Brent Musburger to Fox Sports on New Sports Betting Broadcast – Show Me the Money

Posted on: August 26, 2018, 01:00h. 

Last updated on: August 25, 2018, 06:38h.

Cort Smith Read More

Expertise: Sports Betting, Sports.

Brent Musburger isn’t playing coy about what it will take to lure him to Fox Sports to start a new show which will focus on sports betting – more money and more freedom.

Reports surfaced earlier this summer that the former play-by-play man was working on a deal with the network to front a sports betting show along with Charissa Thompson and betting expert Todd Fuhrman.

The show was expected to launch in the fall, but it appears there’s a one big hitch holding things up.

The broadcasting legend says that there is not only no offer currently on the table from Fox, but he’s also dropping hints that the network may not be able to afford him anyway.

A Wanted Man

The prospective show has been pitched as a panel-discussion concept which would focus exclusively on sports betting – something similar to “Around the Horn” on ESPN.

Mainstream media has been much more open to sports betting content ever since the Supreme Court defeated a federal sports betting ban in May.

Fox wants Musburger to front their broadcast, which it hopes would compete with ESPN’s sports betting show, “I’ll Take That Bet.” However, the 79-year-old is in high demand these days, and says he’ll only carve out the necessary time if the offer is right.

According to a report by The Sporting News, he likes the concept, but only if he can do the show remotely. Musburger launched the Vegas Stats & Information Network (VSiN) from Las Vegas’ South Point casino last year, where he hosts a show five days a week.

When that three-year contract is up, he’ll become the new play-by-play voice of the NFL’s Raiders when they move to Vegas in 2020.

Musburger says he’s willing to make it work, but he was upfront when asked by The Sporting News what he would say to Fox Sports if they offered him a deal.

“I’d ask, ‘What are you offering me?'” Musburger said.  “It’s the art of the deal — if you know what I mean.”

With Musburger now balking, reports indicate that potential co-host Charissa Thompson, who already works for Fox Sports, has decided to pull out of the project.

Fox has yet to comment on the show or any potential negotiations.

Word of Warning

Though he was famous for dropping cheeky comments related to sports betting while calling NFL games for CBS and ESPN, Musburger has some advice for those just getting into the game – be careful.

While noting that he’s thrilled that sports betting is emerging from the shadows, he wants to make sure people know that it’s an extremity difficult way to make an easy buck.

“I don’t want people to jump in and think this is going to be an easy thing,” Musburger told The Sporting News. “These casinos aren’t getting any smaller, you know?”