Las Vegas-based sports information network VSiN said Monday it was adding to its on-air talent line-up while increasing its scope of programming. The sports betting broadcast platform is seeking to capitalize as the wagering community shakes off its pandemic-influenced doldrums.
VSiN, the Vegas Stats and Information Network, which became the nation’s first network dedicated to sports betting when it was founded in 2017, is adding a former national network sports host, an ex-NFL player, a former NFL Network anchor, and a successful sports gambler and journalist to its lineup. VSiN is also expanding its content and production staff.
The expansion will increase the 24/7 sports betting network’s weekly broadcasting schedule to nearly 100 live linear hours as it prepares to open its second Las Vegas-based studio this fall.
“VSiN has experienced incredible growth over the past 18 months, significantly expanding distribution, advertising sales, and industry partnerships, while enhancing our product across channels,” VSiN founder and CEO Brian Musburger said in a statement.
“We’re excited to build on that momentum by launching new shows and introducing new talent,” Musburger said. “This new programming will allow us to cover sportsbooks around the country and provide unique and valuable insights to our growing audience of sports bettors.”
The college and professional sports world came to halt in March due to the spreading coronavirus pandemic, which canceled the March Madness NCAA basketball tournament. Nationwide, the casino industry closed for as many as three months in response to COVID-19.
In July, the NBA, NHL, and Major League Baseball rebooted their stalled seasons. The NFL is moving forward with the September start of its regular season, while several college football conferences have targeted an abbreviated fall season.
Tim Murray
Still, despite the lineup of non-traditional sports wagering opportunities offered by the sportsbook operators in the spring, nationwide gaming revenues from sports betting is up 10.4% for the first six months of 2020, according to the American Gaming Association.
Sports betting is currently legal in 18 states at casinos, racetracks, and online with another four states potentially ready to launch the activity by the end of the year.
Musburger said VSiN is planning to unveil several new shows in the coming weeks from its home studios at the South Point in Las Vegas. VSiN expects to open its second studio at the under-construction Circa Resort Casino in downtown Las Vegas when property owner Derek Stevens launches the casino, restaurants, and pool area by the end of October.
In the meantime, VSiN said it was adding four new on-air personalities: Tim Murray, former host of NBC Sports’ The Daily Line; former professional football player and current sports broadcaster Mike Pritchard; journalist James Salinas, who is a past winner of the $1 Million Super Contest at the Westgate; and Danielle Alvari, formerly of the NFL Network.
Mike Pritchard
Pritchard and Salinas will team up to co-host Betting Across America, while Murray will help anchor weekend coverage by joining the Betting Across America broadcast team and co-host VSiN’s new THE Pre-game Show. Alvari will join the My Guys in the Desert broadcast team.
Musburger said the new line-up will launch on Sept. 7. The idea behind VSiN was to provide the sports betting audience with credible information for making a more informed wager. Musburger likened VSiN to business-centric networks, such as CNBC and Bloomberg, in how they handle breaking gaming industry news.
“Over the past three years, we’ve built a team of sports betting experts unmatched in the industry and we’re thrilled to further strengthen our roster this fall,” Musburger said. “Adding this talent to an already impressive team gives our audience the opportunity to hear from the most knowledgeable (and) well-connected voices in the industry.”
Danielle Alvari
Alvari was most recently with The NFL Network and was a host of “Mainstreet Living” on the Cox Yurview Network. She worked as the weekend sports anchor and reporter for CBS NewsChannel5 in Cheyenne, Wyoming. A UCLA graduate, Alvari began her broadcast career on the sidelines of Bruins football and basketball games.
Murray co-hosted “The Daily Line,” a four-hour sports gambling show nationally syndicated via NBC Sports Radio and simulcast on NBC Sports Regional Networks in San Francisco, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. Prior to joining NBC, Murray was part of the nationally syndicated morning show on SB Nation Radio.
Pritchard is a Las Vegas native who was a wide receiver at the University of Colorado. He was MVP of Colorado’s 1990 National Championship team and played nine seasons in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons, Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks. He has spent the last 17 years broadcasting professional and college football and hosting sports talk radio shows in Denver and Las Vegas.
James Salinas
Salinas won the Westgate Resorts Super Contest in 2015, Las Vegas’ largest NFL sports betting contest. In addition, he has scored multiple cashes on the leaderboard in the last few years. He worked as a sports reporter and sports editor for the Rocky Mountain News in Denver.
VSiN content is available on SiriusXM Radio (204), Comcast Xfinity, fuboTV, Sling TV, Rogers’ Sportsnet, NESN, MSG Networks, Marquee Sports Network, VSiN.com and on more than 100 terrestrial radio stations around the country as part of The BetR Network and TuneIn.
Howard Stutz is the executive editor of CDC Gaming Reports. He can be reached at hstutz@cdcgaming.com. Follow @howardstutz on Twitter.
