SportsGrid and the Elvis Duran Group (EDG) have struck a partnership to expand radio coverage of sports betting and fantasy sports.
EDG specializes in creating content for “radio, television, theater, film, live events and digital.” Top-rated radio personality Elvis Duran founded the group in 2007 with David Katz, EDG’s CEO.
“Elvis Duran and the Morning Show,” is the most listened to Top 40 morning show in the US.
SportsGrid brings the knowledge
The other half of the partnership, SportsGrid, owns the Fantasy Sports Radio and Gaming Network (FNTSY Radio).
FNTSY Radio is a sports-centric digital broadcasting platform that produces more than 75 hours a week of programming. It launched in spring 2014, billed as “the authority and credible source for all things gambling, fantasy and esports.”
Under the deal, EDG will take operational control of FNTSY Radio, responsible for distribution, marketing and programming.
SportsGrid President Louis Maione explained why the partnership makes sense:
“As one of the great communicators, Elvis knows exactly what and how to deliver to his millions of listeners on a daily basis. The brand David and Elvis have built is 25 years in the making. With the passion they have for the content our listeners are clamoring for, David and Elvis are the perfect team to help cement FNTSY Radio as the market leader and innovator. Focused on Fantasy & Sports Wagering, the FNTSY Sports Radio Network is not your father’s channel and together we’ll take the platform’s content to new heights and audiences.”
Sports betting is the spur to market expansion
The spread of state-regulated legal sports betting is having some fascinating secondary effects. The American Gaming Association (AGA) published research showing that a significant proportion of sports fans would bet on sports if they legally could.
The market is seeing that happening with sports betting already live, in New Jersey, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Mississippi, New Mexico and Nevada. Thousands of sports fans now engage with their favorite sports by wagering.
Sports fans who are now sports bettors are a new content market. The information and entertainment they want from media are evolving rapidly.
The EDG/SportsGrid partnership is a momentum play on that market evolution.
Fantasy sports bettors and sports bettors seek an information edge
David Katz said that above and beyond entertainment, quality sports information has financial value to the new audience:
“Whether it’s daily fantasy, season long or sports wagering, the need for statistical analytics, in market reporting and expert opinion has never been greater. The rabid information seeking consumers are a valuable asset, always striving to get an edge through content that no one else has. It’s our mission to provide fans the resources they need to be competitive and profitable as they manage, draft and wager on sports daily.”
Duran knows how to create an audience and sees potential engagement that adding wagering to sports creates:
“I’ve seen the growth and fanaticism of fantasy sports through my own audience and my fellow cast mates. Lou and his team have built fantastic assets that are poised to thrive in the changing landscape of fantasy sports and gaming. I’m so excited to help make FNTSY Radio the premier fantasy sports audio destination.”
New York station WHTZ at 100.3 FM provides the home station for Duran. The show also is streamed free on iHeart Radio and TuneIn.
The show airs from 6-10 a.m. weekdays. The FNTSY Radio schedule and shows are available here.
