewart, as well as additional CBS Sports Digital writers and analysts.
- Gerttula said it's focus will be on the "invested fan." While Vegas-centric entities, such as MGM, are using live play-by-play data to offer bets on immediate action in games, CBS' programming will focus on betting lines.
The backdrop: The network launched SportsLine.com for betting and picks-related content in 2015, and has since launched other tools, like a popular office pool manger product, due to the success of their sports betting content.
Go deeper: Media companies could score on sports betting decision
