ESPN's Sports Betting Evolution Includes New Daily Wager Podcast, Radio Specials

The growth of the US legal sports betting industry simply cannot be denied. Since the 2018 Supreme Court Decision to overturn the blanket ban of sports betting in America, the momentum for legal sports wagering has been hard to keep up with. Two dozen states now have their own legal platform, teams and leagues have been on a partnership spree with betting providers, and networks that broadcast sporting events have been eager to embrace the subject of sports wagering.

The latest move that points to the explosion of legal sports betting popularity comes from the "Worldwide Leader in Sports" ESPN, who has decided to add a new sports betting podcast to their legal wagering content. The show Daily Wager, which just celebrated two years on the ESPN airwaves, will expand its reach with a new podcast that will start airing on weekday afternoons March 15.

“The podcast will be year-round on weekdays, hosted by a rotation of Daily Wager television program anchor and sports betting analyst Doug Kezirian and ESPN sports betting analysts Joe Fortenbaugh and Tyler Fulghum,” read an official announcement released by the network. “Other ESPN sports betting analysts also may appear. The fast-paced podcast, which will be released early in the afternoon (ET), will focus on the biggest games and best plays for the night.”

ESPN All-In on Legal Sports Betting

The writing has been on the wall for ESPN for quite some time - go "All-In" on the legal sports betting craze or get left behind. Back in September 2020, ESPN announced a partnership with Caesars Entertainment, and more specifically, its sports betting partner William Hill as part of their embrace of the legal sports betting industry.

“With Caesars utilizing odds from William Hill’s sports betting data, we are able to deliver content in new and innovative ways,” said ESPN’s vice president Mike Morrison during the announcement of the partnership. “Our multi-dimensional relationship is a testament to the growth and opportunity in the sports betting space.”

It has been all about evolving with the times for ESPN, who has had a roll in the mainstreaming of legal sports betting in the US for years. The total US legal sports betting handle approached $22 billion in 2020 alone with zero reason to think it won't grow in 2021 and beyond.

The Daily Wager podcast will run alongside two other similar sports betting podcasts already being produced by ESPN. Behind the Bets with Doug Kezirian airs weekly, and Stanford Steve and The Bear is also a weekly show during football season.

Betting Content Ain't All That New for ESPN

Despite the relative infancy of the legal sports betting scene in the US, wagering content on the network has been around for about 10 years. ESPN's newfound focus on betting is more of an evolution rather than an addition to their stance on the subject.

The Daily Wager TV production has been around for about a year, ESPN sports has a betting channel on YouTube, betting news has been part of SportsCenter broadcasts for quite some time, and shows airing on the network like Behind the Bets with Doug Kezirianpodcast, Stanford Steve and The Bearpodcast, Bad Beats on SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt and Bettor Days with Mike Greenberg to name a few have been mainstays on the network.

The Daily Wager Podcast Itself

The Daily Wager podcast is slated to run year-round, but not-so-coincidentally, it will commence in conjunction with March Madness. Typical ESPN personalities like Doug Kezirian, Joe Fortenbaugh, and Tyler Fulghum, who head up the ESPN broadcast of the Daily Wager, will all appear as hosts in a rotating fashion. We can expect to see other recognizable personalities appear as guests on the new ESPN project.

There will be Daily Wager Tournament Preview radio shows in the upcoming days to kick off the new endeavor. That preview show will have four episodes airing at key times during the March Madness Tournament.

Showtime for the podcast will be early afternoons, prior to the start of the day's action, giving bettors a chance to act on what was discussed during the programs. The shows will focus on the biggest games of the day and give wagering insight into the best bets for the action that day or weekend.