Las Vegas-based sports betting network VSiN dipped into the ranks of ESPN Thursday to bring aboard a long-time sports gaming journalist to oversee the expanding digital content.
Ben Fawkes is joining the editorial team as vice president of digital content for VSiN, where he will oversee all written and digital content, including VSiN’s subscription-based publication, Point Spread Weekly, the daily e-newsletter and special issues.
Fawkes will also contribute on-air and assist with short- and long-term content strategy across VSiN’s platforms. VSiN’s newsroom studio is located in the sportsbook at the South Point in Las Vegas.
Fawkes, who had been with ESPN since 2010, was the former general editor of ESPN’s sports betting product, ESPN Chalk, which was founded in 2014.
“Anyone who has followed the sports betting industry over the past several years is well aware of Ben and his great work,” VSiN founder and CEO Brian Musburger said in a statement. “He was one of the architects behind ESPN’s sports betting coverage and continues to be one of the most respected and prolific voices in sports betting. Adding Ben to the team will further strengthen both our editorial voice and our position as the most credible source in the sports betting space.”
The move comes as professional begins its return after the major professional leagues and collegiate athletics shut down in March due to the spreading coronavirus. In an interview in March, shortly after the shutdown, Musburger said “sports will be back, and we’ll be ready to cover it when it does.”
VSiN reduced some of its programing but kept the sports wagering community abreast of any developments. VSiN was founded in 2017 on the idea of providing the sports betting audience credible information for making a more informed wager. Musburger likened VSiN to business-centric networks like CNBC and Bloomberg regarding how they handle breaking gaming industry news.
Even during the casino and sports shutdowns, COVID-19 did not slow the expansion of legal sports betting, which is now available and regulated in 18 states and Washington D.C. Four additional states could launch sports betting this year.
Now, with Major League Baseball launching an abbreviated 60-game season, and the NBA and NHL planning to restart their suspended season and playoffs later this month, VSiN is boosting its programing.
During his tenure at ESPN Chalk, Fawkes oversaw the planning and execution of all editorial content for ESPN’s sports betting vertical, including the ESPN show Daily Wager. Fawkes broadly contributed content and provided editorial direction across ESPN’s sports betting platforms, including print, digital, and broadcast. He was a part of every ESPN sports betting property ever created. He was helping to manage ESPN’s partnership with Caesars Entertainment’s sportsbooks.
“I’m thrilled to be joining such an accomplished team of writers and talent,” said Fawkes. “I’ve always admired VSiN from afar, with an eye as to how they’ve approached creating a niche in the rapidly expanding sports betting landscape. I’m excited to contribute now as a teammate and help VSiN evolve its content and increase its footprint.”
VSiN content can be accessed through SiriusXM Radio channel (204), Comcast Xfinity, fuboTV, Sling TV, Rogers’ Sportsnet, NESN, MSG Networks, Marquee Sports Network, TuneIn, VSiN.com, and the VSiN app.
Howard Stutz is the executive editor of CDC Gaming. He can be reached at hstutz@cdcgaming.com. Follow @howardstutz on Twitter.
