CBS Taps William Hill as Its Official Sportsbook, Data Provider
CBS Taps William Hill as Its Official Sportsbook, Data Provider
(Bloomberg) -- CBS will make William Hill Plc its exclusive online sports betting and data provider as the worlds of media and gambling continue to converge.
Under the partnership, which begins in March, the broadcaster will feature William Hill’s odds, experts and programming on CBS Sports websites and apps. William Hill data will also appear on the CBS TV network.
William Hill, a London-based bookmaker that dates back to 1934, has been increasing its presence in the U.S. It operates 146 sports wagering facilities, from the Stratosphere in Las Vegas to the Tropicana in Atlantic City, New Jersey. CBS is the broadcast division of ViacomCBS Inc.
“The one missing piece was a big media database to tap into, to get a huge number of customers familiar with our brand,” said Joe Asher, chief executive officer of William Hill’s U.S. arm.
Sports betting has exploded in the U.S. since the Supreme Court lifted a ban on such bets outside of Nevada two years ago. Fourteen states have legal sports betting in operation and seven others have approved it, but have yet to see betting get under way.
“We all know this is going to be a significant opportunity over the long run -- everyone sees that,” said Jeffrey Gerttula, general manager of CBS Sports Digital. “This is very early stages.”
Casinos and betting operators have been cutting deals with sports leagues and media companies in a bid to reach a larger audience. Fox Corp. last year created an online betting platform with the parent of PokerStars, while regional casino operator Penn National Gaming Inc. bought a stake in Barstool Sports, the sports blogger and podcaster, last month.
Sports betting is also expected to play a role in the National Football League negotiations for new broadcast contracts, with the league asking potential media partners to identify their strategy for the online wagering industry.
--With assistance from Eben Novy-Williams and Lucas Shaw.
To contact the reporter on this story: Christopher Palmeri in Los Angeles at cpalmeri1@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Nick Turner at nturner7@bloomberg.net, Rob Golum, John J. Edwards III
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