Sports betting programming is coming to horse racing network TVG "in time for this weekend's opening slate" of NFL games, according to T.D. Thornton of the THOROUGHBRED DAILY NEWS. The 10:00am-1:00pm ET Sunday slot will now be "filled by both a syndicated show and exclusive TVG-produced content that aims to blend sports wagering, fantasy gaming, and horse betting." Although the immediate effect on racing coverage "seems minimal, the programming move begs the long-range question of what the future programming balance on TVG will look like as sports betting continues to becoming legalized across the country." TVG and Betfair CEO Kip Levin said racing coverage is "not going to change dramatically" in the near future. Levin: "Racing remains our core focus. We view this as step one into trying to wrap other sports-betting programming around (racing content) to bring a new, younger audience to TVG and horse racing." Thornton noted beginning Sunday at 10:00am, TVG will "debut 'The Barstool Sports Advisors,' a syndicated 30-minute show." Those programs will be "hosted by Barstool Sports personalities Daniel 'Big Cat' Katz, Stu 'The Source' Feiner, the pseudonymous 'PFT Commenter'" and Barstool Founder & President Dave Portnoy. Levin said TVG was "well aware of Barstool's polarizing reputation before inking the deal." Levin: "They've got a massive audience. They've got a unique platform that has been built up over the years. We've done marketing partnerships with them before." The Barstool programming will "lead into a new TVG-produced two-hour studio show dubbed 'More Ways to Win.'" Levin said, "We've always been 100% about betting. And the strategy, from day one, will be to introduce the sports betting audience to horse racing" (THOROUGHBREDDAILYNEWS.com, 9/6).
