Streaming television service SLING TV said today it’s introducing a channel dedicated to Penn National Gaming’s Barstool Sports unit.
The Barstool Sports Channel is available to both SLING subscribers and SLING Free users. Arriving just in time for the start of the 2021 college football season, the Barstool Sports Channel marks the latest intersection between gaming and media companies.
The Barstool Sports Channel features live content from the brand’s portfolio of video podcasts, blogs and video series. SLING users can access the Barstool Sports Channel via the SLING guide to catch special commentary, live content and more in time for the college football season,” according to a statement issued by SLING, a unit of satellite TV provider DISH Network (NASDAQ:DISH).
SLING is acknowledging the playbook authored by Penn in its acquisition of a 36 percent of stake of Barstool: It’s leveraging personalities. Shows on the Barstool Sports Channel will feature founder David Portnoy, Big Cat, Brandon Walker and former Boston Red Sox legend David “Big Papi” Ortiz, among others.
Barstool Sports Channel Features Betting Programming
Penn’s sportsbooks bear the Barstool name, a trait that’s been effective at helping the operator cobble together admirable market share in the states in which it’s live without spending big dollars on advertising and marketing.
SLING is looking to tap into that success as several of the shows on the Barstool Sports Channel will feature wagering-related content. For example, The Barstool College Football Show will feature Big Cat, Pornoy, Walker and Kayce Smith talking “locks of the week” and other betting picks for NCAA football. On The Pro Football Show, NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders joins Portnoy, Smith and Walker to discuss wagering ideas for upcoming games. That program will air Sunday before the first game kicks off.
Not all programming on the channel will be betting-related. Portnoy’s pizza predilection will be on display in a show dedicated to his pizza reviews while Ortiz will host Call Him Papi featuring interviews with athletes, artists and other celebrities.
DISH Covering Betting Bases
Obviously, DISH Network isn’t a gaming company, but it sees value in the expansion of regulated sports wagering across the US.
It’s agreement with Barstool isn’t the first time the communications company dipped its toes into betting waters. In March, DISH and DraftKings announced an agreement that set the stage for the gaming firm to bring daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sportsbook offerings to customers of the satellite television provider.
DISH clients with the Hopper device will be able to wager on NCAA basketball, NBA, and NHL games, with more features slated to roll out at a later date.
Companies like DISH are in advantageous positions to capitalize on the growth sports wagering because they have the reach to seize upon media and betting deals and the platforms that are vital to in-game wagering – two emerging themes in the sports betting space.
Those are avenues for communications and media companies to get involved with sports betting without directly running sportsbooks and dealing with regulatory headaches.
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