PointsBet Sportsbook, the PGA Tour, and NBC Sports announced Monday they are teaming up to create the first betting companion show during a PGA Tour event that will be available on Peacock Premium.
“NBC Sports Edge BetCast” will make its debut Feb. 4 at the Waste Management Phoenix Open while the tournament is televised on both the GOLF Channel and NBC. Despite not yet having legal sports betting available in Arizona, the Phoenix Open is one of the more popular tour stops thanks to the stadium seating around the par-3, 16th hole in which pro golfers are celebrated for their attempts at an ace and caddies cheered when they sprint to the green with the bag on their backs.
“We are excited to debut this unique betting show with our partners at the PGA TOUR and PointsBet,” said President of NBC Sports Regional Networks and NBC Sports Group Executive Vice President of Content Strategy David Preschlack. “With TPC Scottsdale’s Stadium Course as the backdrop, we look forward to a compelling sports betting presentation on Peacock Premium as a companion to watching the world’s best golfers competing on some of the most iconic holes on the PGA TOUR.”
Golf has emerged as a popular sport for in-play wagering given the ability for bettors to follow particular golfers and groups over the course of a round. Additionally, pace of play also lends itself to in-play betting — the time between shots for golfers allows for constantly updated odds that provides the potential to wager on a shot-by-shot basis.
The PGA Tour also has long been one of the frontrunners when it comes to providing data for bettors and operators to parse in making picks through its ShotLink technology. It has partnerships with FanDuel, DraftKings, and BetMGM in addition to PointsBet.
“The PointsBet team is thrilled to work alongside our partners in NBC Sports and the PGA TOUR to bring to life a very engaging and unique sports betting production,” said Johnny Aitken, PointsBet USA CEO. “We all recognize that golf is ripe for sports betting innovation, and at PointsBet, we control our destiny when it comes to building the best golf betting experience in the world with our fully owned and operated technology platform. We are excited to highlight our golf product via the ‘NBC Sports Edge BetCast’ stream and show golf fans our market-leading offering.”
Utilizing the second screen
NBC Sports, @PGATOUR, and @PointsBetUSA to present first-ever golf betting companion show live via "NBC Sports Edge BetCast" on Peacock Premium.
Click here for details:https://t.co/h7mSAe8RRm
— NBC Sports PR (@NBCSportsPR) January 25, 2021
The telecast on Peacock Premium is the latest venture for PointsBet through its partnership with NBCUniversal, which purchased a 4.99% stake in the Australian-based sportsbook last August. The “NBC Sports Edge BetCast” will be aired for 2.5 hours each day in the afternoon during the tournament during which commentators will discuss the outcomes of various bets using PointsBet Sportsbook odds.
There will be a “BetCast-exclusive featured group” highlighted each day in addition to commentary on the probability of golfers’ scores and shots throughout the tournament and how the corresponding odds change. PointsBet’s coverage will also include an oddsmaker at their trading desk.
“’The NBC Sports Edge BetCast’ stream on Peacock Premium is another step forward for our sports betting strategy,” said PGA TOUR Senior Vice President of Media and Gaming Norb Gambuzza. “We are extremely excited to produce and distribute specialized betting content as a companion to our linear and digital coverage with our partners at NBC Sports and PointsBet. As we continue to embrace sports betting, the TOUR will continue to innovate and find new ways to engage fans around the world.”
The creation of BetCast for Peacock comes less than one week after NBC announced it will be shutting down the NBC Sports Network at the end of 2021. It will move some of its live sports programming, most notably the NHL, English Premier League, and NASCAR, to USA Network while continuing to add content to Peacock Premium to bolster its streaming service to compete with the likes of Disney+ and Netflix.
