SLING Debuts DraftKings Channel with Real-Time Sports Betting Odds

Posted on: April 26, 2021, 11:55h. 

Last updated on: July 5, 2021, 08:35h.

Steve Bittenbender Read More
Expertise: Legislation, Sports Betting, Horse Racing.

The sports betting and daily fantasy operator DraftKings has launched a channel on the satellite television provider SLING TV streaming service. The move comes nearly two months after DraftKings announced its agreement with DISH Network,

DraftKings SLING
SLING TV President Michael Schwimmer said the recently launched DraftKings network is a way for the streaming TV provider to offer the “ultimate entertainment experience for sports fans.” (Image: SLING TV)

The first channel is the DraftKings Basketball channel. Available on SLING’s subscription and free services, the channel provides viewers with real-time scores and updated in-game odds on NBA games.

This new channel is just the beginning of how we plan to bring the DraftKings sports betting experience to SLING TV customers,” said Michael Schwimmer, SLING TV president, in a statement. “We will continue expanding and enhancing our offerings to be the ultimate entertainment experience for sports fans.”

SLING also plans to launch similar DraftKings channels for MLB and NHL games in the coming weeks, according to a news release.

Paul Liberman, president of product and technology and a DraftKings cofounder, said the company is always looking for new avenues to reach current and potential customers.

“We are thrilled to expand this relationship, which will offer SLING TV customers an entirely new viewership experience through this first-of-its-kind streaming service,” he said.

DraftKings Expanding Media Presence

DraftKings mobile sports betting app is currently available in Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Last month, on the heels of its deal with DISH Network, DraftKings also acquired Vegas Sports Information Network (VSiN), which is a multi-platform sports betting content company.

DraftKings Cofounder, CEO, and Board Chair Jason Robins said the company plans to take what many consider as a highly reputable brand among sports bettors and help it grow. VSiN offers up to 18 hours of audio and video content daily through numerous outlets.

SLING Not Only Streaming Service in Sports Betting

SLING is just one of the streaming services making a foray into the sports betting realm. FuboTV, which markets itself as a sports-centric streaming service, has made it very clear it intends to offer sports betting in the not-so-distant future.

Last month, fuboTV revealed it struck a deal with Caesars Entertainment to get market access in Indiana and New Jersey. It also has deals in place with MLB and NBA to serve as authorized gaming operators, with those arrangements giving them the ability to use the leagues’ logos and official data.

However, investors haven’t been bullish on fuboTV stock as its pursued sports betting. On Dec. 22, shares reached an all-time high of $62.29. It dropped by more than 50 percent, though, before the end of the year. While it did climb back to as high as $54.24 on Feb. 4, it’s been trending mostly downward ever since. It closed Monday at $21.79.

One possible reason for concern is that fuboTV only has a fraction of the customer base when compared to SLING, which ended 2020 with nearly 2.5 million customers, according to DISH Network’s financials.

Executives at fuboTV expect it to end the first quarter with about 530,000 subscribers, and the service has been around for nearly six years. However, it forecasts growth this year, and expects to have upwards of 770,000 subscribers by the end of the year.