How Broadcasters Can Maximize Sports Betting Viewership
Over the past few years, the merging of sports betting and broadcasting in the United States has gone from a hypothetical question to a scramble for market dominance. Since the United States Supreme Court struck down the federal law barring sports gambling in 2018, dozens of states have legalized gambling, and legitimate sportsbook companies have set up shop to provide the market with engaging betting apps and platforms. For a time, broadcasters and their league partners struggled to figure out the right way to make money from sports betting. Today, networks are solving the equation by creating proprietary sportsbook technology or partnering with popular third-party operators to integrate existing betting applications into television programming.
Now that broadcasters have figured out how to make money with sports betting, the next question is: how do you maximize the revenue you can generate? You craft a sports broadcast that bettors want to watch.
Put the Odds in Your Favor with Eye-Catching Betting Data
As with all things broadcast, revenue comes from your viewing audience, and your viewing audience seeks out compelling content. Today, if someone wants to wager a bit of money on a sports game, they aren’t for want of services to help them do it. As a broadcaster or regional sports network, your power lies in 1) being the go-to source they choose to watch the game and 2) presenting the betting data they’re putting their money on in the most captivating and informative way possible.
In today’s article, we’re going to focus on that second point. The world of sports-betting is hyper-competitive, and the stiffest competition you’re going to face will be from your fellow broadcasters. Here are a few considerations as to how you can improve the quality of sports betting data in your programming.
Cultivate a Data-Driven Graphics Workflow
For sports fans, data always prevails. Fans love the solid proof of player stats and scoreboards – and sports betting further ups the ante. Now, the data you’re displaying in your graphics affects the money they have on the line. The odds, over-under, money line, winning rewards, and bonuses all change throughout a sporting event. You’ll have a more captivated audience than ever but a greater responsibility to keep them informed.
In the context of your sports broadcasts, you’ll need a real-time graphics system that can keep pace with rapidly-changing data. With PRIME CG, our powerful 3D real-time graphics engine, we can help you do just that. PRIME CG’s powerful data-binding to scene elements enables easy visualization of data for showcasing real-time events as they unfold. Logic-based scenes function as editable templates wherein designers can configure assets to refresh up-to-the-second based on data feeds and trigger controls. With PRIME CG, it’s easy to create eye-catching visuals that incorporate betting data.
Get Creative with Sports Betting Graphics
Repeat after us: do be unique, don’t be derivative. In the world of sports broadcasting, production teams and art departments can fall victim to the copycat game when dealing with new and unfamiliar elements to their show. You might not be sure of the best way to display this kind of data in a graphic. For inspiration, you then take a look at what your competitor is doing on their show. After that, you create a near-exact replica of their graphic. To hide your shameful efforts, you reskin the color, edit the textures, and change the screen position for good measure. And finally, you go-to-air with your knockoff graphic. Congratulations, you’ve just played the copycat game, and it isn’t going to do much to pull betting viewers over to your channel.
Instead, you need to deliver the data they’re looking for in the most compelling way possible. That starts with a unique look that catches their eye. If you’re unsure where to start, our Chyron Creative Services team can help you realize that creative spark. Our team specializes in designing and building state-of-the-art, data-driven graphics and the workflows that power them.
Plug-in to the Right Game Data Source
Data is the lifeblood of sports betting. The speed and accuracy of the data you provide are of paramount importance to your viewers. It can make or break your broadcast. The latency of game data is a big issue that the broadcast industry is still working to solve. Because of the inherent delay in television broadcasts, other betting avenues like smartphone applications can provide better up-to-the-second information. Whether you’re broadcasting over-the-air, over-the-top, or via web streams – you’ll be contending with delays anywhere from 2-10 seconds. While this may not seem like a big deal to some, it can make a world of difference to bettors with money on the line.
To that end, working with the right provider of sports data and information is paramount. When evaluating a partner, their data formats, API feed integration, infrastructure, quality, and transfer speed are all vital factors to consider. Again, if you’re unsure where to begin, our Chyron Creative Services team can be the experts on your behalf. Beyond our wealth of experience in crafting stunning live-odds graphics – we have several well-vetted game data partners we can bring to the table to realize your vision.
For a great example of how you can incorporate sports wagering into a sports broadcast, read about the Creative Services team’s work with NBC Sports Washington in creating their Predict the Game interactive experience for basketball and football fans watching at home and on mobile devices.
Craft a Sports Broadcast That Betting Viewers Want to Watch
The battle for sports betting television dominance will be fought and won with compelling, eye-catching content. Sports bettors are sports fans who like to put a little more on-the-line to make it all the more fun. Fans at home crave the same level of excitement as fans in the stands. Give them what they want, stats that tell the story and help them make the best betting decisions – and wrap it all up in absolutely eye-popping visuals.
Sports betting television is an exciting, profitable new endeavor for broadcasters – but translating the relevant data into one-of-a-kind graphics can be a challenging new art form. If you need help taking your show to the next level, contact our Chyron Creative Services experts. Our team can help you plug-in to the optimal data sources for your broadcast while combining live odds and fan engagement into a stunning graphics package that makes your channel a standout choice for sports bettors.
We have more insights and real-world examples to share with you about sports betting content in the near future. Subscribe to our blog to get the latest articles directly to your inbox!