IRVING, Texas & NEW YORK, N.Y.—Nexstar Media Inc. and SportsGrid Inc., a streaming video network that provides extensive coverage of sports betting, today announced a multi-year agreement to launch “SportsGrid Network,” the nation’s first-ever diginet devoted to sports wagering and fantasy sports.
The SportsGrid Network will launch on September 1 across nine digital subchannels licensed to Nexstar in nine U.S. markets, including San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Tampa, Portland, Nashville, Norfolk, Grand Rapids, Knoxville, and Des Moines.
SportsGrid, the nation’s first and only 24-hour sports wagering and fantasy sports program service, is currently distributed across over-the-air broadcast and cable television, connected Smart TVs, a variety of streaming platforms, mobile devices and on the internet, the companies said.
The new SportsGrid Network will be available on recently vacated digital sub-channels licensed to Nexstar.
“Our nation is sports obsessed and we are delighted to deliver SportsGrid’s programming to address the rapidly growing interest in sports betting and fantasy sports,” said Sean Compton, president of Nexstar Media Inc.’s Networks Division. “Distributing SportsGrid’s programming across digital subchannels in nine of our markets will enable us to connect with new audiences and continue expanding a new and fast growing revenue stream. As the nation’s #1 provider of content to fans of sports wagering and fantasy sports, SportsGrid is the perfect partner for this effort.”
At its launch, SportsGrid Network will feature 18 hours of exclusive live original programming hosted by a team of on-air personalities, sports and gambling experts, and guest contributors, as well as a variety of pre-produced programming and encore presentations of the network’s most popular shows, the companies reported.
SportsGrid’s reporting and analytic platform includes daily odds, lines, matchups, injury reports, statistics, news, and more across the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, college sports, golf, tennis, and soccer. SportsGrid’s live programming originates from state-of-the-art television production facilities adjacent to Madison Square Garden in New York City and at the SG Studios & Production Hub in New Jersey.
“Nexstar’s national reach across 199 owned or operated television stations in 116 markets throughout the U.S. is a great platform for distributing our content to fantasy sports fans and gamblers everywhere,” explained Louis Maione, founder and president of SportsGrid. “This initial nine-station launch of SportsGrid content will inform and entertain millions of sports fans across all screens and devices and provide them with expert reporting, commentary and analysis using our exclusive proprietary SportsGrid analytics platform. Finally, this agreement provides both companies the opportunity to share content and to strategically expand the network to additional Nexstar markets.”
