Caesars will open a Bleacher Report-branded studio in its flagship Las Vegas sportsbookGETTY IMAGES
Caesars Entertainment is "teaming up with Turner Sports to develop gaming content" in a new deal, the "first between a national television network and a major casino operator," according to Todd Prince of the LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL. Caesars as part of the deal will "open a Bleacher Report-branded studio this spring inside the sportsbook at Caesars Palace" in Las Vegas, and Turner will "hire talent to create video content at the new Caesars studio for distribution on Bleacher Report." Caesars' name will be "featured on the video content," which will help the company "build brand awareness among sports fans nationwide just as wagering spreads to more states" (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 2/8). Turner Sports President Lenny Daniels said, “This will give an authentic, real feeling toward the content that will be created. This leaves open the door to do a lot of things.” The B/R studio will be up and running in the next few months, Daniels said. Programming that comes from the Vegas-based studio will be distributed through Bleacher Report, the B/R app and other Turner Sports platforms. Daniels said Turner does not have specific plans about the type of gambling content it will produce from the studio. He added that the current crop of gambling-related content lacks a storytelling component that he thinks is necessary for it to become popular. "We’re trying to figure out how to combine storytelling with numbers," he said. "We want engagement. Engagement drives viewership" (John Ourand, THE DAILY).
SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIP: BLOOMBERG NEWS' Novy-Williams & Soshnick noted the Turner partnership is an "opportunity for Caesars to attract younger customers to its rewards program, which has more than 55 million members." Turner President David Levy said that every month, Bleacher Report "reaches more than a third of the country's sports fans aged 18 to 34." This deal also "presents an opportunity for Caesars to promote its offerings to more casual sports fans." Levy said that the company will "have some room to showcase its own bets or odds within the content itself." The partnership does not include "affiliate fees -- meaning Turner won't receive payment for each bettor it refers to the Caesars sports book." However, that could be a "reality in the near future when Turner gets a better handle on the regulation and legal restrictions." Levy: "There are things that we're going to move into as things change" (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 2/7).
